Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol aka Tom Cruise Be Runnin’
First off — go see the new Mission:Impossible and see it in IMAX. It reminds you of what IMAX was created for. Brad Bird (The Incredibles, The Iron Giant) does a phenomenal job in his first stint at live action film. Trust me, the scene in Dubai is worth the price of admission in itself. I’m sure you’ve heard about Tom Cruise scaling the Burj Khalifa (the world’s tallest building), but that’s just the beginning of some serious madness that involves building scaling, sandstorms, masks, diamonds, and Tom Cruise running like he’s a Terminator. It’s pure adrenaline fun. These are two action elements I haven’t seen work well in quite awhile.
The film is one of the best of the franchise. My only complaint is the villain is not as strong as previous installments. It’s not like anyone is going to top Phillip Seymour Hoffman, but would have liked to see some effort. This guy was just too cool for school.
For pure entertainment value, check this one out. You won’t be disappointed. To tell you anymore would ruin the fun. Also, I’m lazy and don’t want to write about it anymore.
Now for the real story. What is up with Tom Cruise and his crazy sprint in every movie (he does it 3 times in M:I 4)? I thought I was the only one fixated on this, but then I did a few keystrokes on the ole Google and learned otherwise. Looks like Tom Cruise is running in everyones minds.
Below, you’ll find two videos I created in my mind found on the world wide web. In the first gem, you’ll see the evolution of the Tom Cruise run. From his early trot to his present day crazed sprint. In the second piece of art, you’ll be treated to a montage of the great runs of Tom Cruise. He runs from the explosion. He runs towards the girl. He runs. Now I have a greater appreciation of his portrayal of wheelchair bound Vietnam Vet, Ron Kovic, in Born on the Fourth of July. You can’t run in a wheelchair. *
*Actually, the first video shows him running pre-wheelchair at the 1:00 min mark. I stand corrected. Running must be in his contract.
Please stretch before watching this.
4 Great Films to See…Now!!
I can’t remember the last time this happened, especially in the past decade or so. For every great film, there seems to be 2-3 turds to wade through. I’ve seen four movies in-theater the past 2 weeks and every single one of them was outstanding. While each movie was uniquely different from one another, they each had one unifying force: A razor sharp script. All of these are worth the price of admission and will make you actually feel something positive as opposed to feeling nauseated at wasting your time watching crap. All four are still ingrained in my mind as they stood above and beyond modern cinematic fare. After the jump, check out my mini-reviews of films that I’d give a grade no lower than B+: The Descendants, Hugo, Shame, and The Muppets.
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Exclusive: Twilight – Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review
I’m shell shocked and feeling a bit like I survived my own cinematic Vietnam War. There are no words to describe what I witnessed on Monday. The events were disturbing, starting with a maniacal mob that surrounded me — not even trying to disguise their insanity.
Yes, I attended the Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 World Premiere in Los Angeles. And no matter what I try, I cannot unsee it or erase it from my mind. I’m haunted. I’m tarnished. A small piece of me has died inside.
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Review: Drive (2011)
Let’s be honest with ourselves — after all the hype around this summer’s slate of films, it was an epic disappointment. The summer of comic book movies ended up being a gigantic flop. The films that actually satisfied the summertime entertainment desire only seemed to do so because of the turds that were released around them.
After seeing Drive this weekend, I’m not only thrilled to see a movie that caters to the inner movie geek in me (80′s gritty movie nostalgia throughout), but it’s a film that understands that film should be art — not something to steal money from your wallet.
Ryan Gosling stars as a Los Angeles wheelman for hire, stunt driving for movie productions by day and steering getaway vehicles for armed heists by night. Though a loner by nature, Driver can’t help falling in love with his beautiful neighbor Irene (Carey Mulligan), a vulnerable young mother dragged into a dangerous underworld by the return of her ex-convict husband Standard (Oscar Isaac).
Take that generic synopsis and throw it out the door. You will not be prepared for the gripping heist film pulsating with 80′s synth pop throughout. Ryan Gosling — who is quickly becoming one of my favorite modern day actors — plays it old school cool. Much like Clint Eastwood in “The Man With No Name” trilogy, not only does Gosling not have a name (he’s only called “Driver”), but he is a man with few words, little backstory, and everything to back up an icy stare. Gosling effectively plays the loner by hire in a manner that you root for him the entire movie, even if you’re not on-board with his decisions.
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Review: Conan The Barbarian (2011)
“WOMAN!” romantically growls the barbarian “Come here!”
It’s fitting that Conan the Barbarian rounds out the 2011 summer slate of Hollywood films. It’s a remake, the script is terrible, and a whole lot of nothing is going on. Right on par with the majority of summer movies this year. The biggest difference between this and most of its 2011 predecessors is that I actually kinda dug this one.
Last week I was fortunate to attend the red carpet premiere of Lionsgate’s remake of Conan The Barbarian. If you have never seen the original 1982 Schwarzenegger star making role, you must not be a male born in the 70′s or 80′s. You didn’t learn how to be a man from your father. You learned from Conan. Check out the roid-fueled trailer HERE.
In the latest of the remake onslaughts, Conan is in 3D (of course). Let me save you few bucks upfront. Don’t see it in 3D. It’s pointless. Other than the opening and closing credits, I don’t recall anything gouging my eyes with the third dimension. But I digress…
After a quick intro and polite applause for the cast, the lights went down and the testosterone level went sky high. What I witnessed while sitting 30 feet away from the newest Conan, Jason Momoa, was 2 hours of head smashing, sword slashing, and teeth gnashing. Dialogue was secondary and all but forgotten — but what else would one expect? It’s tough to even review a movie of this barbaric level. You’re either with Conan or against him.
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Review – Transformers: Dark of the Moon
Well, there you have it. Michael Bay has completed his Transformers trilogy by unloading all of his almighty Bayesness upon the masses. I write to you with bittersweet memories of how Michael Bay played with my beloved toys. In the first Michael Bay Transformers film, I was just in awe of seeing real life cars transform into my favorite characters as a kid. The story was muddled, but the visuals were amazing. Then came the sequel. Anger! Betrayal! Devastation! Murder! Those are a few words that could gently describe my feelings. It was easily one of the worst movies I’ve ever seen in a theater – rivaling Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot and Pootie Tang. I vowed I was done with this franchise…done with Michael Bay. But then I saw this :30 second Super Bowl commercial…
…and was hooked again. Could the Bay Master have redeemed himself this quickly?
After watching the the third Transformers film in IMAX 3D last night, the answer is a resounding YES. But everyone won’t agree. This movie should not be titled “Transformers: Dark of the Moon.” The proper title should have been “Transformers: Shit Gets Real.” The Autobots get real — real down and dirty. The effects are top notch — Oscar worthy. The script is pretty much terrible. But what can you expect from a transforming robot film? Seriously.
The best thing about this film is it’s all about Optimus Prime. Very little dialogue from other robots. Little comic relief (one of many downfalls of the last film). But like I said, it’s not for everyone. If you can’t handle 45 minutes straight of robots destroying a city, don’t watch it. If you can’t put yourself back in the shoes of a ten-year-old boy or girl, don’t watch it. If you can’t handle 2 hours and 37 minutes of some Michael Bay lovemaking to your eyeballs, don’t watch it.
I refuse to spend more time on this review than the writers did on the script. I’ll simply take the eloquent live transcript from my brain as I processed the gloriousness displayed in front of me.
Begin transcript after the jump….
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Review: Bridesmaids
In a welcome break from the underwhelming influx of fanboy cinematic failures, my wife and I saw Bridesmaids over the weekend. As we sat down, I noticed that almost everyone in the theater was a couple. Looks like the marketing team did its job right – men were taking their significant other (or vice versa) on a hot movie date on the town. It has been billed as the female version of The Hangover since its announcement. Let me tell you, it is no Hangover. That wouldn’t give it the proper justice. As funny as I thought The Hangover was, it lacked one important element that makes a good movie great – heart. Bridesmaids has its fair share of crude jokes, random lines of dialogue, and quite a few laugh out loud moments, but most of all – it had heart. And it felt real. Finally women get their crossover comedy (crossover as in, men will want to see it) that doesn’t pander, stereotype, or falsify relationships between women. The film almost feels like an apology letter for all of the crappy romantic comedies we’ve had to endure over the years:
I’m sorry for a decades worth of Katherine Heigl, Jennifer Aniston, and Kate Hudson movies.
I’m sorry for making you think that every woman is only obsessed with her broken relationship or lack thereof.
I’m sorry that a comedy with female leads is assumed to be a romantic comedy.
After many years of our brains infused with Heigl-ness, it’s a breath of fresh air to see a female driven movie that’s funny because it’s funny. Simple as that.
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Thorible: A Poetic Review of Thor
My 2011 summer movie season kicked off with a giant dud. I witnessed a trainwreck that the masses have considered to be great entertainment. I don’t get it. Maybe I’ve grown tired of the comic-book film onslaught. Maybe I’m not into a character that wields a hammer without even once proclaiming “Stop! Hammertime.” Or maybe, just maybe, this film was just a sloppy mess. The New Mexico city looked like a backlot. The action scenes were impossible to decipher. And the plot was pointless. Never was anyone truly in danger. When a God has unlimited powers with a stupid hammer, well, the suspense is kinda sucked out of the room. If you need another opinion on this, check out Roger Eberts’ scathing thoughts on this film HERE. In tribute to the first movie I truly despised this summer, I leave you with a poetic ballad.
*Stands on pedestal…clears throat*
God almighty, what was that?
I asked for good, all I got was SPLAT!
The name is Thor, God of Thunder;
The director had the vision of Stevie Wonder.
In a surprising turn, Chris Hemsworth was great,
But these comic book films are becoming suckers bait.
“Come watch me! I’ll thrill you in 3D!”
If I had to do it again, I wouldn’t see it for free.
Movies can be made as popcorn fare,
just give me one reason to sit there and care.
*Steps down…drops mic*
Consider yourself saved.
Review: In Defense of “Your Highness”
*Note: In no way does Film Savior have any ties or partnerships with Universal Pictures or the film Your Highness. We simply just loved the film.
There are two types of people in this world: Those who love and appreciate Danny McBride and the dumb people that inhabit this planet. From The Foot Fist Way to Pineapple Express to Eastbound and Down, McBride has juggled the delicate comedic balance of cocky and smug with extreme vulnerability and heart. Most of his characters have a “F#ck you” exterior with a “Hold me” sensitive interior. His character in Your Highness stays par to the course.
Let’s be real. The critics aren’t going to like this movie. The current 25% Rotten Tomatoes fresh rating proves this point. They are going to call it lowbrow humor. They are going to tell you excessive use of the “F” word is unfunny and uncreative. They’ll say that the film fails on every level. Do you want to listen to the dumb, deaf and blind? Or do you want to listen to your heart?
Critics are scared. Every review they write could shatter their credibility. They are also scared that their peers will look down upon them from their Windex’ed glasses with a wrinkled brow. A movie such as Your Highness is critic proof. Of course it’s going to get ripped on for being juvenile. But it would be impossible not to laugh, LOUDLY, quite a few times throughout the 1 hr. 43 minutes. That in itself is worth the price of admission.
With the world seemingly crumbling at our feet (See: Japan, North Africa, The Middle East, and the U.S. economy for proof), we need these type of comedies not only to laugh at the ridiculousness on the screen, but to laugh at ourselves. Where else are you going to get a Dark Crystal-esque, pedophilic, pot smoking puppet? Name another place that you can witness a fully aroused minotaur sizing up a helpless man? We need these laughs, these sights, to cure the evils of the world. Grab your neighbors hand and bring peace to the world. Go out and see Your Highness. Starring Academy Award winner Natalie Portman, Academy Award nominee James Franco, Danny McBride, and Zooey Deschanel, this film pulls out all the stops…for better or for worse. Continue reading “Review: In Defense of “Your Highness”” »
At Home Review: Never Let Me Go
The most beautiful snail in the world creeps across the brick ledge. The shell boasts a spectacular array of blue and green and fucshia. Its vibrant colors practically sing along to the extra slow pace of its occupant. We watch it move along. And we watch. And we watch. After a slow and arduous journey, the snail falls off the wall into oblivion. That’s the best way I can explain Never Let Me Go. Beautiful, but ultimately a devastating failure.
I really wanted to like this one. It boasts a solid cast (Keira Knightly, Andrew Garfield, Carey Mulligan) and an interesting premise (Spoiler Free – An alternate history story of a woman who, as she reflects on her private school years in the English countryside, reunites with her two friends to face the dark secrets tied to their communal past. *Hint – there are elements of science fiction). But the melodrama starts pounding you in the head from the opening credits all the way to the end. I was a beaten man when this was complete. A beaten, beaten man.
Never Let Me Go centers around the idea that in 1952 there was a medical breakthrough that increased the average lifespan past 100 years old. Three students from Halisham, a privileged boarding school in England, are deeply affected by this as they learn they must donate their organs for transplants, and will die before they have any affect (OK, I gave you a bit here, but this is known 20 minutes in…it’s not The Sixth Sense). The film was so slow and drawn out with hundreds of subtle gazes and looks of concern, I felt like I passed the 100 year marker by the end.
You will read positive reviews. Some claim that you’ll cry throughout the entire third act. But I’m being real with you – AVOID this.
Andrew Garfield essentially plays a young Forrest Gump until the last part of the film. His character belongs in the back of a short yellow bus, yet I don’t think that was the goal of the performance.
Carey Mulligan can’t seem to stop smirking, as she does every second of her acting and real world life.
The Mulligan Perma-Smirk
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Review: Source Code
I’ve been hearing movie blogger nerd hype out of the SXSW premiere screenings of Source Code for weeks. I was always interested in checking it out, specifically to catch Duncan “David Bowie’s Son” Jones in his sophomore effort after his critical hit, Moon. But the nerds were screaming as if Jones was changing the face of celluloid. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves.
If you love sci-fi, you’ll be satisfied (although left with many head scratching questions). If you hate sci-fi, take the preposterous premise and throw it out the door. Once you get past the whole “source code” business, this is a satisfactory thriller with acting and directing that holds an OK script together. It’s thrilling, thought provoking, ridiculous at times – but always stays a half step in front of the audience. Starring Jake Gyllenhaal, Michelle Monaghan, Jeffrey Wright, and Vera Farmiga, this train ride is worth taking.
The idea of the film is simple: Groundhog Day meets Moon. A soldier gets to relive the same 8 minutes on a train over and over to find a bomb/bomber. But why? And how?
Official synopsis: An action thriller centered on a soldier who wakes up in the body of an unknown man and discovers he’s part of a mission to find the bomber of a Chicago commuter train.
To say much more about this story would ruin the fun of it all. So I’ll stop with the explaining here. Try not to read too much. The fun is the peeling of layers.
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Review: Sucker Punch
Giant Samurai Robots. Check.
Zombie Nazi WWII Soldiers. Check.
Dragons. Check.
An awful, boring, hollow, tedious, overstuffed film. Check.
Zack Snyder’s latest, Sucker Punch, was a sucker punch to audiences across the country. Those hoping the director of 300, Watchmen, and the upcoming Superman would have something phenomenal up his sleeve will be stunned in a visual barrage of nothingness. After two hours of watching a film attempt and fail to tell a supposed “female empowerment story” (Zack Snyder’s words, not mine), I was left in my seat with utter disappointment.
The official synopsis is simple enough: A young girl is institutionalized by her abusive stepfather. Retreating to an alternative reality as a coping strategy, she envisions a plan which will help her escape from the mental facility. The actual film, uh, not even an ounce of real story.
Here’s the real deal (slight spoilers from the opening 15 minutes). Mother dies. Her WILL hands everything to her daughters. Evil father is pissed (and evil). We know this because he sneers a bunch, adjusts his tie often to imply potential rape (seriously), and sweats profusely throughout the entire 5 minute slo-mo opening (Zack Snyder loves him some slo-mo). Older daughter tries to shoot evil stepdad (because he’s evil), misses, kills sister. Apparently, this gives the evil stepdad a free pass to send her to the insane asylum. Inside the asylum, girl copes with her situation and pending lobotomy by imagining an alternate reality where she is essentially the newest member of a burlesque-ish brothel slave factory (seriously). This setup is one of the biggest head scratchers. An implied abused girl escapes her reality by being trapped in a brothel. OK. Let’s say you went with that. The Snydster gets a free pass. But here’s the kicker. She wants to escape this brothel. She hatches a masterplan of stealing a map, lighter, knife, and key (in that exact order). How can she and her female ass kicking team do it? With her seductive dance for the men that literally leaves them in a salivating trance. Duh. Visually, Zack Snyder is one of the best directors out there. He knows how to frame and light any and every shot. He’s a brilliant visionary. But I was this close (thumb and pointer about an inch apart) to walking out on this one. Showgirls had better acting than this.
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