Epic

Epic - Dir. Chris Wedge (2013)

Epic is the latest CG feature from Blue Sky Studios, the animation studio behind the Ice Age series and Rio. Epic is better than any of their previous efforts, save for the first Ice Age, but it doesn't hold a candle to even the most modest Pixar production.

Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried), who prefers to be called 'M.K.,' reluctantly moves back in with her father, Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis), following the death of her mother. Dad lives in the middle of nowhere and believes a civilization of miniature people dwell in the forest. His crackpot theories have cost him his credibility in the scientific community as well as his marriage. Any chance of repairing his familial bonds is dashed as the Professor ignores his daughter in favor of chasing down evidence. But, Bomba has been right along because deep within the forest is a peaceful population of plant-like beings protected by an army known as the Leaf Men. They are at war with the Boggans and their leader Mandrake (Christoph Waltz), who is vowed to bring about death and decay. Whatever they destroy is easily brought back to life by the magical powers of Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles).

The two worlds collide following a Boggan ambush that mortally wounds the Queen just as M.K. wanders into the forest. She is shrunk down and thrust with the responsibility to protect a bulb that will select a new queen under the moon of the summer solstice. Joining M.K. on her quest are Ronin (Colin Farrell), the commander of the Leaf Men; Nod (Josh Hutcherson), a brash youngster who quit the service; and Mub & Grub (Aziz Ansari & Chris O'Dowd), a slug and snail tending the Queen's gardens.

Epic was loosely based on the children's book, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, by William Joyce, author of Rise of the Guardians. Joyce was one of five credited screenwriters on Epic, which is never a good sign. The film holds no real surprises and borrows a number of recognizable elements from movies like FernGully, Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Avatar. The spine of the story follows the traditional hero's journey with Nod learning the importance of teamwork and responsibility. Other standard elements include the stoic mentor figure, the comic relief sidekicks, and the celebrity voiceover talent. Christoph Waltz as the villain isn't anything new, but even in animated form Waltz stands out as a fresh voice while other actors (Beyoncé and Steven Tyler) feel like stunt casting. Equally charming is a one-eyed, three-legged pug by the name of Ozzie.

The animation is beautifully rendered and the film shines during its many grand action sequences that include a climatic aerial battle with characters astride hummingbirds and bats as well as the ambush with Boggans camouflaged as tree bark.

When you title your film, Epic, you are setting high standards for yourself. The title is simultaneously grand and generic, which sufficiently describes the movie to a tee. It may be lacking in inventiveness, but kids will more than enjoy the wonderful animation and lighthearted humor.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Seven Psychopaths

Seven Psychopaths - Dir. Martin McDonagh (2012)

Irish playwright Martin McDonagh garnered critical acclaim for his feature film debut, In Bruges, which was one of my favorite films of 2008. It also marked a career best performance from Colin Farrell. In Bruges was a dark comedy about two hitmen hiding out in Belgium that could best be described as Tarantino crossed with Fellini. McDonagh’s sophomore is more like Tarantino meets Charlie Kaufman, a violent comedy titled Seven Psychopaths.

Farrell plays Marty, a struggling alcoholic screenwriter, as if there is any other kind. He’s working on a screenplay for a movie called Seven Psychopaths. All he has is the title and stories about two psychopaths. One is a Quaker exacting his own unique brand of justice against his daughter’s murderer and one about a former Viet Cong on a mission of revenge for the My Lai Massacre. Marty’s best friend is Billy Bickle (Sam Rockwell), an aspiring actor. When he’s not punching out directors at auditions, Billy runs a dognapping operation with Hans (Christopher Walken), an elderly eccentric, who dutifully visits his wife at the cancer ward.

One day, Billy kidnaps a little Shih Tzu named Bonny, who belongs to a volatile gangster named Charlie Costello. He’ll do everything necessary to get his beloved dog back including shooting Precious (Gabourey Sidibe) in the face.

Seven Psychopaths unfolds through a twisting meta-textual narrative. It’s no coincidence that a movie starring an Irish screenwriter was written and directed by one too. Throughout the film, McDonagh comments on his own work while also lampooning Hollywood conventions. The unsophisticated Billy thinks Marty’s script would be improved by an over-the-top climatic shootout, which leads to a wild fantasy with double fisted gunplay and heads literally exploding upon the impact of a single bullet. But, Marty wants to make something deeper without all the mindless violence. Yet, the movie does end with a final shootout though it doesn’t go as Billy imagined. For the most part, McDonagh successfully has his cake and eats it too though it doesn’t work when it comes to the women in Seven Psychopaths. Hans chastises Marty for his poorly written female characters, a critique levied on McDonagh, one that is certainly valid here.  Though Olga Kurylenko and Abbie Cornish are featured prominently, they get barely a handful of lines. The latter randomly shows up in wet t-shirt. While that scene is meant to represent Billy’s adolescent indulgences, does calling attention to his underrepresentation of women really excuse it? The one actress who does get any sort of meaty role is Linda Bright Clay as Hans’s wife, Myra, though she’s mainly there to be put into peril in order to spur on her husband.

This is clearly a guy’s movie and the men of Seven Psychopaths are wildly entertaining. Farrell mostly plays the straight man to the zany characters around him. Rockwell is hilarious as the off-kilter ringleader while Christopher Walken gets one of his most Christopher Walken-y roles to date. Yes, he’s weird and menacing, but Walken is the heart of the movie with a tenderness that you don’t expect from the King of New York. Woody Harrelson is terrific as the unhinged Charlie Costello, plus he has noted character actors Kevin Corrigan and Zeljko Ivanec as his henchmen.

The real star of Seven Psychopaths is McDonagh’s dialogue that sparkles off the page and energizes the interactions between his characters. McDonagh tackles his words with a stylish flair in the vein of Tarantino and Mamet. The picture sets it all up in the opening sequence with a pair of loquacious hitmen (Michael Pitt and Michael Stuhlbarg) discussing their jobs and John Dillinger before a sudden and deadly exclamation point. The dialogue helps to take your mind off the fact that McDonagh is stuffed his film to the gills with a myriad of sub-plots such as a masked vigilante known as the Jack of Diamonds. One of the most intriguing asides belongs to Tom Waits as a mysterious rabbit owner, who tells Marty his past as a serial killer who targeted other serial killers.

Seven Psychopaths could also be called Lock, Stock, and Two Smoking Adaptations. It’s a messy comedy that manages to come together thanks to a talented ensemble and well-written dialogue.

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

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: ** (*****)

Fright Night

Fright Night - Dir. Craig Gillespie (2011)

"Hey, guy. You've been watching me. I've been watching you. Your mom, there's a kind of neglect. Gives off a scent. And your girl? She is ripe. It's on you to look out for them because there are a lot of bad people out there…"

The strip mining of 80's culture continues with this remake of the 1985 cult classic directed by Tom Holland (Child's Play). The original Fright Night was never one of my fondly remembered 80's vampire movies. I always preferred The Lost Boys, The Hunger, and Near Dark. Still, it had some charm, particularly a fantastic performance from Roddy McDowall as horror television host Peter Vincent. McDowall's character was a throwback to the protagonists of the classic Hammer horror films. The name itself was an homage to Peter Cushing and Vincent Price. The remake of Fright Night is one of those rare do-over's that actually improves on the original by quickening the pace and steeping it into modern pop culture.

twists its predecessor's suburban setting by taking place in an artificial oasis just outside of Las Vegas. This is a prefabricated neighborhood of innocuous tract homes with "For Sale" signs littering the front lawns and the neon lights of Sin City illuminating the horizon. High schooler Charley Brewster (Anton Yelchin) lives here with his mom, Jane (Toni Collette), a real estate agent trying to sell these houses. Charley is one of the most popular kids in school with a beautiful girlfriend in Amy (Imogen Poots). But, it wasn't always this way for Charley. He was once a nerd who engaged in goofy LARPing in his back yard with former best friend Ed (Christopher Mintz-Plasse), who was cast aside for the sake of Charley's popularity.

Charley reluctantly meets with his ex-BFF when several classmates mysterious disappear. Ed suspects Charley's new neighbor Jerry (Colin Farrell) is a vampire. Charley is naturally disbelieving until Ed vanishes as well.

The hip nature and clever dialogue of Fright Night owes a lot to the screenplay by Marti Noxon, one of the chief architects of Buffy the Vampire Slayer. Noxon is no stranger to writing believable teenagers (I Am Number Four, notwithstanding) and scary bloodsuckers with a mix of horror and comedy. The story plays with the perception of vampires in a post-Twilight world as well as all the usual tropes of the mythology. Let the Right One In answered the question of what happens to a vampire when they come in without an invitation. Fright Night answers the question of does a vampire need an invitation if the house has been abandoned due to a collapsing market. There is an unexpected poignancy to the movie with Noxon touching upon themes of teen angst with vampirism serving as an allegory for the predatory nature of high school and status supremacy. Charley isn't all that nice of a kid for having so cruelly shunned Ed in favor of the jerks who would have mocked him not long ago. Jerry too is attempting to build his own social circle by using some of his victims to repopulate his species.

Jerry as played by Chris Sarandon (who does the obligatory cameo) was more in line with the classical, seductive vampire. Colin Farrell's version exudes in alpha male arrogance. He's Dracula in a tight t-shirt and denim jeans. It's a role that Farrell is clearly relishing and it's one of his most fun performances to date. Not as nuanced as In Bruges, but not as cartoonish as Horrible Bosses or Daredevil. In the original film, it never made sense for Jerry not to kill Charley outright. Here, it's a case of Jerry toyed with his food before the big bite. He's centuries old with an unfathomable body count. What does he have to fear from a boy? This is exemplified in a suspenseful sequence in which Charley breaks into Jerry's home (with the help of a handy lock picking app) in order to free a hot blonde neighbor. It is clear Jerry knows they are there, despite their feeble attempts to skulk about unnoticed. The finish to the scene is a real kick to the balls.

Director Craig Gillespie earned strong critical notice for the indie comedy Lars and the Real Girl, but he shows a true flair for stylish action in Fright Night. In addition to the break-in sequence, there's a thrilling set piece that begins with Jerry ripping up the Brewsters' gas line and igniting their abode ("Don't need an invitation if there's no house."). This kicks off an exciting chase scene done as a continuous tracking shot with Jerry hurling a dirt bike at Jane's SUV and trying to carve his way in with his "fucked up vampire hand." The only detraction to these parts is the obvious CGI. Aside from these scenes, the special effects are strong, but the 3D version should be avoided as it dims the already dark night scenes.

One of the major changes in the remake is the envisioning of Peter Vincent as a larger-than-life stage magician. Vincent is portrayed wonderfully by former Doctor Who, David Tennant, who plays him as Criss Angel by way of Russell Brand.

Fright Night may have been dumped into theaters during the doldrums of August, but it's the kind of thrill ride that should have been released on Halloween. No sparkly bullshit here, Fright Night takes the vampire back to his spooky, bloodthirsty roots.

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

Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses - Dir. Seth Gordon (2011)

This summer has been the season for raunchy comedies. The Hangover Part II is one of the highest grossing films of the year, despite a severe critical lashing. Bridesmaids is in the top ten for domestic grosses and received far more critical praise. The summer has also yielded Bad Teacher, the upcoming body switch laugher The Change-Up, and the workplace comedy Horrible Bosses.

Horrible Bosses plays into the dark fantasies we've all had about gaining a measure of revenge against an abusive supervisor. It also touches upon the frustrations that have been cultivated by the turbulent economic climate. However, don't expect a sharp treatise that handles those themes with a wry intelligence. Horrible Bosses earns its R rating by being a silly and profane comedy.

Jason Bateman is Nick Hendricks, a white-collar worker at a financial firm under the tyrannical reign of Dave Harken (Kevin Spacey). Harken represents the worst aspects of the corporate world. He dangles and denies a vital promotion to Nick, then laughs about his dead grandmother. Jason Sudeikis is Kurt Buckman, an account manager for a chemical company. Unlike his buddies, Kurt actually loves his job probably because he works for kindly Donald Sutherland. Unfortunately, the old man dies of a heart attack leaving the company in the hands of his odious sleazebag son. Not Kiefer, but Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell sporting a beer belly and a comb-over). Bobby plans on running his dad's legacy into the ground to feed his appetite for cocaine and hookers. Finally, there's Dale Arbus, a chaste dental assistant, who suffers from daily sexual harassment from his nymphomaniac boss, Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston).

All three buddies have their reasons for not simply quitting their jobs. Harken promises to blackball Nick from the industry should be leave. Kurt doesn't want to see Bobby destroy the company. Dr. Julia has taken pictures of herself molesting an unconscious Dale and threatens to show them to his fiancée (Lindsay Sloane). Poor Dale is also a registered sex offender, the reasons for which are too funny to spoil.

After reaching their breaking point, the protagonists decide to kill their bosses. Of course, none of them have any clue about how to do that. Kurt comes up with the harebrained scheme of going into a bar in East L.A. and ask around. They meet an ex-con named Dean "Motherfucker" Jones (Jamie Foxx), who agrees to be their murder consultant.

Anybody who has ever watched an episode of CSI will figure out their plans aren't likely to be successful. What follows is a farcical series of events as these frat pack Three Stooges fumble their way through their half-assed murder plots. It is the interactions between the leads that sells Horrible Bosses. None of the main actors are doing anything new. Bateman reprises the role of the exasperated everyman he has portrayed since his comeback on Arrested Development. Sudeikis is doing his horndog shtick though Horrible Bosses is a better showcase for his comedic skills than the Farrelly Brothers' inert Hall Pass. Meanwhile, Day is basically reprising his role from FX's It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Day also provides some of the funniest moments of the movie from his manic motions after accidentally breathing in Bobby's coke stash to singing the Ting Ting's "That's Not My Name" while alone in a car.

Day's performance also saves his particular subplot, which might be the most tenuous of them all. Let's face it, Aniston's perpetually horny cougar is the dream boss for any heterosexual male. But, Day imbues Dale with a dim-witted naiveté that makes it somewhat believable for him to be offended by Julia's advances. For Aniston, this is a drastic departure from her usual girl-next-door roles. It's not exactly the most nuanced character or the most politically correct, but she plays it with gusto. To no one's surprise, Kevin Spacey turns in a solid performance as an asshole boss, a return to his Buddy Ackerman from Swimming with Sharks with a dash of John Williamson from Glengarry Glen Ross. Colin Farrell is sadly short-changed in screen time. He is wonderfully over-the-top.

The film is competently directed by Seth Gordon, who made his debut with the excellent documentary King of Kong. He has since turned into a director of slick Hollywood comedies.

Horrible Bosses is a safe, mainstream Hollywood picture masquerading as an edgy black comedy. The characters are cartoonish and the plot moves ahead through a series of sitcom contrivances. But, it's entertaining and humorous enough to warrant at least a rental.

Rating: ** ½ (*****)

Crazy Heart

Crazy Heart - Dir. Scott Cooper (2009)


”I’m Bad Blake. My tombstone will have my real name on it, until then I’m just gonna stay Bad.”

The joke has always been that good country music is always about getting drunk or getting divorced. For country crooner Bad Blake (Jeff Bridges), he’s pretty much lived his life as a prototypical country tune. He’s always got a bottle of booze in his hand, a line of ex-wives, and nothing in his bank account. He wears a cowboy hat and faded jeans with the belt buckle loosened to let his belly hang out. Blake used to be a big deal, but now he’s relegated to playing dive bars and bowling alleys. Thankfully, no nihilists come looking for their money.

So Blake crisscrosses the roads in his pick ‘em up truck alone. Poetically, he and the truck are a lot alike: old, beat-up, and worn down with a lot of mileage. While Bad Blake seems destined to fade away into obscurity, his one-time protégé Tommy Sweet (an uncredited Colin Farrell) has risen in fame. He finds solace in the arms of a small-time journalist and single mom, Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal). Blake falls in love with her and bonds with her 4-year old son, Buddy (Jack Nation), receiving a new lease on life.

Actor Scott Cooper makes his debut as writer/director in this adaptation of a 1987 novel by Thomas Cobb. The story is an overly familiar one and Crazy Heart certainly feels like The Wrestler with music instead of wrestling. What makes the film succeed is the mere presence of Jeff Bridges who netted an Oscar for his performance. His Bad Blake is Merle Haggard, Hank Williams Sr., and Kris Kristofferson all rolled into one, yet he’s also undoubtedly Jeff Bridges. There’s an easygoing charm to him that makes Blake so instantly likeable, it’s hard to hate him even when he’s being a drunken screw-up. As grizzled as Bridges is, he’s out-grizzled by Robert Duvall, master of the grizzled, in a role not to far removed from Mac Sledge in Tender Mercies. Surprisingly, Irishman Colin Farrell makes a convincing

In addition to the excellent cast, the film is elevated by a fantastic soundtrack featuring original songs by the late-Stephen Bruton and T-Bone Burnett, who also contributed to the soundtrack of O Brother, Where Art Thou? Bridges and Farrell croon several great tracks like “I Don’t Know” and “Fallin’ & Flyin’,” while Ryan Bingham sings the movie’s theme song, “The Weary Kind.”

Rating: ***

Pride and Glory

Pride and Glory - Dir. Gavin O'Connor (2008)


I’d be really happy if I never had to see another corrupt cop movie playing at the ol’ multiplex. Pride and Glory had a long road before it hit theaters having originally been developed back in the 2000. After passing through several hands, the film finally went into production in 2006 and took another two years before being released. I suppose it was fresh in its early stages, but after a deluge of similar films (The Departed, We Own the Night, Street Kings) and seven years of The Shield the script is beyond stale and tiresome.

Pride and Glory focuses on a family of NYPD cops battling corruption within the department and itself. All the genre archetypes are here. There’s Ed Norton as Ray, the down-and-out cop burdened by a heartbreaking divorce and a shooting scandal. Colin Farrell is his brother-in-law, Jimmy, who has turned his unit into a drug dealing hit squad. He’s a family man, but not above threatening to burn a baby with an iron. We also have the brother caught in the middle and their father, played by Jon Voight because when you need gravitas, get Jon Voight.

The cast does its best to elevate the clichéd material they were forced to work with. After giving a career-best performance in In Bruges, Farrell takes several steps back with a boring tough guy routine highlighted by an amalgamated Boston/New Yorker accent.

Don’t expect any sort of subtlety or suspense. You see everything coming a mile away. The film even throws in a cancer stricken wife to tug at your heart strings. It just comes off as a pathetic attempt to ring out some emotionality from what is an ultimately hollow experience.

Rating: * ½

Cassandra's Dream

Cassandra's Dream - Dir. Woody Allen (2008)

Desperate for money, 2 brothers commit murder-for-hire.

Strong performances not enough to elevate this maudlin & mediocre morality play.

Poor man's Before the Devil Knows You're Dead.

In Bruges

In Bruges - Dir. Martin McDonagh (2008)

The bastard love child of Mamet, Tarantino, and Fellini.

Wicked dialogue and a splendidly written script by playwright McDonagh, who makes his feature film debut.

Does tend to veer far too sharply from slapstick to dark humor to just plain dark.