Fall Flicks: Creed

After the less than thrilling Spectre and Hunger Games, it was up to Creed to reverse the Fall Flicks slump. I'd been looking forward to the new Rocky flick for a while as the story seemed to be taking the character in a reasonable new direction while injecting some fresh blood. 2006's Rocky Balboa was a solid end to the saga, wrapping up the underdog story by showing the character as an aging, grieving but still hungry man meeting a new challenge. Bringing in former rival turned coach and friend Apollo Creed's son could have been a cheap cash in but franchise super fan turned writer/director Ryan Coogler along with co-scripter Aaron Covington along with stars Michael B. Jordan and Stallone craft an excellent chapter that harkens back to the original's dramatic set up while still delivering pugilistic excitement. Coogler is a tremendous filmmaker as the flick looks slick yet feels authentic and the use of music, slow motion, long takes, etc is superb. While the story treads familiar ground like daddy issues, living up to your name, a convenient yet believable romance; the film is rousing, inspiring, funny and exciting when it needs to be. While I almost shed some dude tears at the end and the film soared at parts, I wasn't engaged the entire runtime. Probably because Adonis and Bianca's (Tessa Thompson) characters and ensuing romance wasn't as endearing as Rocky and Adrian's. I thought it was funny that Adonis Creed's fake name was Donnie Johnson (like Don Johnson, get it? You don't get it...) while wondering why there was no mention of Tony Burton's Duke the Trainer since he raised Apollo then took Rocky under his wing.

Not having to write or direct, Stallone is free to simply act and from his first line of dialog, reminds audiences why they love Rocky in the first place. The $37 million dollar film has already brought in $43 million and there's talk of Stallone being in the mix as Best Supporting Actor come award time. I thought 2006's Balboa was much more convincing with more heart and drama than 2008's overrated yet multi-nominated The Wrestler so here's hoping Stallone gets his critical due this time. It will be interesting to see what direction Creed moves to for a sequel. I vote putting him in the ring with Ivan Drago's son followed up by Michael B. Jordan tackling a sequel/reboot to Carl Weathers' awesomely 80's flick, Action Jackson.

Fall Flicks: The Hunger Games Mockingjay Part 2

You know how you just don't "get" stuff? Hunger Games is like that for me. I've seen each film in the theater to be a good partner but I honestly would have rather sat in the lobby reading a book then viewing the films. I've just never bought into the world, the stories or characters. Part 3 I surprisingly didn't mind but that was deemed the weakest of the films up to that point, so go figure. This gave me hope for the final installment but nope, The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 2 put me to sleep. Literally. On three separate occasions. The first half is literally a bunch of white folks sitting or walking around doing nothing in particular. Oh there's a black character here and there but this future is real white. There's flourishes of excitement like an Aliens style sequence in a sewer with some I Am Legend style white skinned, ravenous, flesh eating creatures but for the most part, I just looked around or nodded off. Every time I see Josh Hutcherson, I feel like he should play Dolph Lundgren's runt of the litter son. The highlight was probably during the trailers when people started to slow clap after Star Wars: The Force Awakens.

Fall Flicks: Spectre

James Blah. Spect-meh. Bland, James Bland. This is what my mind was doing watching new James Bond outing Spectre last night, trying to think of semi-clever puns that would describe the movie. I didn't not like it but I did check my watch, my knees got tired from sitting and I was glad it was over. Of course I wasn't a fan of mega hit Skyfall either with it's dour mood and stripped down version of Bond that could have easily been billed as "English Spy Drama" instead of a James Bond picture. I'm no Bond expert but I've seen enough of them to form an expectation of a smooth yet rugged, macho hero, exotic locales, nefarious villains, cool gadgets and beautiful women. Daniel Craig's first outing as Bond in 2006's Casino Royale was a kinetic, fun and gritty outing that got a little too big between the airport scene and the falling houses finale but overall I enjoyed watching it, wanted to dress a little better, conduct myself with a little more panache and work out harder. Follow up Quantum of Solace was a short and frenetic chapter that could be deemed the Jason Bourne one with it's emphasis on unstoppable Terminator style action and hyper editing. But Skyfall with it's bad CGI, drawn out story that concluded with a Home Alone meets Batman Begins piece just lost me. It made a billion bucks but I didn't want to be Bond anymore, I wasn't inspired by this fictional cinematic hero any longer.

Spectre opens up in Mexico City where Bond is tracking a mysterious fellow, causes all kinds of destruction and the ultimate death of said fellow. Back at Mi6, new boss M (Ralph Fiennes) puts the kibosh on further unsanctioned missions and Bond has to go underground to do some revenging. We're introduced to a shadowy network of baddies and a brute of a hitman with metal thumb nails before meeting the lovely daughter of a former associate. Together they go on the run to uncover the roots of this shadowy, all seeing organization that is using personal data to basically watch over society and remove threats as they deem appropriate. John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth tackle Ian Fleming's creation with Sam Mendes back at the helm. Like Skyfall, the film takes it's time going nowhere in particular while providing the odd set piece involving chases with cars and planes in the city, on snow capped mountains and the high desert. There's a few hand to hand fight scenes with one on a train against hitman Hinx (Dave Bautista) being a highlight. But overall I just don't understand why Mendes and crew have something against making a fun or exciting film. The scale is huge, the stunts enormous and the settings spectacular yet it all unfolds in such a ho-hum fashion. I hope Chris Nolan got a thank you note now that Royale, Skyfall and Spectre have all cribbed from his Dark Knight Batman trilogy. *Minor Spoilers* In Spectre you get the overwatching network we already saw in The Dark Knight and later Captain America: The Winter Soldier and Avengers 2. As well as a scene where Bond has to decide on who to save before things go blowed up. Also reminiscent of Knight.*End Spoilers*

Like I said, I didn't not enjoy the film, you are invested in following Bond on the trail of who the new villain is and their connection. Now that all of the character's backstories are intertwined, I thought for a second it would go Oldboy and make young love interest Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux) his relative just to mess with him and us. But it didn't. I can't believe that Casino Royale was nearly 10 years ago and much was made about Craig's pumped up physique on display. Shirtless scenes followed in Quantum and he spends much of Skyfall sans top attire but in Spectre he stays covered up. Is that another sign that Craig has lost interest in the character and didn't train as hard for this one? You tell me. The star has always been a bit cranky when it comes to press but for Bond he really came off not giving a crap. You can't blame him though, the film took years to develop and shoot, cost an alleged $330 million bucks and he seriously injured his knee. Coming off such a gigantic project, it's safe to say he needs a break. Mendes has already commented that he's done with the franchise so hopefully they bring back Martin Campbell who breathed new life into the series with Goldeneye and Royale.

Fall Flicks: The Walk

 
After that terrific morning workout it was off to The Outlets of Orange aka The Block for some breakfast and a movie, Robert Zemeckis' tight rope spectacle, The Walk. It's been years since I've been to The Block but it's held up pretty nicely. You have lots of brand names stores like Calvin Klein, Banana Republic, DKNY next to hold out restaurants like Cafe Tu Tango, Market Broiler and newer additions like BJ's Brewhouse and The Saddle Ranch. It's kind of funny the Sunset staple has expanded to Universal City, Triangle Square and The Block but it's a fun spot and they give you cotton candy. The AMC houses no less than 30 screens and is quite the movie palace. There's quotes on the floor, giant posters as wallpaper and a half dozen of those Coke machines that make you 100 plus favors of fake. Our early screening of The Walk was old school with open seating.

Based on To Reach the Clouds, the memoirs of street performer and tight rope walker Philippe Petit, The Walk tells the tale of a driven daredevil and his quest to walk a high wire between the soon to be open World Trade Center Towers in New York City in 1974. The always likable Joseph Gordon-Levitt plays the Frenchman who learns how to walk the wire from circus promoter Papa Rudy (Ben Kingsley) as he contemplates how to fulfill his dream of walking between the American towers. Forming a gang of accomplices, Petit heads to New York and sets in motion his plan to break into the tower, string the wire across the open 140 feet, do the walk and not get thrown in prison. It's a pretty straight forward affair filled with fun, danger, a touch of romance, heavy French and New York accents and more than a few intense moments of rigging, walking and extreme heights. I heard people were getting sick and vertigo from watching but our 3D show brought us nowhere near vomit inducing. Some people are just weak I guess, I mean if you get sick watching shaky cam in a Bourne Identity flick I just can't relate. After the low budget Flight brought Zemeckis back from technology driven affairs like Mars Needs Moms, The Polar Express and A Christmas Carol, The Walk is an economical crowd pleaser that has sadly not made a huge dent at the box office. But with hits like Back to the Future, Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Forrest Gump, Cast Away and Flight to his credit along with pushing the limits of filmmaking technology, it won't take long to see him bounce back.

24 Hours: Steve Jobs

After From Dusk Til Dawn 3, Planet Terror, Dunkin' Donuts and the gym it was off to west Los Angeles for a screening of Shame: Apple Edition aka Steve Jobs at the Landmark. Here's a tip, don't park in the theater side structure on a Saturday, it was a frigging mess. Go a few feet down Pico to the main mall lot and simply cross the street or bridge. We were a few minutes early and checked out the upstairs bar for a cider and glass of wine, respectively. They have light bites but if you're in the mood for food, the area has lot of options like the Westside Tavern, Gyu-Kaku, Islands, an Indian restaurant I once saw Goldie Hawn at (no Kurt though) and gastropub The Gulp within walking distance. Playing in a handful of spots in LA and New York, Steve Jobs like Sicario before it is an early awards hopeful. Based on the book by Walter Isaacson and adapted by Aaron Sorkin, Danny Boyle's Jobs takes a unique approach to a bio pic by studying it's subject via several lengthy scenes set backstage at three product launches in 1984, 1988 and 1998. Michael Fassbender plays the legendary Jobs with Kate Winslet, Seth Rogan and Jeff Daniels as his right hand woman, former partner and former boss.

I can't say I know too much about Steve Jobs beyond that he was a very public figure lauded for his insight and vision as well as his less than rosy social skills. Apple is an unstoppable juggernaut in the technology world but comes off as a bit of a cult to me. You have one of their leaders talking about wanting to help the environment yet have you ever seen how much packaging comes from a pair of earbuds or an adapter? Then he called the film opportunistic which Sorkin countered that Apple pays Chinese workers pennies an hour in horrid conditions to make products that are sold at premium prices. But the Jobs did help make Pixar what it is which in turn cemented Tim Allen's legacy so hey, raise a glass to love your past. Through the three main scenes with flashbacks sometimes happening at the same time, you get a simple yet thorough ideal of the person Jobs is, at least the version the movie would have you believe. I had no clue he was adopted and knew nothing about his rocky relationship with his daughter and her mom. It's little human touches that like that break him down to a basic level you could relate to which at the same time made me wonder how much of it was actually true. Fassbender is one of my favorite modern actors and does a superb job here of playing Jobs through the eras as driven and intelligent but also a bit of an asshole because he wants things to be perfect. Dialog is unsurprisingly crisp throughout and Boyle's editing and use of music keeps talky things going so I was never wondering what time or drifting off.

Early iterations had David Fincher directing with Christian Bale starring which would have been  something as I think Bale would have transformed himself into Jobs more so than the Fass did. Leonardo DiCaprio was courted for a time but I honestly don't think he would have been the best choice. In these early award days, I'll give Fassbender an edge over Sicario's Benicio Del Toro. We'll see what Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks give us next week with Bridge of Spies.

Fall Flicks: The Martian

It's a busy week full of movies here with three in the can and another three on the horizon this weekend. Last night it was an impromptu screening of new Ridley Scott flick The Martian starring Matt Damon. Based on a self published novel (on a blog, no less) turned Amazon best seller by Andy Weir and adapted by Drew Goddard, The Martian has been building buzz for quite some time after the well received trailers. Matt Damon averted P.R. nightmares after a few quotes about diversity and openly homosexual actors were taken the wrong way. But in today's climate, what isn't taken the wrong way? It reminds me of Van Damme saying you could sue him for using the F word and be "mentally abused"...Man I'm not cut out for this world...Anywho, the flick opened to a boffo $55 million last week giving Damon a nice career boost and delivering Ridley Scott's first bonafide hit in years. All in The Martian is a good time at the movies, it's light, funny, slightly terrifying and incredibly well made even if it all unfolds in a pretty straight forward and ho-hum fashion.

Up on Mars, the crew of mission Ares III are hit by a severe storm where astronaut botanist Mark Watney (Damon) is struck by debris, separated from the party, presumed dead and the remaining members evacuate the planet. Of course he's not and must now figure out a way to survive on the uninhabitable planet and signal NASA. On Earth, directors, media, engineers and others carefully plan how they're going to explain Watney not dying and how they can rescue him without jeopardizing more astronauts along with their public standing. Eventually the Ares III crew is informed that Watney is alive and must decide if they'd be willing to risk their lives and careers to go back for him. Like I said, The Martian is a good time. It highlights science, problem solving, team work and humanity in a light tone. Kind of like how the last Twilight movie was an X-Men flick for non-comic book readers, The Martian is an intelligent science movie for people who conjure up images of hippies and nerds with pocket protectors when they think of free thought or space exploration. It's a very human story that that doesn't get too cerebral or technical while packing lots of laughs and a few breathe stopping sequences of Mars and space set destruction.

The cast is huge, starting with Damon and includes Jessica Chastain, Kristen Wiig, Jeff Daniels, Michael Pena, Sean Bean, Kate Mara, Sebastian Stan, Chiwetel Ejifor and Donald Glover. It's been highlighted that Mackenzie Davis' small role of a NASA satellite analyst was originally written as an Asian woman in the book. As if the film didn't have enough white folks running around including two central redheaded female characters. I wonder if this came from Scott, the casting department or Fox as it's a pretty nothing role so why even take the time to change the ethnicity from the book? But this is Fox who you know, white washed the entire county of Orange for TV and kicked Jubilee to the curb in favor of a lame ass Rogue in X-Men. Oh well, Scott did make Black Rain which cast lots of great Asian actors while decapitating Andy Garcia. Not like he pulls a Seth McFarlane and continually uses Asian characters as the butt of jokes and stereotypes.

Inevitable comparisons to last year's space epic Interstellar have been rightfully avoided as they're two different types of films. Although Damon and Chastain are in both, The Martian is a breezy good time with a classic rock soundtrack while Interstellar was an emotional experience that dealt with big ideas like the end of the world and alternate dimensions. I appreciated Chris Nolan's ambition and use of emotion which will make it stand out in my memory more so than The Martian. I'd see it again though. 3D is ok, some storm sequences make good use of it but never felt like I was there.

Josh Brolin Double: Everest and Sicario

After seeing Snowpiercer the night before, it was time for another cold looking flick, the mountain climbing turned deadly expedition true story Everest. The third movie of our weekend took place at Cinemark's new theater in Playa Vista at The Runway. We frequent this spot frequently and the hostess called us regulars. It's generally slow and empty but on a Saturday night the bar and restaurant were pretty happening. Sadly it really slogged down service and our server could not keep up. It wasn't a bad experience per se but definitely not great, such a shame. In the 90's, climbing mount Everest had turned into a business where guides would take the rich and adventurous up to the summit, weather permitting. But at the cruising altitude of a 747, the body is literally dying so extreme caution and preparation are exercised. Rob Hall (Jason Clarke) heads up Adventure Consultants, he's kind, funny, level-headed and expecting a baby daughter. Scott Fischer (Jake Gyllenhaal) is more care free and a bit of a hippie but with so many climbers creating log jams at dangerous passes, they team up to get their clients up the mountain. Unfortunately Mother Nature has other plans as a surprise storm strands several climbers and tragedy strikes as multiple mountaineers meet their demise.

Directed by Baltasar Kormakur (TWO GUNS!) based on a script from William Nicholson and Simon Beaufoy, Everest plays out pretty straightforwardly; briefly introducing the characters along with the danger and majesty of the mountain. They go up, shit goes bad and sadly people don't make it home. Clarke plays Hall likable and intelligent while a deep cast of familiar faces includes Martin Henderson, John Hawkes, Josh Brolin as a likeable yet somewhat pushy Texan, Emily Watson, Sam Worthington, Keira Knightley and Gyllenhaal. Sure some of the mountain scenes look a bit like a set but there's also some stunning shots of the range, snow and avalanches. A scene involving a helicopter shot from the cockpit as it plummets is particularly intense. Two friends complained that the film had too many half baked characters you couldn't differentiate, even by their different colored jackets. It made me want to watch K2, the 90's rock and mountain climbing mini-epic featuring Michael Biehn and Matt Craven as best friends who join a billionaires crew heading up the second highest mountain in the world. That film benefited from focusing on two characters and their opposite attitudes but then again wasn't touted as a true story. It also made me wonder about the amount of bodies left on the mountain along with used oxygen tanks and trash.

On Sunday it was off to Century City's AMC for Sicario, the currently limited release thriller from Prisoners director Denis Villeneuve that tells the story of a female FBI agent recruited into a government task force out to shake things up with Mexican cartels. Blunt is Kate Macer and she's enlisted by the odd, funny and straight shooting Matt Graver (Josh Brolin again!) and the mysterious badass Alejandro (Benecio Del Toro) to cause a ruckus that will cause a prominent cartel leader to be called back to Mexico and hopefully unnerve the violent drug ring to the point they make a mistake. Like Everest it's a straightforward film but does a great job of revealing layers of story and character so you're always wondering where the film will go next. Like Prisoners, Villeneuve shows his skill at the slow burn thriller built on strong characters and shocking bursts of violence.

Actor turned writer Taylor Sheridan crafts a factually inspired look into the workings of vicious drug gangs and how the U.S. has to act a bit nasty to keep up and make an impact. While I enjoyed the film, I couldn't help but think Sicario was like a classier version of Sabotage, the fantastic David Ayer-Arnold Schwarzenegger flop that explored revenge, money and the Mexican cartels. Both films have a mythical drug war lead who's good in a fight, a female character who gets caught up in the intricate web of deceit and revenge while showcasing the brutal reality of today's war on drugs. While Sabotage reveled in the grimy world special operators lived in with entertaining macho-ridiculous relish, Sicario keeps things high brow, looking to shock the viewer with the facts Sabotage just accepted as part of the world. It's nice to see Del Toro regaining some of his career steam after coming down from his Oscar win with underrated under performers The Hunted and The Wolfman. As for the second dose of Brolin, he exudes a tough charm that just borders on darkness. Or basically he's taken his role as the young Tommy Lee Jones in Men In Black 3 too far and morphing into the reliable yet grumpy cinematic standby. If you can't make it out to the theater, both K2 and Sabotage are on Netflix, enjoy!

Fall Flicks: Interstellar

After a quiet Halloween weekend, the Fall Flicks season is about to go off with Warner Brothers' big budget, big scope, big star filled space drama Interstellar going head to head with Disney's adaptation of obscure Marvel comic book Big Hero 6.  Following the critical and commercial successes of Memento and Insomnia, filmmaker Christopher Nolan reinvented the superhero genre with Batman Begins.  For better or worse, things went gritty and prequel following the well received film and it's even more successful sequel, The Dark Knight.  While third entry The Dark Knight Rises divided audiences, Nolan and company's approach to Batman reinvigorated a franchise and set him up as one of today's premiere filmmakers.  In between Bat flicks, 2010's Inception was a deft, somewhat confusing yet wholly engrossing take on the action blockbuster with tones of old school James Bond mixed with a mind bending reality.  Now, we get Interstellar, which has been one of the most anticipated flicks I can think of since it's first trailer dropped a year ago.  Said trailer gave nothing away besides promising some big scale space shenanigans and culmination of the McConaissance as star Matthew McConaughey's transition from likeable, southern surfer dude to serious leading man and actor was now complete.

Nolan has long been a proponent of shooting on film versus digital and along with filmmakers like Quentin Tarantino and J.J. Abrams, are turning the tide on the system and keeping film stock alive.  For the last 10 years, theaters have been urged by the likes of George Lucas and James Cameron and assisted by the studios and exhibitors to convert to digital projection.  The Weinstein Company and Paramount were looking to cut film print distribution completely (ironic as Paramount helped fund Interstellar) and in today's market, it's hard to find a skilled projectionist to actually screen film.  Interstellar was shot on 70mm, a stock that allows for higher resolution and brighter images, a method used in the 60's and 70's to make going to the movies more of an event with bigger screens and sound to combat the growing threat of television.  However the added cost of the system would eventually be it's downfall.  Now, the 200 theaters left in America able to project film received the flick 2 days early.

We ventured out to Hollywood's recently renovated TCL Chinese Theatre on Tuesday night to see the film.  Even though it's not a true IMAX screen, the Chinese is the largest capacity IMAX theater in the world, I believe with over 900 seats.  Touted as IMAX 70mm Film, this screening would feature "projection of the brightest, clearest images at nearly 10x the resolution of standard formats with laser-aligned digital sound and customized theatre geometry to create the most immersive movie experience in the world".  Apparently, Chris Nolan had been in to the theater several times in the last few weeks watching the film and making adjustments to the picture and sound so ensure audiences would see it as he intended.

Interstellar opens up in the near future, we're not told what year but we do know that the planet is dying and running out of food.  Dust storms are normal and dirt on everything is just a way of life.  We meet former engineer and pilot turned corn farmer Cooper (Reign of Fire's McConaughey) raising his kids Murphy and Tom with the help of grandfather Donald (Cliffhanger's Jon Lithgow).  Strange anomalies keep happening in Murphy's room with things being knocked off of shelves and we think maybe aliens are sending us signals.  Cooper ends up finding the remnants of the long thought dismantled NASA program and is asked to pilot a ship traveling into space to find worlds fit for human habitation.  I won't get too much more into it because the trailers honestly only give you a peek at what you're in store for.  But space travel, ice planets, water planets, family drama, worm holes, black holes, time streams, relativity, gravitational pulls, love and hyper sleep all follows.  Writers Christopher and Jonathon Nolan effortlessly create a world where the future is literally now.  It was kind of weird to be watching as nothing is given any build up or extra explanation, you just go with it and nothing seems that far out of bounds as it would have 20 years ago.

McCoughey is solid as Coop and is in about every single scene.  He anchors his first half performance with a burning desire to do more than farm as a man who was never given the chance to do what he excelled at.  His loving relationship with his two kids and stand offish one with his father in law create a strong launching point for his conflicted inner self to either go and try to save the world or stay back and protect his family.  Michael Caine shows up as a former professor now working for NASA and Dark Knight Rises alum Anne Hathaway plays his daughter and fellow space explorer with her usual skilled aplomb.  What I liked about Interstellar was the experience of it all.  I wasn't watching it per se, I was just wrapped up in the characters, the drama, the conflict and was never taken out of the movie as I didn't know what was going to happen next for the most part.  While I couldn't explain to you everything that happened or why it happened and the ending doesn't quite match the excitement and drama of what precedes, I felt the movie.  I felt it in my heart from the emotional drama and in my chest from the rumbling sound (which wasn't as loud as The Dark Knight IMAX where I was literally rock concert deaf afterwards).  There are so many ideas at work here, the science, the ambition, the resolution, I'm sure people will pick it apart and over analyze the film but for me, I was involved, engrossed and totally into the world created and will definitely see it again before it leaves the theater because it won't be the same at home.

Fall Flicks: Fury

It was a guy's night out for Brad Pitt's latest, the World War II set, tank riding action-drama, Fury.  Written and Directed by future Dammaged Goods Hall of Famer David Ayer, Fury opens up deep within Nazi Germany in 1945 where a desperate Hitler has every man, woman and child fighting for their dying cause.  We meet the crew of Fury, a Sherman tank that has treaded a bloody path through Africa into Europe.  Leading the outfit is Wardaddy (Pitt), a hard ass who whips his men and kills the bad guys but suffers in solitude.  Behind him is Bible (Shia LaBeouf), bespectacled, respectable, little brother type to Wardaddy who always seems to be on the verge of tears.  Loading the cannon and fixing Fury is the scary and brutish Coon-Ass (Jon Bernthal) while been there, done that know it all Gordo (Michael Pena) drives the big rig.  When their gunner is killed in a skirmish, meek administrative typist Norman (Logan Lerman) is assigned to the crew and learns the ways and horrors of war from the experienced team and first hand.

To start, I found Fury to be terrific.  If you read this online journal regularly you know that World War II movies are among my favorites.  So one with a big budget and a talented cast and crew behind it is right up my alley.  Fury is brutal, it's intense and it's funny.  If you're familiar with any of Ayer's previous work like Harsh Times, Street Kings, End of Watch or Sabotage, you know to expect a gritty, reality based tale of (mostly) men working in violent professions and the bond between them.  While that hard edged machismo can come off near ridiculous in modern affairs, it suits Fury perfectly as Ayer doesn't glorify violence as much as show you the consequences, physically and mentally, in a time when the enemy was clear cut and soldiers were asked to execute and endure harsh realities.  Wardaddy pushes his men to stay on their toes and do their jobs, which is to kill Nazi's.  Especially crime against humanity extremist members of the Schutzstaffel or SS.  They get it first and they get it bad.

Story wise, Fury doesn't explore anything we haven't seen in World War II movies before.  War is hell, our troops were spread too thin, under trained and the finale is a few versus many.  What makes it resonate into it's own memorable feature is the camaraderie between the crew members, the depiction of brutality of what these men had to do in order to survive and ultimately win the war.  Brad Pitt is solid as Wardaddy, in a sense he's like the father of his men, riding them so they'll rise to the challenge and not get themselves or others killed.  He's also surprisingly still yoked for 50 years old as a lingering shirtless scene shows Pitt's still got it and must have his Troy workout routine written down somewhere.  LaBeouf is like the sensitive little brother and doesn't have the same kind of necessary mean streak as his comrades.  Jon Bernthal is straight up terrifying as the savage of the group and I wondered if he was going to end up squaring off with Wardaddy or turning on the team.  Ayer alum Michael Pena gets a lot of laughs as the wise ass while Lerman injects his role as the greenhorn who must adapt or die with believable nervous, boyish humanity.

All of Ayer's work focuses on the daily lives of characters who live and work in dangerous worlds.  End of Watch and Sabotage neared docudrama levels as it felt like the audience was basically along for the ride.  Fury, with it's period setting, shares the same closeness but doesn't come off quite so mechanical as just tagging along.  The action is violent with faces and limbs being blown off and people being burned alive.  There's a great fight between the Sherman and the German's faster, better armored Tiger that must be among the best depictions of close quarter tank battle ever put on the big screen.  There's a mention of tracer rounds so you can see what you're shooting at but it seemed like every shot fired in the film was traced in a green or red line, giving it a strange, laser beam like feel.

While some might find the film nihilistic, I found it to be inspiring and a reminder to the great men and women who gave up their daily lives and were transported halfway around the world to fight, suffer and die for the greater good.  Ayer continues to be one of my favorite directors working today with his unrelenting, raw and realistic approach to familiar genres where punches aren't pulled and an R rating is guaranteed.

Fall Flicks: Gone Girl

Following his directorial debut Gone Baby Gone, The Town and Argo, early Fall Flicks seem to be Ben Affleck's new sweet spot with the massive opening of Gone Girl.  Taking in an estimated $38 million clams, the $60 million-ish crime thriller has been liked by critics more than the audiences who gave it a B Cinemascore.  The opening sets a record for director David Fincher whose credits include Alien 3, Seven, Fight Club, The Game, The Social Network and The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo.  Based on a best selling novel by Gillian Flynn, Girl continues the redemption of the probably a cool guy in real life Affleck who struggled with professional and personal woes 10 years ago.  I personally enjoyed Daredevil, Paycheck and parts of Gigli but that whole J. Lo thing was kinda weird...  Gone Girl is the tale of Nick Dunne (Affleck) and his wife Amy (Rosamund Pike, The World's End, Jack Reacher).  On the day of their anniversary, Amy goes missing from their small town outside St. Louis, Missouri.  Nick quickly calls the cops but as revelations are brought to the table and the media begins to take sides, the seemingly innocent husband becomes the top suspect.  We see the beginnings of the relationship told through diary narrated flashbacks via Amy that become more and more dark in tone leading us to wonder if Nick actually had something to do with Amy's disappearance or maybe even killed her.

What follows is a well crafted, acted, funny and at times fucked up tale of what it means to be married in the modern age.  Affleck does an excellent job as the loafing schlub of a husband and as the increasingly irritated, maybe he did it, not so nice guy husband.  Pike's wide eyes and blank face are put to good use as the sweet yet commanding Amy whose marriage isn't what she expected or is willing to accept.  Kim Dickens and Patrick Fugit are the local cops with one looking for the truth and the other believing Nick killed his wife.  Tyler Perry shows up as a high dollar lawyer and Neil Patrick Harris plays Amy's mysterious ex.  Both the writer/director and former television star do solid jobs.  Music video siren Emily Ratajkowski shows up in a small role and reminds us why she's famous in the first place.

Like all of Fincher's films, Gone Girl exists in it's own world.  It's not as dark or seedy as Seven, Fight Club or The Game and in fact, I think that's part of the reason I didn't all out enjoy the flick.  It's satisfying as a film but not very fulfilling as an experience?  It just seems like Fincher light.  The Social Network somehow made a movie about Facebook riveting and scenes of programming a website exciting.  Girl With the Dragon Tattoo had one of the best trailers of all time but delivered a pretty unmemorable flick that I haven't thought of since leaving the theater.  Gone Girl continues that slide as we're out in middle America suburbia with some very familiar beats (media skews info, Missourians are hicks, Nick isn't the guy we thought, etc).  Sure there's twists, turns, reveals, bloodshed and WTF moments but to me it just felt like a Lifetime movie of the week only executed really, really well.  Maybe that's how Flynn's novel plays out and Fincher purposely turns the early flashbacks of Nick and Amy's courtship into saccharine, perfect moments out of a middle school romance novel but the whole movie feels like some kind of big joke almost or an experiment of what happens when A-List talent tackles a movie of the week concept.

With Fincher's big budget adaptation of Jules Verne's 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea cannon balled due to budget concerns, here's hoping he goes back to something more interesting like Seven, Fight Club or The Game.  And Affleck was the bomb in Phantoms, yo!

Fall Flicks: The Equalizer

Poised to dominate this weekend's box office is the latest "one man versus the world" action/drama/revenge flick, The Equalizer.  13 years after Training Day, director Antoine Fuqua and star Denzel Washington reteam for what should be a profitable and franchise starting thriller.  Based on the 1984 television show that starred Edward Woodward as Robert McCall, a retired intelligence agent turned private detective who helps clients equalize the playing field, the film adaptation takes place in modern day Boston and finds McCall up against the Russian Mob.  Based on Richard Lindheim and Michael Sloan's 4 season hit, 16 Blocks and The Expendables 2 scribe Richard Wenk and director Fuqua craft a slow burning, stylized, entertaining and brutal thriller for adults. 

We meet Washington as McCall one early morning where he's out of bed before his alarm goes off, meticulously preparing for the day cleaning his shoes, making a healthy shake, etc.  We watch him go about his day and help his co-workers at the local hardware super store where colleagues try to guess what he did in his former professional life.  Unable to sleep at night, McCall frequents a 24 hour diner and befriends street walker Teri (Kick-Ass' Chloe Grace Moretz).  After a vicious beating from her pimp sends her to the hospital, McCall makes the fateful decision to try and buy Teri's freedom which leads to a bloody confrontation.  The Russian syndicate dispatches intelligent and dangerous fixer Teddy (effectively played by Marton Csokas, who reminds me of Kevin Spacey mashed with Russell Crowe) to find out what happened.  With a confrontation looming, we witness McCall display a particular set of skills picked up as a former operative of the CIA or some other shadowy government agency.

While we all expect these kinds of movies to become Tooken which in turn was a simpler, faster take on Washington's own revenge tale Man on Fire, The Equalizer takes it time to get to the action but it's not an all out explosion fest although there are some explosions and walking away from said explosions in slow motion.  The character building doesn't feel forced or boring and when shit starts to go down, you're in.  The film doesn't take an hour to build up to some crazy, non-stop climax or feel the need to flip a switch and go from drama to action movie to reward the audience for putting up with dialog scenes.  Denzel is his usual solid self, delivering quiet strength, intelligent support and "kill your ass dead" physicality when called upon.  I was slightly disappointed he didn't utter "My man" or "I'll guarantee ya that" but whatever.  The fight scenes are realistic, brief and impactful with mostly small scale stuff involving fists, knives, a few guns and power tools.  No overly choreographed fight scenes here which was kind of a bummer at the end as I was hoping McCall and Teddy would duke it out a little bit as we're shown how physically proficient they both are through the movie.  Denzel was looking a little paunchy here, I figured a character with his background would be a little leaner but hey, the dude's pushing 60.  Melissa Leo shows up for a hot minute as an ally and for an even briefer minute we get Bill Pullman from Independence Day and Lake Placid as her husband in some randomly awesome casting.

Fuqua again demonstrates that he is one of the best action directors working today.  Starting with 1998's The Replacement Killers into Training Day, Tears of the Sun, King Arthur, Shooter, Brooklyn's Finest and recent hit Olympus Has Fallen, Fuqua knows how to make a picture look good, fill it with a great cast and provide some shocking action and violence without going into overly cartoon territory.  It will be interesting to see what he and Washington come up with for The Magnificent Seven reboot.   The Equalizer is a pretty simple and straight forward flick but never feels too serious or ponderous and I'm all for a sequel.  It's an interesting progression and continuation of the one man army motif that we've seen played in various ways from Charles Bronson taking it to the criminals of New York in Death Wish, Stallone winning the Vietnam War with a machine gun in Rambo or Liam Neesons tearing through France looking for his daughter to Matt Damon's Jason Bourne racing and fighting his way to the truth.  The Equalizer is more enjoyable than last week's adult thriller with Neesons, A Walk Among the Tombstones and it's moody yet vibrant attitude strikes a better balance than the upcoming near over stylized and brooding Keanu Reeves "hitman on the rampage" flick John Wick (that one has a lot more action though).  Washington has one of the best track records in Hollywood with 14 films opening above $20 million in the last 14 years.  Some might take cracks at his choice of fare and similarity of characters but upon closer inspection you see that's he's challenged himself and entertained us with roles as a desperate father, football coach, crime lord, alcoholic pilot, law enforcement officer and many more over the last couple of decades.  He's just good at playing confident without needing to swagger.

Fall Flicks: A Walk Among the Tombstones

Following the lucrative Summer movie season, by Labor Day, the party is over.  September, like January, used to be a dumping grounds for fare studios don't believe in.  Now, later in the month marks the beginning of the Fall movie season where mid-budget, star driven vehicles fight for audiences before the big Holiday and Award Season releases in November.  This weekend pits Fox's Young Adult action adventure The Maze Runner VS Warner Brother's star studded funeral comedy This Is Where I Leave You VS Universal's Liam Neeson starring adult drama/murder mystery A Walk Among the Tombstones.  Kevin Smith's horror-comedy Tusk also receives a limited release amongst half a dozen other titles in single digit theater releases.

The trailer for Tombstones showcase the world's most unlikely yet likely senior citizen action star, Liam Neeson, as a former cop working as an unlicensed private investigator involved in a murder case of a kidnapped woman who is killed after the ransom is paid.  After years of supporting roles as the badass mentor in flicks like Star Wars, Kingdom of Heaven and Batman Begins culminated in the surprise hit Taken, Neeson has had a slew of hit, adult skewing thrillers like Unknown, The Grey and Non-Stop.  Tombstones isn't as generic as the first, as esoteric genre as the second or surprisingly enjoyable as the third.  Whereas you might be inclined to think this is another, "Liam Neesons takes on everybody to find someone a la Tooken", Tombstones is actually a very deliberate, old school procedural/whodunit/murder mystery that is at times gripping, intense and creepy.  In the end though the flick is good if not great, solid if not spectacular due to it's low key story and less than fascinating antagonists.

Without getting into spoiler territory, Neeson's Matt Scudder is working to find the missing then murdered wife of Kenny Kristo (Dan Stevens) a seemingly sharp and calm businessman who doesn't make an honest living.  Digging deeper into the mystery, Scudder uncovers a series of killings with a common connection.  With the help of young street urchin TJ (Brian "Astro" Bradley) and recovering junkie veteran/Kenny's brother Peter (Boyd Holbrook), Scudder uses his former NYPD street savvy to find the truth.  Sorry it's so vague but there's no major twists or turns at play here, it's a small story with few characters.  Based on the novel by Lawrence Block then adapted and directed by Out of Sight scribe Scott Frank, Tombstones is effective as a mystery thriller and keeps you involved, guessing what's going to happen next, tightening up and cringing at all the appropriate moments.  Shot in New York City, the grand scale and historic yet rundown industrial and residential neighborhoods on display add a layer of production value authenticity as well as overcast, moody sadness.  Neeson looks ruggedly handsome and stoic as ever with a hint of a New York accent spilling out every now and again.  Instead of being able to beat everybody up like his Taken or The Grey character, Neesons uses his wits and knowhow to get out of most would be altercations.  He does get to threaten the villain over the phone though in a great scene made better by the R rating.  As stated earlier, the antagonist of the piece left much to be desired.  They just weren't very interesting and their motivation wasn't exactly genre breaking.  Like each of the other characters besides Neeson, they're just thinly sketched and there for a particular purpose, no more, no less.

The rest of the cast do fine jobs but I honestly didn't recognize a single name during the opening credits.  Apparently Stevens was on Downton Abbey and glowers really well while Holbrook rang a bell because I think he was in the running for Kyle Reese in the new Terminator film.  You ain't no Michael Biehn, bro!  But honestly he probably could have pulled it off with more dimension than Jai Courtney's I'm sure to be hardass thug portrayal.  The Secret Life of Walter Mitty's Olafur Darri Olafsson shows up as a sad yet menacing cemetery grounds keeper integral to the investigation who I recognized just by his voice.  The inclusion of a spunky young sidekick could have veered into cheese territory but Astro and Neesons keep it real talking about literary private detectives, not feeling sorry for themselves and how to use firearms to off oneself.

Hitting theaters on the same weekend as last year's extremely satisfying kidnapping thriller Prisoners, A Walk Among the Tombstones is a nice throwback to a simpler style of film complete with a 1999 setting and Y2K mentions but doesn't hit the emotional marks of for adult slow burners like the Hugh Jackman starrer or say Kurt Russell's cross country kidnapping jaunt Breakdown and doesn't contain the excitement of something like Jack Reacher.

Fall Flicks: Frank

"Ginger crouton!" "I have a certificate!" "Big, non-threatening grin!"

Magnolia Pictures is one of the most interesting distributors working today, putting out awesome foreign films like samurai action tale 13 Assassins, small scale genre flick Monsters, Jean-Claude Van Damme and Dolph Lundgren franchise chapter Universal Soldier: Day of Reckoning, Thomas Jane's adult drama I Melt With You and their latest, the seemingly oddball comedy Frank.  Magnolia usually launches films on Video On Demand before securing a few theatrical playdates in random cities then producing special feature heavy DVDs and Blu-Rays.  Not having seen a trailer for Frank, the only thing I knew of the film was that it starred Michael Fassbender wearing a giant paper mache head.  The official synopsis speaks of a young would-be musician who joins a band led by the eccentric and enigmatic Frank.  What actually follows can't be classified as a good or bad film per se but a weird, funny and sad journey/experience. 

Domhnall Gleeson (About Time) plays Jon, a young man struggling to write music while working a boring office job.  With 14 Twitter followers to his name, Jon comes across Soronprfbs, an indie band managed by Don (Scoot McNairy) that includes members Clara (Maggie Gyllenhaal), Baraque (Francois Civil) and Nana (Carla Azar).  When their keyboard player can no longer continue, Don invites Jon to join them that night at a show where we're introduced to Soronprf's unique if not crowd pleasing sound and their front man; the big, fake head wearing and wetsuit clad Frank.  The show goes south quickly but Soronprfs is about to record an album and Jon is invited to join.  Staying at a remote cabin in Ireland, the band goes through bizarre rituals to try and capture the perfect sound.  We learn that Don met Frank in a mental institute, observe Clara's love for Frank and disdain for Jon while the newest band member documents the band's weird and random activities on YouTube and begins to gain a following.

It's hard to discuss the film without getting more into the story which would be a bit spoiler heavy.  So let's just say that the film takes a look at some real issues that effect the lives of millions without actually commenting on them or offering solutions.  Sometimes you just have to let things be the way they are.  As Jon gets deeper into the band, mesmerized by Frank's strange yet apparent talent and his own dreams of success, a simple yet familiar story of the grass maybe not being so green on the other side comes into play.  What was interesting about Frank was that director Kenny Abrahamson with writers Jon Ronson and Peter Straughan made sure you didn't know which way things were going to go but the end result is more or less satisfying as the journey has taken you from point A to Y back to D etc in short order without cheating the audience.  While the film is about a band and there's lot of cues, there isn't an actual soundtrack at play here waiting for you to buy afterwards.  Listening to the one full length track, "I Love You All" outside the confines of the film loses much of it's effectiveness but the film stayed with me for a couple of days.

"Here it is, my most likeable song, ever."

Fall (Flicks) Brawl: Oldboy & Homefront

Two movies, two nights, lots of fights.  Thanksgiving weekend started off with Oldboy, Spike Lee's remake of the 2003 Korean flick starring Josh Brolin, Sharlto Copley, Elizabeth Olsen and the world's best curser, Samuel L. Jackson.  The story of a man imprisoned for 20 years, suddenly set free and given a finite amount of time to figure out why his life was taken away from him.  If you've seen the Korean version, this American joint might seem a bit unnecessary.  On it's own, Lee's version of Oldboy is a little cheesy, extremely brutal, generally well crafted and visually attention grabbing.  Brolin is perfect as the asshole turned prisoner turned crazy ass kicking detective.  The twist is a little more complex than the original's but just as disturbing.

The hallway hammer fight along with a run in with some not quite deserving jock douchebags show off an over the top, bone crunching, cringe inducing style of cinematic carnage.  An interrogation scene literally had me curling up in my seat, not wanting to watch.  Well done, Spike.

Post Thanksgiving Day gorging, it was off to see Homefront, the Jason Statham VS James Franco movie written by Sylvester Stallone and directed by Don't Say A Word's Gary Fleder.  Or basically:  Statham fucks up honkey rednecks and Kate Bosworth plays a drug addict a little too well.  Statham versus Franco seems about one of the most lop sided bouts in movie history but seeing that Frank Grillo was involved, I knew you'd have a henchman confrontation before boss man Franco got his. 

Like Oldboy, the action in Homefront is fast, intense and brutal, there's just lots more of it.  No need for elaborate choreography here; it's all a wam, bam, you got beat down by Handsome Rob affair here.  Grillo caught my eye in Warrior and continued to impress in The Grey.  I believe he's a former boxer so I was hoping for a bit of a show against Statham.  The two mix it up with some MMA moves, complete with the "cool when Rampage did it in Pride but not so much now" sequence where Grillo has Statham locked in a triangle choke but gets lifted from the ground and slammed.  Yeah, they did the same thing in that MMA movie with Kevin James, Here Comes the Boom.  Oddly, both flicks show the hero stomping on an opponents ankle and crushing it into the wrong angle.

Word is that Sly had wanted to make the flick for some time but realized he was too old for the part and offered it to his The Expendables co-star Statham.  It would have been nice to see him pop up for a cameo but no such luck.  It would have been interesting to see Stallone in the role since there's a dramatic, father/daughter angle mixed in with the mayhem.  He's also got the greatest movie punches ever and usually doesn't get too fancy or flashy.  I'm trying to think of similar movies where the hero returns home and gets mixed up with the local riff raff.  Walking Tall and Best of the Best 3 come to mind but not much else.  EDIT:  Upon rising I realized the familiarity of the concept comes from your basic western and the samurai flick, Yojimbo.  From that you get Bad Day At Black Rock, Last Man Standing, (mother fucking) Roadhouse and Van Damme's Desert Heat!

Makes me want to eat three hamburgers then hit the gym:

Fall Flicks: Thor: The Dark World

I like to go into movies cold.  If the trailer looks good or it has a cast of actors I like, I'm basically in.  I don't read reviews and don't go for spoilers.  Even as a huge Marvel fan, I want to watch the movie and talk about it after, not read about it then go see it.  I looked up Thor to check the running time and for the first time actually read a synopsis of what I was about to see.  What followed was arguably Marvel's most polished production to date with a great sense of scale and scope levied by some harrowing action spectacle along with excellent performances from a talented cast.

Basically, watching Thor: The Dark World was nuts.  It was like the cinematic child of Lord of the Rings and Star Wars.  Comic book inspired science fiction mixed with myth blended with medieval action extravaganza.  It also goes to show you how ahead of their time cult movies like Highlander and Masters of the Universe were which tried to mix the same elements 30 years ago with less success.  It's cool to see how big and out there the Marvel movie universe has gone and it's gonna get real weird with Guardians of the Galaxy.  Bring on Thanos and the Infinity Gauntlet, please.  My hope is that the climatic showdown has something to do with Thor's hammer Mjolnir where Thor is racing to deliver the final blow, gets knocked out mid-flight, loses Mjolnir only to have it picked up by the only man in the Marvel universe worthy, Captain America, who then destroys some space villain ass with it.

All 3D screenings come with a 5-minute preview of Captain America: The Winter Soldier.  Watching trailers on your laptop doesn't compare to seeing one on the big screen with big sound.  The scene is a nasty bit of business inside an elevator in SHIELD HQ where agents pile in at every stop and try to capture Cap to no avail.  Then some scenes from the trailer played along with some new footage which got me giddy as a school boy.  Hopefully they do a double feature of The First Avenger and The Winter Soldier in April.

Fall Flicks: Ender's Game

To start, I knew nothing about Ender's Game as a book or a movie.  Never had to read it in high school, never saw a trailer because I don't watch TV and it didn't play in front of any other flicks I've seen lately.  I remember the poster from Comic-Con as Lionsgate and Summit had one of the busiest booths on the floor.  Post Twilight and Harry Potter, studios are still searching for that next preteen franchise to pad their schedules for the next 4-5 years.  Many would be entries have come and gone; City of Bones, Beautiful Creatures, The Host and Eragorn all failed to kick off a new wave of hysteria.  I of course, am strongly against seeing little kids try to be tough but Ender's Game caught me totally by surprise.  I really enjoyed it.  The veterans, Harrison Ford and Ben Kingsley, ground it for us while newcomers Asa Butterfield and Hailee Steinfeld take us on an adventure through space and intergalactic war.

Basically, humans won a war against invading aliens that caused the death of millions.  To end all future threats, the military plans a preemptive strike on their home planet using young teens whose minds are more equipped to utilize computerized equipment for war.  Using a mix of war games and simulations along with tactics and history lessons, a young boy emerges as the potential leader.  I was quite taken with the simple concept of adults seeing the potential in kids.  Even though they're pushed to moral limits, the adults know these kids are the future and will do everything in their power to see them succeed.

It reminded me of a chubby teen who started lifting weights to try and change himself.  A physically fit and all around bad ass teacher/coach noticed and encouraged him to continue, telling him change was coming if he kept at it.  Yup, that chubby kid was me and now I pec pop whenever someone needs a laugh or to make other men feel uncomfortable.

Ender's Game, based on the novel by Orson Scott Card, was written and directed by Gavin Hood, who totally redeems himself from that shit show debacle known as X-Men Origins:  Wolverine.  The flick looks great with big space ship battles, star filled vistas and space station sets.  I'm surprised and pleased it wasn't in 3D but this is one flick that actually deserved it.  But with so much going on and flying around, it might have been too much.  Unfortunately, Game isn't lighting up the box office so a sequel is in doubt.  Apparently, the sequel novel is vastly different from the first installment so maybe a one and done isn't a bad thing.  Movies are here to entertain us but when we're lucky they educate and inspire us as well.  In this case, the movie made me want to pick up a book so they've done something right.