Transformers: The Rules Have Changed, But Not In A Good Way

 

So, first of all, I loved the first three Transformers movies.  They were action-packed, funny, even well-acted and charming.  Unfortunately, Transformers 4: Age of Extinction only has the first of those four traits.  Yes, it’s action-packed, I know that’s a surprise, but at almost 3 hours long, action can only keep your interest for so long.  Note to the director, you need more to keep me from leaving in the middle to get another drink (which I did).  I just came back from a trip to Universal Studios and even without a drink, the Transformers 4D ride that lasted only about 7 minutes was better.

Mark Wahlberg is a good actor when the right script and the right direction come together (check out the little seen Pain & Gain), but this movie is made for wooden acting, so that’s what it gets.  As for the beautiful girl cast as his daughter, I’m guessing after the Megan Fox debacle, they thought any pretty model would do, but again, wrong.  The only thing Nicola Peltz has going for her is that she is a pretty crier, but at least Megan could act too.  The relationship between Mark as a would-be inventor and his daughter who is constantly taking care of him after the death of her mother and subsequent adoption of a broken down vehicle evokes Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, but even that homage is just an insult to Ian Fleming.  Stanley Tucci is by far the best thing about this movie (and most movies he’s in).  He’s diabolical and funny at the same time with just the right amount of camp, as though he was the only one on set trying to give the audience what they’ve come to expect from the series.

The plot is more convoluted than usual, as it intertwines space saga with technological greed as this sequel’s take on good vs. evil.  In fact, I thought at times that I might be watching the Asylum Studios (of Sharknado fame) version of Transformers, which could be titled: “Dinobots vs. Microsoftbots”.  Actually, that might keep me in my seat, well for two hours anyway.

2.5 out of 5 stars

Think Again: Begin Again Movie Review

The director of Once tried to make lightning strike twice and...it didn't.  Begin Again is nice, light romantic comedy fare, with a love of music thrown in, but it's unevenness and Amelie-esque perkiness prevent it from becoming any more.  Mark Ruffalo gives a very full and sincere performance, to the point of matching the desperation of his character, but Keira Knightley's constant smiling belies her character's supposed equal level of drama and the result is a mis-match of acting styles that leaves the audience off-balance as to how to even interpret many scenes. 

The movie itself revisits old themes done better in A League of Their Own and Bad News Bears to name to sport motifed films. It's a nice ode to New York as we follow another failed singer songwriter through her final attempt at success after hooking up with a drunken, washed up music executive.  There is a humorous cameo by Cee Lo Greene, but I'm sure this film was meant to make the audience recognize the acting skills of Maroon 5 lead singer, Adam Levine in one of the lead roles.  His character serves as a fairly good caricature of his own industry and pop idol status, but he ultimately takes himself a bit too seriously.  The ubiquitous Hailee Steinfeld shows up in a small repeat performance of her recent Kevin Costner movie (3 Days to Kill) turn as a mildly rebellious teen, but I always like to see her and she learned to play guitar for one of the best scenes of the movie.  Catherine Keener is woefully underused...again.  When will she get her breakthrough lead role!?

I'd like to talk about the elephant in the room on the screen - hair.  It's a recurring theme throughout the movie, though I believe unintentionally.  Mark Ruffalo's character has let himself go and the main way they express this is through showing lots of his body hair gone awry, from that on his head, to chest, legs and on and on.  Then there's Adam Levine's hair, which undergoes many changes throughout the film, most pointedly when he grows a much-maligned mega-beard.  Now to Keira.  She is supposed to be understated and constantly downplaying her own natural good looks, but she is in the exact same messy ponytail throughout the film, even when she goes to see her ex-boyfriend for the first time and when she goes out to see his show.  Not. Believable. Female. Behavior.

My 11 year old daughter enjoyed this film (mostly because she's a huge Hulk fan) but I couldn't muster anymore than "good" to describe my feelings about it and even then, with a lilt in my voice.  The generally enjoyable music is what saves it from falling below a "3".

3 out of 5 stars

Another Great Movie to Review! Earth To Echo

Most people are saying this is a modern day E.T. and while that is a tremendous complement and not too far off the mark, I would say it's more like Stand By Me meets Close Encounters with a little E.T. and Blair Witch Project thrown in.  It has the coming of age and kids on the road aspect of SBM, with the Richard Dreyfuss aspect of CE, the bad guys of ET and the camera angles of BWP LOL. 

This movie was fast-paced and so well-written and well-acted by these young actors that most of the time it did feel like a reality show, the way it is filmed by one of the main characters.  Real life is happening all around these youngsters, with all the angst and awkwardness, even amidst an otherworldly encounter and numerous dangerous situations.  I smiled constantly at them and laughed out loud frequently at their unintended one-liners and pubescent naiveté.

Yes, the little alien is cute, but he doesn't take up very much screen time - it's all about the kids.  The special effects and music were top notch as well.  I would say the adult characters were one-dimensional and almost cartoony, which detracted just a bit, but they were also such minor parts of the film that I quickly forgot about them.  The song played immediately after the movie ended, over the credits, was a strange choice and a bit jarring in contrast to the mood music so effectively used throughout the film itself, but it's one of my favorite current pop tunes (One Republic's Counting Stars), so I can see why they added it.  Other than that,  there was no aspect of this movie that my daughter and I didn't like and we immediately wanted to see it again, like we just got off a ride at Disneyland, or better yet, Universal Studios.

P.S.  There is an extra scene after all the credits that hints of a sequel - I hope it's true!

4.25 out of 5 stars

Movie Review: Jersey Boys

Sorry, I went on vacation right after seeing this movie, so it's taken me awhile to post it, but even if I hadn't gone on vacation, I'm sorry to say I wasn't too excited to write this one.  It's not a bad movie, it's just kind of there.  Uh-oh, I think I just made you stop reading...but just in case you didn't, here is what I have to say about Jersey Boys.

Jersey Boys is based on a hit Broadway musical that should have stayed on the stage.  I'm sure it is great to see this kind of thing on stage, because I've seen several in this style (Saturday Night Fever for one) and they have been wildly popular in recent years, with some even successfully making the jump to screen (Mamma Mia for one).  However, in transitioning to the screen with Jersey Boys, a little more drama and a little less stage effects would have served the story better.  The music is fantastic and most of the acting is decent, but it's too polished overall (stage costumes) and the multitude of characters talking directly to the audience just don't work. 

My favorite moment was when the most passive member of the band goes verbally postal when the group falls apart, which may have been unintentionally funny.  I also enjoyed the little hints of the film's directory, Clint Eastwood, with one of his daughters playing a minor character in one scene and Clint himself gracing a "screen on screen" when one of the main characters is watching TV and it just happens to be playing an old Clint Eastwood movie.

Still, the story is interesting, if a little rushed and there are definitely funny moments, but the stage number at the end, involving formerly sinister characters and enemies smiling and singing together was what put it over the edge for me.  This too is a traditional Broadway stage ending, but it doesn't work for this story, at least on screen.  Let's reserve those for happy endings.  Neither the plot nor the future of Jersey Boys has that.

2.75 out of 5 stars

How to Train Your Dragon 2 - Movie Review

First of all, I LOVED the first How to Train Your Dragon movie.  It was one of the best movies that year, animated or not and definitely one of the most visually stunning.  I knew immediately how amazing that movie was and I also knew immediately that it would not get the recognition it deserved, because it came out the same year as Toy Story 3...and that broke my heart.  With this second installment (of 3, yes, this was imagined as a fully realized trilogy!), I'm pleasantly surprised to see the first movie actually receiving a lot of retroactive praise, once separated by the (equally good) Toy Story competition.

Loving the first one as I did, I was simultaneously looking forward to seeing the second one and worried that it would let me down.  I. was. not. let. down.  Dragon 2 is full of just as many gorgeous flying sequences and rolling oceans as the first movie, but this time, they've amped up the CGI with a new technique that allows the designers to actually draw on top of it as well for an added realism and it worked.  Most reviewers are recommending we spend the extra $ for the 3D version, but I'm here to say although I did see it in 3D, this movie would be beautiful either way.

What really works in these movies are the themes.  The first movie had several unique and positive threads for kids and they worked because the Dragon movies don't treat children like children.  Most kid's movies have the same simple good vs. evil style themes over and over but these movies strive for more.  In Dragon 2, the lead character has matured and even has a love interest, but thankfully even that typical trope is set aside in favor of more important themes.

Now to mention my favorite part - Toothless.  I love Toothless, the main character's personal dragon.  It was modeled on a black panther, a wombat and your everyday house cat.  Toothless is loveable, loyal and as well rounded as any human character in the movies, and all this with no dialog.  I want a Toothless myself...

4 out of 5 stars

I Hate to Say It, But There's No Fault in The Fault in Our Stars - Movie Review

Where to start?  Well, to start with, I haven't read the book, so let's get that out of the way right at the start. Those of you who have read the book may have different insight than I do on the comparison, etc., but I always look at books turned into movies as two different art forms and evaluate them separately anyway...Now on with the review.  I honestly can't find much wrong with this film and if there is anything, it is definitely counteracted by what goes above and beyond here.  I am not a fan of sappy movies or "chick flicks" and I have never even seen many of the most popular of that genre, including The Notebook and the Twilight Series.  However, my 11 year old wanted to see this movie after having seen the previews as many times as the rest of us and it didn't look quite as pukey as some of those others, so off we went.

I'm sure the book is very well written - why, you ask?  Because so much of the film is very well written and that is usually the downfall of translations like this. The writers of Fault also wrote 500 Days of Summer, which was phenomenal in much the same way and is now probably just old enough for the audience of this film to require a recommendation from Netflix to see 500 (but seriously, do it). From the interpersonal dialog to the underlying intelligent themes, this movie must be doing a pretty good job of satisfying at least some of the fans of the book.  The individuals and the relationships are so well written, that I will go so far as to say it is one of the best portrayals of motherhood and of falling in love that I have ever seen on screen.  Laura Dern is literally ALWAYS good, but the subtlety with which she performs even the smallest moments with her terminally ill daughter is beyond accomplished - it's reality.  These are Oscar nomination moments.  Willem Defoe deserves a mention here as well, playing yet another unlikeable character, though in a completely different way...

Shailene Woodley is at her best in this film (she is much better suited to intricately played drama than interchangeable action heroism, see: Divergent).  She is completely natural and it left me wondering how very close to one girl's reality of living with cancer her performance actually is, not having direct experience with this particular road traveled myself. 

The complete surprise of the film for me was the lead actor who truly lit up the screen, Ansel Elgort.  He played Shailene's brother in Divergent and though his part was too small to garner much attention in that film, at this point, I can only think they didn't want to cast him as the lead opposite Miss Woodley in two films in a row, because his acting abilities, plus the way the camera loves him and the chemistry between them would have them cast and re-cast together ad nauseam.  He was beautiful in their first film together, but I wonder how strange it was to play his love interest after playing his sister.  It may be that their amazing chemistry was so evident on the first set that it led to the casting of Fault. We will get the unusual opportunity to explore this issue on the flip side when Insurgent comes out as well.

To no surprise for those who loved 500 Days, Fault also has a tremendous soundtrack - check it out.  I also liked the innovative way they integrated the reality of texting into the film, since it is a way of life, especially for youngsters, but probably doesn't normally translate too well visually.  (Chef also recently created a quirky way to integrate social media into this visual art form and I have to say I support this trend).

One final note.  I said I'm not into schmaltzy movies, but that doesn't mean I'm not a crier.  In fact, I sometimes cry at commercials or bad Adam Sandler movies (not for the reason you think).  So let's just say that I forgot to get napkins with my hot dog and so my hoodie sleeves haven't been this snotty since the last time a boyfriend broke up with me.

4 out of 5 stars

Final, final note: This review dedicated to my friend in cupcakes, Kelsey Hays.

Finally, A Good Movie!: Chef Movie Review

Finally, a good movie!  Sometimes I think anyone reading my reviews might think I'm too harsh and don't like anything, but thankfully, Chef has come along to counter that perception.  It actually caused me to look back at the movies I've seen this year and there are about 5-6 favorites so far, which puts me perfectly one track to have a Top 10-15 for the year, so 2014 is shaping up nicely.

Chef is a food movie in the grand tradition of food movies like Babette's Feast and Big Night, only more watchable than the first and more fun than the second.  If you love food, there is enough food porn in this movie to both satisfy you and make you hungry at the same time.  It is also a bit of a road movie, with visits to Miami, New Orleans and the LA restaurant and food truck scene. I may have a soft spot for Jon Favreau, but the level of acting across the board is natural and enjoyable (and this is a vast and varied group of actors with all of Favreau's friends on board for the ride).   Even the music is notable, with great local choices made for each location without being cliché. 

With a  food truck background myself, I found it very believable (aside from the seeming ease of starting a food truck and dealing with regulations which in reality are a nightmare, but not necessary to the plot) and fun and I really didn't want it to end.  For those not into food or food trucks, it may seem slow in a couple of places as they linger over the food and the chef's world, but the only problem I found with this movie was the R rating.  This movie has "colorful" language from the first moment to the last, but THAT IS IT!  Again, cursing is easy to explain to kids and you know whether or not your kid can handle it.  There is none of the ambiguous and impossible to explain over the top sexuality and innuendo or supernatural conjecture of other films routinely rated just PG-13.

This movie is heartwarming without going too deep and should really be seen and enjoyed by all age groups.  It's opening wider and wider every weekend, so it should now be at a movie theatre near you.   Grab dinner at a local food truck this weekend and follow it by seeing Chef!

4.25 out of 5 stars