The Campaign

The Campaign - Dir. Jay Roach (2012)

"War has rules. Mud wrestling has rules. Politics has no rules."

            -Ross Perot

Will Ferrell comedies are pretty easy to conceive. Simply drop the comedian into an environment like NASCAR or professional ice skating and then let him run loose with his trademark absurdist ravings. And what better place for those lunatic rants than the wacky world of politics.

Ferrell is Cam Brady, the Democratic Congressman for the state of North Carolina. He has run unopposed since his election and is about to enter his fifth term. That all changes when billionaire tycoons, Glen and Wade Motch (John Lithgow & Dan Aykroyd as thinly veiled parodies of the Koch Brothers) take a vested interest in the election as means to bring cheap Chinese labor to the U.S. The Motch Brothers choose Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis), the tourism director for the small town of Hammond as their candidate. Huggins is the son of Raymond Huggins (Brian Cox), a bigwig in the Republican Party who has always seen Marty as a constant embarrassment. In steps campaign manager Tim Wattley (Dylan McDermott), a shadowy fixer sent in to butch up the effeminate Huggins. His chubby family is kept out of the public eye while his pugs are replaced by more American dogs, a golden retriever and a chocolate lab.

The Campaign was written by Shawn Harwell (HBO's Eastbound and Down) and Chris Henchy (The Other Guys) while Jay Roach handled directorial duties. Roach is best known for directing Austin Powers and Meet the Parents. He's had experience in political comedy as he helmed Recount and Game Change for HBO. The Campaign isn't exactly razor sharp satire and Roach's work here lies somewhere in between. The humor doesn't break any new ground as the film depicts politicians has inept, greedy, and just plain horny.

Ferrell plays it to the hilt as Brady is a concoction of Bill Clinton, John Edwards, and Ferrell's own impression of George W. Bush. He's an unrepentant philanderer spouting pedantic sound bites to rile up the rubes ("America. Jesus. Freedom"). Meanwhile, Galifianakis recycles his portrayal of his mustachioed "brother" Seth as Marty Huggins. Their rivalry begins with trash talking and rises to absurd levels as Brady drunkenly steals a police car and punches a baby in the face. At one point, Brady runs a campaign ad connecting Huggins' facial hair to that of Saddam Hussein and bin Laden.  There's a dinner table scene at the Huggins house that's reminiscent of Talladega Nights. Dylan McDermott and Karen Murayama provide funny supporting performances with the latter as a housekeeper paid extra to speak like a stereotypical mammy.

The Campaign lacks any teeth as the filmmakers try their best to straddle the thin line between red and blue states. They attempt to skewer everyone with gags relying on raunchiness and slapstick. If you want profanity and intelligence in your satire, Armando Iannucci's In the Loop is a better bet. Still, The Campaign is amusing enough and moves at a brisk pace.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

One in the Chamber

One in the Chamber - Dir. William Kaufman (2012)

2012 was the year of the dream team and I'm not talking about the NBA superstars participating in the Summer Olympics. Comic book fans finally saw most of their favorite superheroes join forces in The Avengers, which was a runaway success. Lovers of classic action films were pleased to see icons like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sylvester Stallone, Bruce Willis, and Jean-Claude Van Damme sharing the screen together in The Expendables 2. There's one pairing I don't think anyone was clamoring for and that's Dolph Lundgren and Cuba Gooding Jr. Gooding won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Jerry Maguire and that should have skyrocketed his career. Instead, he's been puttering away in silly comedies (Snow Dogs, Boat Trip) and overwrought dramas (Radio, Red Tails). Gooding might as well try his hand at action.

In One in the Chamber, he plays an American expatriate living in Prague named Ray Carver, who reluctantly works as a freelance assassin. He is hired by crime bosses Mikhail (Andrew Bicknell) and his brother Bobby Suverov (Leo Gregory) to eliminate their rivals Vlad Tavanian (Alin Panc) and Demyan Ivanov (Louis Mandylor). Vlad and several of his men are killed, but Demyan escapes and turns the tables on the Suverovs by hiring Carver to kill them. In response, Mikhail enlists the services of a legendary hitman named Aleksey Andreev (Lundgren), known and feared in the underworld as the Wolf. As Carver precariously straddles the line between both factions, he must also protect Janice Knowles (Claudia Bassols), an innocent woman with a startling connection to Carver.

Gooding doesn't make much of an impression as the protagonist. His forte is in more energetic and lighthearted roles. Here, he's asked to play the silent, brooding type while spouting superfluous voiceover narration. It's not all that convincing. The real star of the picture is Dolph Lundgren, who towers over everyone as the eccentric baddie. Clad in a Hawaiian shirt and a fedora one size too small, he is described by one character as "Sinatra on steroids." Lundgren adds some much needed humor to a film that takes itself too seriously at times.

One in the Chamber was directed by William Kaufman, who also helmed another DTV actioner in Sinners and Saints. Kaufman is a competent director and he handles the set pieces adequately considering the low budget. The movie starts off strong as Carver opens fire on the Tavanian crime family with a high caliber sniper rifle. There's also a rooftop foot chase, a couple of quick shootouts, and a fight sequence between Gooding and Lundgren. The action isn't all that spectacular, but it's the only thing holding together a loose production cobbled together with bad dialogue and a hackneyed plot.

You never expect a lot from a direct-to-video feature and One in the Chamber only delivers in the most modest of ways.  This is a run-of-the-mill B-movie that could have used more Dolph Lundgren and less Cuba Gooding Jr.

Rating: * (*****)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter - Dir. Timur Bekmambetov (2012)

Four score and seven ass kickings ago...

It says a lot about our education system when young children aren't taught pivotal moments in history such as when Abraham Lincoln killed all those vampires to end the Civil War or the time Adolf Hitler was gunned down by the guy who directed Hostel.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter was conceived by Seth Grahame-Smith, who started a new literary mash-up trend with the hit novel Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. There, Grahame-Smith re-conceived the Bennett Sisters as a skilled fighting force against the undead. The book was quickly optioned by Lionsgate though it has been mired in development hell. Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter made it to the screen first thanks to the involvement of Tim Burton and Timur Bekmambetov with the relatively unknown Benjamin Walker cast in the title role.

The film begins with Abe as a child witnessing his father protect he and his friend William Johnson from the whip of a vicious plantation owner named Jack Barts (Marton Csokas). It turns out Barts is a vampire and kills Nancy Lincoln (Robin McLeavy) in revenge. As an adult, Lincoln hunts Barts down, but is ill-prepared for his supernatural strength. He is saved from death by Henry Sturgess (Dominic Cooper), a benevolent vampire who makes Lincoln his axe-wielding apprentice. During his training, our 16^th President learns that the vampires have flourished in the South with slaves serving as a veritable smorgasbord. He ultimately decides to use a weapon even more powerful than silver or holy water…politics.

The appeal of Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter isn't just seeing Lincoln dismember bloodsucking fiends, but the way in which it weaves fantastical elements with actual historical facts. Some of the most important figures in Lincoln's life are presented in fictionalized fashion. In Springfield, Illinois, Lincoln works in the general store of Joshua Speed (Jimmi Simpson) and is reunited with his childhood buddy William Johnson (Anthony Mackie). Both become his staunchest allies while campaigning and fighting vampires. He also falls in love with future wife, Mary Todd (Mary Elizabeth Winstead), despite Sturgess's warnings against personal relationships. Even Jefferson Davis (John Rothman) and Harriet Tubman (Jacqueline Fleming) figure into the narrative. Sadly, Lincoln's famous debates with Stephen Douglas (Alan Tudyk) are given only a fleeting amount of screen time. And it is at this point that the movie starts to die a slow and painfully boring death.

Grahame-Smith may be a talented novelist, but he has yet to display any consistency in his screenwriting endeavors. He impressed Burton enough to get writing duties on Dark Shadows and a possible Beetlejuice sequel. However, Dark Shadows was a box office flop that struggled to adapt a soap opera structure to a feature film. Grahame-Smith has the same problems translating his book. The middle section sags with a distinct lack of action and the overall tone is far too morbid for what should have been a campy cult classic. A few changes to the vampire mythology work well. The vampires' weakness to silver is tied into the 30 pieces of silver paid to Judas. One element that doesn't make a lot of sense is the fact that vampires cannot kill their own kind. It's a flimsy explanation for why Sturgess would take on Lincoln as a pupil when it didn't really need any explanation at all. Perhaps, the biggest problem with the movie is its tacky retconning of the Emancipation Proclamation. You see, President Lincoln didn't free the slaves out of an altruistic belief that all human beings deserve the basic right of freedom. It was to cut off the vampires' food supply.

Bekmambetov is no stranger to directing gothic, over-the-top action films having previously helmed Night Watch and Wanted. The set pieces here are underwhelming with such liberal use of slow motion that Zack Snyder would even scoff. Only two sequences make any impression. One features a Lion King-esque stampede in which Barts throws an entire horse at Lincoln. The final act sees Lincoln and friends battling an army of vampires on board a train racing towards a burning bridge. The visual look of the film leaves much to be desired and likely falls on the shoulders of post-production rather than cinematographer Caleb Deschanel. The colors are de-saturated and there's a murkiness to the night scenes that makes the 3D version an absolutely avoidable.

This isn't the first time Benjamin Walker has portrayed a radical interpretation of a former president. He starred in the Broadway musical Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, which turned Old Hickory into an eyeliner wearing, angst-ridden rock star. Walker is decent enough, but the leaden material saps him of any energy or charisma. Walker bears a strong resemblance to Liam Neeson and, in fact, played a younger version of him in Kinsey. Ironic since Neeson was once attached to star Lincoln in Spielberg's upcoming biopic. In line with Vampire Hunter's ultra-serious tone, the actors play it dour with the exception of Marton Csokas who hams it up as the murderous Jack Barts. The best performance goes to Rufus Sewell as the vampiric progenitor Adam.

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter sounded like a wild concept. Then again, so did Snakes on a Plane and Hot Tub Time Machine, projects with a catchy title and that never panned out past their jokey premises.

Rating: ** (*****)

The Expendables 2

The Expendables 2 - Dir. Simon West (2012)

The Expendables was wish fulfillment for any hardcore action fan, even if it was about fifteen years too late. Sylvester Stallone gathered together a veritable dream team of badasses from the past and present to commit wholesale carnage. Of course, there were plenty of movie goers wondering where their favorite stars were. Where's Steven Seagal or Don "The Dragon" Wilson? Also, how about some female Expendables? You'll be happy to know The Expendables 2 does what all good sequels should do, expand on the concept with a bigger cast and even bigger action.

The whole gang is back: Barney Ross (Sylvester Stallone), Lee Christmas (Jason Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunner Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), and Toll Road (Randy Couture), along with a young sniper named Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth). The sequel begins with a blood-soaked prologue as the team raids a compound in Nepal to rescue a Chinese billionaire as well as rival mercenary Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger). Following a successful mission, Ross barely has a chance to enjoy the down time when he's approached by CIA spook Mr. Church (Bruce Willis). Collecting on a debt, Church tasks Ross with retrieving the contents of a high-tech safe from the wreckage of a plane that went down in Albania. Church assigns his computer expert, Maggie (Yu Nan), to assist in the endeavor. They are later joined by the enigmatic Booker (Chuck Norris), another soldier of fortune on a mission to take down the organization.

The Expendables are ambushed by a criminal cartel led by Jean Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) and with a name like Jean Vilain, what else could he be, except evil? Vilain steals the item and kills one of heroes, earning the enmity of Ross. The McGuffin turns out to be a computerized blueprint of a mine containing five tons of weapons-grade plutonium, which he plans to sell to the highest bidders.

Stallone co-wrote the screenplay with Richard Wenk (16 Blocks, The Mechanic) and it's more streamlined than the previous film. Gone are the B-plots that futilely tried to flesh out the already thin characters. There aren't any extraneous side stories this time around, such as with Lee Christmas's girlfriend (Charisma Carpenter, who only appears in one scene). These guys don't have time for romance when they have shit to blow up. They don't have time for existential introspection either so there is no belly gazing or heartfelt monologues from Mickey Rourke (who chose not to return). The script is the type of throwaway junk that was churned out by Cannon Films back in the 80's, right down to the Cold War threat, the Eastern European setting, and a bad guy with a funny accent.

The main appeal of The Expendables 2 is the chance to see Arnold, Bruce Willis, and Stallone blasting machine gunfire at ear shattering decibels. Yes, John Matrix, John McClane, and John Spartan unleash their wrath on an army of anonymous henchmen. Bodies literally explode into fountains of blood as bullets rip through them. Any worries that the violence might be softened should be put away. Sadly, Jet Li doesn't get to participate in the fun as he only appears in the opening. The action itself isn't spectacularly stylish, but it is adequately directed. Stallone handed the reins to Simon West whose workman-like direction is reminiscent of past standbys like Albert Pyun or Peter Hyams.

Any action movie worth its salt is required to have a few cornball one-liners. We get them here with Statham, disguised as a priest, announcing, "I now pronounce you…man and knife." But, most of the humor is self-referential, delivered with a heavy dose of irony and a tongue firmly planted in cheek. Ennio Morricone's theme to The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly plays each time Chuck Norris, who looks pretty spry for a 72-year old, makes his grand entrance. His character is named after John T. Booker, the role he portrayed in Good Guys Wear Black, and he's frequently referred to as a "Lone Wolf." Chuck Norris even gets to tell a Chuck Norris joke. ("I heard you got bit by a king cobra." "Yeah…but after five days of agonizing pain, the cobra finally died."). The script hints at a possible love story between Barney Ross and Maggie with the former being apprehensive to let anyone close. Perhaps, it is because he remembers the death of Julia Nickson in Rambo: First Blood Part II. Of course, Arnold gets all the best lines. He chomps into his scenes as hard as the ever-present stogies in the corner of his mouth. The ex-governor of California exchanges catchphrases with Bruce Willis during the climatic shootout. ("You've been back enough times. This time, I'll be back." "Yippie-ki-yay.")

The best performances in the film belong to the two guys who probably need subtitles more than Schwarzenegger, Dolph Lundgren and Jean-Claude Van Damme. Lundgren is given a beefier role with his Gunner Jensen now clean and sober. He's become a lovable lug with references made to his real-life master's degree in chemical engineering and Fulbright Scholarship to MIT. Van Damme makes the most of his first major theatrical role in years, excluding the meta-textual JCVD. The Muscles from Brussels is immensely entertaining in a rare villainous turn. Plus, it's cool watching him unleash his trademark flying roundhouse kick to Stallone's face. For his brief screen time, Liam Hemsworth adds a new dimension as his youthful exuberance helps to amusingly remind his established co-stars of their increasing age.

They may have less hair and more wrinkles than back in their heyday, but the holy trinity of Planet Hollywood still has the charisma necessary to carry a huge blockbuster and the heavy ammunitions it requires. The Expendables 2 is well-made schlock cinema for those wanting nothing more than big guys with big guns.

Rating: *** (*****)

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy - Dir. Tony Gilroy (2012)

Continuing a franchise without its lead actor isn't always a wise choice, most of the time the decision yields nothing more than a forgettable piece of direct-to-video cinema. But, Universal is treating its Bourne series like gold since the original trilogy raked in close to a billion dollars in box office revenue. The studio kicked in a big budget and signed up an A-list cast to compensate for the loss of Matt Damon and Paul Greengrass.

Despite its troubled production, The Bourne Identity was a hit and updated the spy genre into a gritty, real world setting. The film's success certainly played a role in rebooting the Bond franchise since Die Another Day (which also came out in 2002) was derided for its overuse of CGI and silly contrivances like invisible cars. Neither Damon nor Greengrass were that keen on returning for a fourth picture so the directorial reins were given to Tony Gilroy, who co-wrote the script with his brother, Dan. Rather than rebooting the series or ignoring the events of the previous films, The Bourne Legacy is a side-quel that takes place simultaneous to The Bourne Ultimatum.

In case you missed it, Jason Bourne is running roughshod in Manhattan and threatening to expose Treadstone, a CIA black ops program involving illegal activities and assassinations. Retired Col. Eric Byer (Edward Norton) is the shadowy government official in charge of all the various cloak and dagger operations, including Treadstone's sister program, Operation Outcome. In order to protect themselves, Byer orders the elimination of Outcome's assets and anyone else who may have damaging knowledge. This leads us to one of their best and brightest, Aaron Cross (Jeremy Renner), who narrowly escapes a UAV while training in the Alaskan wilderness. Unlike the psychological manipulation of Treadstone, Outcome utilizes genetic engineering to gift its foot soldiers with enhanced abilities, both physical and mental. Think of a modern day Captain America with the side effect of requiring regular doses of pills (chems) to keep the enhancements permanent.

After losing his supply of chems, Cross seeks the aid of Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz), who has also escaped an attempt on her life. One of her co-workers (Zeljko Ivanek) is given the Manchurian Candidate treatment and coldly guns down his colleagues with Dr. Shearing the only survivor. The globetrotting adventure cuts between the boardrooms and control centers of the CIA to the streets of Manila as Cross and Dr. Shearing search for the drugs our hero desperately needs.

Tony Gilroy has done a seamless job weaving The Bourne Legacy into the mythos that was previously created. Gilroy's directorial style is a meshing of Limon's and Greengrass's. Thankfully, Gilroy's shaky cam isn't as nauseating. The workplace shooting is one of the most effective sequences in the film. It would be chilling enough without the context of current events. The other action scenes are pulled off in gripping manner. The opener will recall The Grey as Cross evades a hungry wolf and a missile strike. Another tense set piece sees Cross rescuing Dr. Shearing in her remote home from a CIA kill squad. The most exciting and frenetic action is reserved for the third act as the protagonists run along the rooftops and crowded streets of the Philippines.

Gilroy falters in the actual story. Those who haven't seen the earlier Bourne films will be lost as much of the first act almost recaps the major plot points of Ultimatum in an effort to establish the timeline for Legacy. We get brief cameos from familiar faces like Scott Glenn, Joan Allen, David Strathairn, Albert Finney, and Corey Johnson while introducing new characters such as Norton's Col. Byer and Stacy Keach as the latest in a long line of gravelly voiced authoritarians. There is also a lot of exposition and techno-babble about the intricacies of Outcome. The script is at its weakest when attempting to sketch out the lead characters.

Jeremy Renner is more than capable of succeeding Matt Damon. He brings the same quiet intensity to the role of Aaron Cross as he did to his conflicted bomb diffuser in The Hurt Locker. Unfortunately, his motivations aren't as interesting as Jason Bourne's. Bourne was all about discovering his true identity and finding redemption when he learns he wasn't that nice of a guy, sort of a serious take on the Total Recall concept. Bourne is also concerned with bringing his puppet masters to justice. Here, Cross knows exactly who he is and is primarily occupied with self-preservation. He is motivated by finding more meds. In a take on Flowers for Algernon, we learn that Cross dreads what will happen should he lose his mental faculties. Before joining Outcome, his IQ was so low that his army recruiter had to fudge the numbers to meet minimum requirements. This is an intriguing twist that is never fully developed. The same can be said for Dr. Shearing. Rachel Weisz gives a strong performance, but the character is merely the damsel in distress. She's there to be rescued by the hero, then tagalong for the ride until they fall in love. The most fascinating element about Shearing is her participation in the grey area of human experimentation. She seems willfully ignorant about the sinister implications of her work. Again, this is glanced over. The relationship between Cross and Shearing actually isn't as interesting as the brief relationship between Cross and an unnamed Outcome agent played by Oscar Issac. The agent runs a safe house on the training grounds where Cross finds respite. Isaac is reticent about opening up to the talkative Cross and both men are constantly sizing up the other in subtle fashion.

The Bourne Legacy eventually fizzles to an anticlimactic conclusion that obviously leaves room for a Cross-led sequel while leaving the door open for Damon's return. Legacy just doesn't do enough to expand the mythology of the Bourne franchise and the results are an entirely conventional action pic.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Total Recall

Total Recall - Dir. Len Wiseman (2012)

Philip K. Dick is one of science fiction's most renowned and prolific authors. His works have been adapted into feature films numerous times with varying results. While it didn't exactly capture the spirit of the original short story, "We Can Remember It for You Wholesale," Total Recall has etched its place in the movie history as a classic action film. And so it goes that Hollywood combs its own past successes in search of a quick buck.

The remake is set during the tail end of the 21^st century in a world ravaged by global war. The only countries left standing are UK, now known as the United Federation of Britain, and the former Australia, now called the Colony. Instead of Austrian powerhouse Arnold Schwarzenegger, we have Irish bad boy Colin Farrell in the lead role of Douglas Quaid, an unassuming factory worker from the Colony. He and hundreds of other blue collar joes commute to and fro aboard the Fall, a massive transport system that tunnels through the center of the Earth. Quaid is listless about his mundane life, despite being married to the gorgeous Lori (Kate Beckinsale). One day, he decides to visit Rekall, a company that purports to realize your deepest fantasies through implanted memories. Just as the technicians at Rekall are about to put Quaid through the procedure, they discover his mind is already full of false memories. Armed gunmen burst into the building shooting everyone before Quaid guns them down with shocking ease.

Quaid learns he may actually be an agent for the resistance against the corrupt Federation chancellor Vilos Cohaagen (Bryan Cranston). His "wife" Lori attempts to kill Quaid at every turn and the only one who may be able to save him is a beautiful freedom fighter named Melina (Jessica Biel).

Mars and mutants are no more as the remake keeps its feet firmly planted on Earth. In place of exotic, red sands, we have a futuristic cityscape paying homage to Blade Runner (another Dick adaptation) and Terry Gilliam's Brazil. Due to rampant overpopulation, the Colony looks like a dozen Hong Kongs built on top of each other. Technology has yielded innovative devices such as a cell phone implanted into the palm of your hand and an army of robotic police sentries. In fact, Quaid works as a riveter ironically building the very automatons that will oppress his people. The robots serve a secondary function as a method to sanitize the violence of its R-rated predecessor to a palpable PG-13. Quaid rips the arms off a machine rather than a human being and doesn't spout a witty one-liner afterwards.

Paul Verhoeven's Total Recall was marked by gratuitous nudity and over-the-top violence. It possessed a satirical take on America's culture of consumerism and capitalism, which was also heavily present in Robocop. Len Wiseman's remake lacks any of the campy charm Verhoeven injected in favor of a pedestrian actioner that could have rolled off the same assembly line as its robot police force. Wiseman, who previously helmed the first two Underworld films as well as Live Free or Die Hard, is a decent action director, but one without an innovative bone in his body. Two of the major set pieces involve a flying car chase and a parkour inspired foot race through the rooftops of the vertically stacked Colony. Neither of them offers genuine thrills though the CGI is impressive. One sequence that could have been unique was a zero gravity shootout that is all too brief. Wiseman even cribs from the JJ Abrams playbook by punctuating Recall with obtrusive lens flare.

Fans hoping for a more faithful version of the source material will be disappointed. The screenplay was written by Kurt Wimmer (Equilibrium) and Mark Bomback (Unstoppable) with an uncredited rewrite by James Vanderbilt (The Amazing Spider-Man). All three authors skew too closely to the first film and never blur the line between reality and fantasy. The original Recall suffered through nearly fifty rewrites and at one point had David Cronenberg, whose forte was mind fucking the audience, attached to direct. While Verhoeven's Recall merely touches upon the possibility that Arnold may still be at Rekall, the remake never offers anything more than a straightforward narrative.

For his part, Colin Farrell gives a solid performance, but plays it too cool at times. He's always in control of the situation and never as befuddled as Arnold. Whether or not that was an intentional choice by the former governor, I'll leave it up to you. Kate Beckinsale isn't as sultry as Sharon Stone, but she's far more ruthless. Lori is Cohaagen's primary enforcer and pursues Quaid with the dogged determination of a T-800. Jessica Biel doesn't leave much of an impression and Bryan Cranston is rather wasted in his scant role as the villain. The same goes for Bill Nighy as clandestine revolutionary Matthias.

Total Recall or Total Rehash? In spite of some significant changes, the new Total Recall is almost step-by-step a straight remake of the original film, but without any discernable personality. All the three-breasted hookers in the world can't help them there. If you haven't seen the original movie, you may find the remake to be a passable action flick.

Rating: ** (*****)

The Watch

The Watch - Dir. Akiva Schaffer (2012)

The Watch is a textbook case of bad timing. Originally titled Neighborhood Watch, Fox renamed the film following the killing of Trayvon Martin and changed the ad campaign to emphasize the sci-fi elements. However, The Watch was released a week after the shootings in Aurora and the country hardly seemed ready to laugh at a quartet of overzealous, gun-toting vigilantes. The shadow of the bat was also looming large. Those who weren't skittish preferred to see The Dark Knight Rises and The Watch pulled in a paltry $12.7 million opening weekend.

Just as he did in Tower Heist, Ben Stiller is the earnest straight man to a gaggle of wacky characters. He plays Evan Trautwig, the manager of a Costco located in the small town of Glenview, Ohio. Evan is an active member of the community, volunteering at the retirement home and founding numerous groups like the running club. His latest venture is a neighborhood watch, which is formed after the murder of the store's security guard. At the first meeting, Evan is joined by Bob (Vince Vaughn), Franklin (Jonah Hill), and Jamarcus (Richard Ayoade). Bob is searching for some male camaraderie. He's more interested in shooting pool and drinking beers than solving crimes. Franklin is the watch's hothead, perpetually angry and bitter that he was rejected by the local police force. Jamarcus is a laidback eccentric fantasizing about a salacious rendezvous with an Asian housewife. The newly formed quartet have more to worry about than skateboard riding punks when they uncover an alien invasion in their midst.

The Watch was directed by Akiva Schaffer, best known for helming Hot Rod and many of the SNL Digital Shorts. He and his Lonely Island cohorts, Jorma Toccone and Andy Samberg, have quick cameos. The script was written by Jared Stern, whose previous credits include Bolt, The Princess and the Frog, and Mr. Popper's Penguins, and intended as a PG picture. The story was rewritten by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, who took on a more decidedly R-rated approach. As such, The Watch simultaneously lampoons and celebrates regressive male behavior. Each of the main protagonists has been emasculated in their own way. Evan has been unable to impregnate his wife, Abby (Rosemarie DeWitt), while Bob is the father to a wild teenage daughter (Erin Moriarty). He is the classic stereotype of the controlling, overprotective dad. Bob hacks her Facebook account and his stalker behavior is validated when his suspicions about her jock boyfriend turn out to be true. Franklin is a junior league Travis Bickle, full of rage and similar to Rogen's character in Observe & Report. He's always armed with a butterfly knife and keeps a stockade of guns in his bedroom at his mom's house. Franklin becomes the unlikely savior of the movie as it climaxes into a two-fisted, John Woo slow-mo bullet ballet.

The humor is purely juvenile revolving around genitalia and homosexuality. The lead actors don't give performances we haven't seen in any of their other films. We do get a livelier Vince Vaughn than previously seen. Only Vaughn could milk so much humor over a Russian nesting doll. Also funny, Will Forte as an obtuse police officer and an uncredited Billy Crudup as Evan's creepy neighbor. The real revelation of The Watch is the least known face adorning the theatrical posters. Richard Ayoade might be known to fans of British television for his roles on The IT Crowd or Garth Marenghi's Darkplace or even his directorial work on Submarine. He's relatively unknown stateside and if there's any justice, he'll get bigger and better parts. Ayoade provides a unique deadpan sense of humor that elevates all of his scenes.

It is obvious The Watch desperately wants to fill the same position that Ghostbusters occupies in the pop culture pantheon. As an action-comedy, The Watch is too pedestrian on both fronts to be anything memorable. Check out Attack the Block instead.

Rating: ** (*****)

Batman: Year One

Batman: Year One - Dirs. Sam Liu & Lauren Montgomery (2011)

The 1980's saw major changes within the comic book industry. Creators like Alan Moore were approaching the superhero genre with radical new ideas through DC titles such as Watchmen and Swamp Thing. Meanwhile, Frank Miller injected his own unique sensibilities into Marvel's Daredevil and took the series into dark and gritty territory. He seemed the perfect fit for Batman. Miller would make history with a one-two punch with two stories about the beginning and the end of the Caped Crusader's career.

In 1986, DC released the four-issue mini-series, The Dark Knight Returns, focusing on an aging Bruce Wayne forced to come out of retirement to defend a Gotham City overrun by violent street gangs and corrupt officials. Batman goes toe-to-toe once more with the Joker and Two-Face and even exchanges fisticuffs with Superman. A year later, Miller would write, Batman: Year One featuring art by David Mazzucchelli, which has been adapted into an animated film by Warner Premiere and producer Bruce Timm.

Batman: Year One opens with the arrival of Jim Gordon (Bryan Cranston) to Gotham City along with his pregnant wife Barbara (Grey DeLisle). Gordon wonders how he can possibly raise a child in a city where the police are rotten to the core. He witnesses the department's corruption firsthand through the brutality of his partner Detective Flass (Fred Tatasciore) and a trigger-happy SWAT commander (Stephen Root). Gordon has no one to turn to as Commissioner Loeb (Jon Polito) is in bed with mob boss Carmine Falcone (Alex Rocco).

Bruce Wayne (Ben McKenzie) has also returned home after studying and training abroad for a dozen years. Inspired by a bat that crashed through his window, Bruce dons the bat costume to strike fear into the cowardly and superstitious criminal underworld. Inspired in turn by Batman, prostitute Selina Kyle (Eliza Dushku) becomes Catwoman.

Batman: Year One is a far cry from the colorful adventures that have become a stereotype of the superhero comics. This is a realistic, film noir take on the Batman mythos that humanizes the the Dark Knight and his long-time ally, Jim Gordon. Both men are fallible. Burdened by the job and surrounded by dirty cops, Gordon seeks solace in the arms of his new partner Sarah Essen (Katee Sackhoff). Bruce Wayne isn't the lean, mean fighting machine he would later become. Bruce's first attempt at fighting crime ends with him being shot in the shoulder by police officers. Another outing, this time in full Batman regalia, is equally disastrous as he is almost killed by a trio of burglars on a narrow fire escape.

The imagery of Batman: Year One will be easily recognizable because the story served as a blueprint for the Christopher Nolan films. Many of the characters such as Flass, Commissioner Loeb, and Carmine Falcone feature prominently in Batman Begins along with a sequence where Batman uses a sonic emitter to attract a swarm of bats to aid in his escape. Selina's young friend, Holly Robinson (voiced by Bill Mumy's daughter, Liliana) appears very briefly in The Dark Knight Rises.

Ben McKenzie from The O.C. has big shoes to fill as he follows in the footsteps of previous voice actors like Diedrich Bader, Bruce Greenwood, and the phenomenal Kevin Conroy. He does a fair job at times, but doesn't have the gravitas needed to pull off the noir dialogue. Luckily, the emotional weight of the picture is carried by Bryan Cranston who gives an excellent performance as the world weary Gordon. When the inevitable reboot goes into production, Cranston would be great choice to fill Oldman's shoes. Character actors like Jon Polito, Stephen Root, and Alex Rocco are welcome additions and Eliza Dushku provides the right amount of sexiness for Catwoman. Speaking of the Batman's famed femme fatale, the DVD and Blu-ray feature a short cartoon starring Catwoman and written by Paul Dini.

Batman: Year One is one of the best offerings from the DC animated line. It would be THE best if not for the brief runtime. At just over an hour, Batman: Year One could have used an extra ten or fifteen minutes to flesh out certain characters. Sarah Essen gets very little screen time while Catwoman feels shoehorned into the narrative. Still, the filmmakers have crafted a faithful adaptation of the original comics and the animation is beautiful.

Rating: *** (*****)