Edge of Tomorrow

I am not a fan of Tom Cruise.  I used to like him in the Top Gun and the first Mission:Impossible era, but now his personal life and political/religious beliefs have loomed so large as to overshadow any character he might play.  So whenever I see a preview of a movie starring Tom Cruise, I generally automatically dismiss it as unwatchable, no matter how interesting the rest of the story may be.  However in this instance, I chose to watch this movie simply because I’m such a massive fan of Emily Blunt.  Because she was starring, I felt the presence of Cruise would be an annoyance, but not an insurmountable one.  Thus, I rented Edge of Tomorrow.

It wasn’t everything I thought it would be.  It’s what you might get if you combined Groundhog Day with Starship Troopers.  The script blatantly rips off the movie Mimic by calling the aliens Mimics, which I felt was a poor descriptive name for them.  But then, the script had a lot of flaws.  The beginning is very confusing, with Tom Cruise‘s character Cage waltzing about either impersonating a superior officer or actually being said superior officer.  It’s never clear exactly who he is, but he winds up being shipped off to the front lines to die.  No clue as to why.  The attack on the aliens goes poorly and courtesy of being slimed by a special alien, Cage is doomed to repeat it over and over, constantly re-setting whenever he dies.  Emily Blunt‘s character Rita observes him in action and discerns what is happening to him, as the same thing happened to her before.  She fills him in on her experience, dropping the information bomb that the aliens can control time and thus always know what’s going to happen in advance.  She never reported this to anyone else is because A) they’d think she was crazy and lock her up, or B) believe her and dissect her.  Fair enough, I wouldn’t want to be dissected either.  Rita begins training Cage (cue the montage) and together they set out to find and kill the ‘Omega’ alien that is responsible for time loop.

The opening sequence of the film makes you think somebody in the projector room must have accidentally done something to really mess things up, as the image skips all over the place with lots of static.  The end of the film had a kind of Prince of Persia twist to it, but as a whole I felt it was lacking substance.  Groundhog Day was a story of personal discovery and romance, but Edge of Tomorrow has no time for things like character development and instead relies heavily on CGI, special effects and action sequences.  If that’s all that interests you, but you’ll probably love the movie, but after numerous iterations of the tagline Live, Die, Repeat, I grew quite bored with the proceedings.  Every time things reset, you get to hear a rather pompous Master Sergeant expounding on the virtues of combat in a speech you come to absolutely despise. There’s a smattering of decent lines and the plot is as least nominally interesting, but in general I was disappointed.  It’s not terrible, but not good enough to earn it more than an apathetic two stars. – BETHANY

For more on this curiously titled film, visit the Internet Movie Database

Emily Blunt‘s Rita has literally become the poster child for the war effort.  She also has the unfortunate and rather offensive nickname ‘Full Metal Bitch’.  I do at least appreciate the nod to World War II era propaganda.

Meet a Mimic.  What they’re mimicking is unclear, but I’ve gotta say I’m getting really sick of movies that feel like video games.  This is even a first person shooter shot!

Get ready for lots and lots of scenes like this.

Really. a lot of them.

     And now for something completely the same …

Master Sergeant Farrell (Bill Paxton):  “Battle is the Great Redeemer. It is the fiery crucible in which true heroes are forged. The one place where all men truly share the same rank, regardless of what kind of parasitic scum they were going in.”

Fighting to get off a beach in France – hey, this sounds a lot like Saving Private Ryan.

Rita does yoga. (Emily Blunt).

She does it very well.

Look out, it’s an irradiated octopus!

Cage shucking his fancy battle suit.  At least they’re no longer on the beach.

                                                         By his own admission, Master Sergeant Farrell is not an American, he’s from Kentucky.  This is pretty weak as jokes go, and a sad commentary on the American educational system.  Evidently Farrell flunked Geography.

This guy is definitely toast.  Repeatedly.  (Tony Way)

‘Let’s have coffee’.                                                                                                                “And then I’m killing you.”                                                                                            “Fine.”

Why is it always tachyons?

 

 

Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, RatPac-Dune Entertainment, 3 Arts Entertainment, Viz Productions, LLC), Province of British Columbia Production Services Tax Credit and Dune Entertainment (unless otherwise credited in clickable form)

Big Hero 6

Disney goes anime with this charming film about the relationship between a gifted young boy and a medical companion robot, Baymax.  Since the setting is already a fusion of San Francisco and Tokyo (San Fransokyo), it won’t be surprising that the story is a bit of a mash-up of Real Steel, The Matrix, TRON, Iron Man, WALL-E, The Iron Giant and The Incredibles, plus a soupçon of Stargate.  But whatever, we’re in a comic book-inspired future, so pretty much anything goes.  Hiro Hamada, a tech prodigy, is wasting his talents on robot fighting (despite the fact that he wins a lot of money doing so).  At least, according to Hiro’s older brother, Tadashi.  So in a slightly sneaky move, Tadashi takes Hiro to ‘nerd school’, where he meets Tadashi’s friends and fellow nerds.  After basking in Nerdvana for a while, Hiro decides he absolutely must enroll as a student and thus begins the adventure.

It’s an imaginative and fun story, spiked with tragedy and loss that keeps the characters real and and accentuates the journey Baymax makes as he learns to understand humans.  Full of car chases, flying, a freaky villain, some very cool tech, the birth of super heroes and more, it also subtly underscores the process of handling grief and moving on with your life.  Tadashi built Baymax to be as non-threatening as possible, a robot that looks like an overinflated marshmallow.  He’s utterly adorable, waddling around trying to be helpful, a giant squeak toy.  So in order to right a wrong, naturally Hiro decides to transform him into a battle bot, complete with an Iron Man suit.  Why do movies have to take soft loveable robots and turn them into warriors?  I would have liked the story better if Baymax had learned to use his own skills to help instead of getting armor and learning martial arts à la The Matrix by simply downloading it from a chip.  But I do have to admit all the sweet gadgetry he gets is pretty awesome.

This isn’t anywhere near as good as Wreck-It Ralph or any given Dreamworks/Pixar movie, but it is entertaining and not overly saccharine.  I liked the comic book vibe with the sci-fi spin and the visuals, particularly of the city, are breathtaking.  The soundtrack was excellent and I really appreciated the way the script elegantly explored ethics, morals, emotions and what it really means to be a hero.  Parts of this movie will make you reach for a box of tissues and others will induce a smile so big it hurts your face.  One tiny nitpick is the title of the movie won’t make sense until the very end, but be sure to watch through the credits, as they’re riddled with epilogue type stuff and a few extra scenes.  I’ve never seen an animated children’s movie handle such difficult issues like grief, loss, anger, revenge and empathy with such finesse.  With an ending perfectly set up for sequels, perhaps there will be more of them.  Big Hero 6 is funny, engaging and thoughtful with a great message about being yourself, chasing your dreams and caring for the people around you and thus earns a solid three stars.             – BETHANY

For more on Big Hero Six, visit the Internet Movie Database

Wasabi (Damon Wayans Jr.), Honey Lemon (Genesis Rodriguez), Hiro (Ryan Potter), Baymax (Scott Adsit), Gogo Tomago (Jamie Chung) and Fred (T.J. Miller).

Hiro’s older brother, Tadashi (Daniel Henney)

Robert Callahan (James Cromwell) and Alistair Krei (Alan Tudyk): friends, colleagues, rivals, or enemies?

Hiro and Baymax getting ready to search for answers.

Answers in regards to this guy, who is obviously a super villain.

                            Aunt Cass, voiced by Maya Rudolph.

The Big Hero Six.

I dare you not to fall in love with this lovable huggable robot.

Does this suit make my butt look big?

You can always trust a robot who is kind to animals.

Tadashi’s lab, colloquially known as ‘Nerd School’.

Set in a Japanese fusion version of San Francisco, which is now San Fransokyo.  Not sure which Catholic saint had that name, but hey, it’s anime.

The Japanification of the Golden Gate bridge was my favorite.  Subtle, but cool!

 

 

Photos courtesy of Walt Disney Animation Studios and Walt Disney Pictures

But I’m a Cheerleader

This movie seems to be as conflicted about itself as the characters trying to deny their orientations. Not funny enough to be a spoof but too goofy to be taken seriously, it wound up in a strange gray area that defies description. It also seemed very confused as to what time period it was trying to portray. The vibe is largely the 1950s, but there are way too many more modernish things clearly visible, such as a 1999 pick-up and a Melissa Etheridge poster. The most lasting impression I got from this movie was sadness, although I’m fairly sure that was not intended by the director. The very idea that you could de-gay someone, to turn them back to being heterosexual was painful to watch, even if the message of the movie was trying to be uplifting. But the worst bit was the thought that parents could literally disown their own child simply because they failed to master the art of pretending to be straight. The ridiculous ‘True Directions’ camp was a sick mockery of retro gender roles, a misguided effort that only succeeded in providing a concentrated dating pool. I’m straight myself, but I have to say this movie made being heterosexual out to be the most drab and boring existence ever. We’re not all like that! There were some truly choice bits throughout the film (the gay guy shrieking as he tries to chop wood, for example) but they were few and far between. Also, Megan continually wears truly hideous frosted pink lipstick with absolutely everything, even her bright orange cheerleader outfit. Granted, that is a purely aesthetic gripe of mine, but I found this film to be a rather unpleasant experience. Megan’s character was so bland, lacking any real defining features of a personality.  However, Natasha Lyonne (who plays Megan) blossomed in her role as Nikki on Orange is the New Black  (where she’s also a lesbian, but proud of it), which I have also reviewed.  I do have to say I enjoyed the use of color throughout the film.  The straight people have a house decorated entirely in brown, whereas the True Directions camp is drenched in vivid pinks, blues, greens and every other color you can think of.  But using color in attempt to make this into an artsy film wasn’t enough to impress me.  A much better coming of age lesbian movie is Better Than Chocolate, which was an absolute delight. I didn’t hate this one, but I didn’t enjoy it either. – BETHANY

For more assorted information regarding this movie, visit: The Internet Movie Database

Megan (Natasha Lyonne) tries very hard to enjoy being a football player’s girlfriend.

Megan’s family, symbolized as agonizingly straight by everything being brown.

                      Welcome to True Directions!  A fantasy world where we tell you we can do the impossible.

Meeting the residents.  Sinead, played by actress Katharine Towne.

True Directions founder Mary Brown (Cathy Moriarty) trying to reinforce antiquated gender roles.

                             The inmates from left to right:  Sinead (Katharine Towne), Graham (Clea DuVall), Hilary (Melanie Lynskey) and Megan (Natasha Lyonne).

There are no words for this travesty.

                              As part of their recovery process, residents of True Directions are required to protest outside of known gay establishments.

Maybe if you immerse these teenage girls into every 8 year old’s fantasy of being a princess, it might, …  it might, … I don’t know what, but it might do something.

The poor boys trying to learn to be all manly.  Dolph (Dante Basco), Clayton (Kip Pardue) and Andre (Douglas Spain).

The instructor on the left, Mike, trying to teach these buys how to chop wood, is none other than RuPaul.  Love the tiny shorts!

                                 A very young Michelle Williams as Kimberly.

Rock (Eddie Cibrian) is director Mary’s son, whom she supposedly “fixed” and is now heterosexual.  *raises an eyebrow*

See?  Concentrated dating pools are great!

             Here’s Natasha Lyonne playing openly lesbian character Nikki on Orange is the New Black  (Image found on Pinterest).

 

 

Photos courtesy of Cheerleader LLC, Hate Kills Man, Ignite Entertainment,      The Kushner-Locke Company and Lionsgate

 

I Want Candy

A screamingly funny movie done brilliantly in the typical British understated way. A group of friends, bored with their film school assignments, decide to make the script they’ve written into an actual movie. Unfortunately they discover the only way they’ll get funding is if they re-write it as an “adult entertainment” film and sign legendary porn star Candy Fiveways (Carmen Electra) to be the leading lady. The shenanigans that go on as they try to film the movie are flat-out hysterical, but don’t let the R rating fool you into thinking this is a skin flick. Everything related to the actual porn is alluded to but never actually shown, with the hilarious exceptions of the gross-out scene needing a wet-wipe and the slice of buttered toast (you’ll see…). Of course, the subject material alone deserves the R rating and since this is a British film there is quite a bit of casual profanity scattered throughout. However, I think classifying this as raunchy is misleading, as this comes nowhere near the low brow and frankly disgusting content of, say, Bridesmaids. This reminded me more in flavor of The Full Monty, although the premise is quite different. If you like British comedies then I highly recommend this one for you, but you do need to be able to appreciate off-color ridiculousness. – BETHANY

For more on actors, actresses and other whatnot, visit: The Internet Movie Database

Budding filmmakers Baggy (Tom Burke) and Joe (Tom Riley) go to extraordinary lengths to get funding.

Candy Fiveways (Carmen Electra)

The voice of reason, ever practical Lila (Michelle Ryan) and Joe.

Many of you will be wearing similar expressions whilst watching this.

Financiers of a dubious nature – Michael de Vere (Sir John Standing) and Doug Perry (Eddie Marsan).

                                                     Nice, er, cover-up (that covers up nothing).

    I have much to teach you, young padawan.

I’d hesitate to eat a doughnut from this guy’s office.

Don’t ask.  Seriously.

Dulberg (Mackenzie Crook).

 

 

Photos courtesy of Thema Production, Ealing Studios, Grovesnor Park Film, Sky Movies, Fragile Films, National Lottery through UK Film Council, Media Programme of the European Community, CCE Film Partners and Buena Vista International

Epic

It’s nice to see an eco-themed movie that doesn’t paint humanity as the enemy. Instead, this movie delineates the careful balance between the opposing forces of new life and decay. Call it Creation versus Entropy with both sides cleverly anthropomorphized into tiny civilizations. Although basic science dictates that you need both forces held in balance to have a healthy environment, it’s more fun to have the Boggans be the bad guys, characterized by mold, fungus, and fetid stagnation. The Leafmen, noble warriors loosely based on Japan’s Samurai, are the good guys and are on constant guard against the encroachment of rot in the forest. This is a highly creative story about an eccentric scientist trying to capture proof of his wild (but accurate) theory and his typical teenage daughter who falls into the mysterious world of the Leafmen by magic. Gorgeous animation, a fantastic soundtrack courtesy of the great Danny Elfman (Men in Black, The Nightmare Before Christmas, Batman Returns, Edward Scissorhands), and an eclectic mix of characters voiced by very talented actors (Colin Farrell, Josh Hutcherson, Beyonce Knowles, Amanda Seyfried, Johnny Knoxville, Steven Tyler and Jason Sudeikis, to name a few) make this a beautiful tapestry of drama, humor and emotion without being overly saccharine, cutesy or preachy. Funny, engaging and heartfelt, I really liked it and immediately purchased the DVD and soundtrack. Highly recommended for persons of any age, this is so much better than the usual silly and often trite children’s animated fare and I would love to see a sequel. – BETHANY

For information on the cast, crew and production details, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0848537/?ref_=ttfc_fc_tt

Kooky professor Bomba, voiced by Jason Sudeikis.  Just what every 17 year old girl wants in a father.

The tiny Leafmen on their hummingbird steeds.

Ronin, leader of the Leafmen (Colin Farrell)

                          Being newly small changes one’s perspective.  Mary Katherine, or MK as she prefers to be called (Amanda Seyfried).

It pays to be able to blend in.

         MK and cocky Leafman Nod (Josh Hutcherson)

Queen Tara (Beyoncé Knowles)

Consulting the scrolls of convivial Nim Galuu (Steven Tyler, the big glowworm in the center).

(elmatpe.tumblr.com)

Dagda and his father Mandrake, leader of the Boggans (voiced by Christoph Waltz, who also played the part in the German dubbed version).

Photos courtesy of Blue Sky Studios and 20th Century Fox Animation

A Beginner’s Guide to Endings

“This is the story of a reversal of fortune.” Duke White, played by Harvey Keitel, has not been a good father to his five sons. He tells you all the ways in which he has failed his family during the opening of the movie and the list is quite the doozy. His sons are all messed up each in their own unique way but their father’s revelation serves as a wake up call for them. The shenanigans that ensue are absolutely hilarious, despite the somewhat dark premise of the movie. This isn’t meant to be believable, but rather a sort of modern fable. Despite all their misadventures, the Whites really do care about one another, which makes this movie a joy to watch rather than being a festival of pain and suffering. It’s a twisted, circuitous and extremely funny story of redemption, love and what’s really important in life. I’m being deliberately vague because it’s better if you don’t know many of the particulars going into the movie. I especially loved Tricia Helfer’s performance as Miranda, styled as a cross between a 40s pin-up girl and a biker chick, who may or may not have killed her previous three husbands. You can’t help but root for the White boys as they repeatedly stumble and fall, lurching steadily towards some sort of meaning in their lives. The story is oddly appealing, with its twisted humor and astonishing array of fortunate accidents. If you have a taste for the slightly bizarre but like a story to have some sort of satisfying resolution, I recommend you give this quirky indie a try. – BETHANY

To see what else these excellent actors have been in, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1516002/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1

Left to right:  Cal (Scott Caan), Nuts (Jason Jones) Cob (Paulo Costanzo) Todd (Siam Yu) and Juicebox (Jared Keeso) – The White boys, together again!

J.K. Simmons as Uncle Pal

No wait, don’t go, this movie really does have its good points.  (Scott Caan as Cal White, with an unfortunate tan)

Is this an epic mustache or what?  Jason Jones as Edward “Nuts” White Jr.

The trailer for this odd little film:

Photos courtesy of Darius Films and The Harold Greenberg Fund

The Island

This is one über-cool movie. I’ve come to expect certain things from Michael Bay as a director and while this didn’t disappoint (helicopters, chase scenes, lots of explosions), it went farther than anticipated. The story is incredibly rich, poignant but without being overly sentimental. Of course it isn’t entirely believable, but it is a lot of fun to watch. The creepiness factor is mostly mental in that there aren’t a whole lot of gross visuals. In fact, it’s creepier simply because the movie allows your mind to draw its own conclusions and your imagination is going to extrapolate things with exponentially more impact than anything they could film. There are elements that evoke lots of other movies and TV shows, such as Total Recall, The Matrix, Dollhouse, Logan’s Run, Clonus and Gattaca, but, as with people, the sum total of this movie is so much more than all its component parts. The Island is everything sci-fi should be; surreal, creative, exciting, thought-provoking and of course, an underpinning social and ethical commentary dealing with various what-if questions. This is an exploration of the human spirit in all its light and its darkness, particularly the trait of curiosity. People are capable of so many things but superseding them all is the will to live and this theme plays out in a variety of ways within the film. Ewan McGregor and Scarlett Johansson give beautiful and softly philosophical performances, giving their characters a clear evolutionary journey. Steve Buscemi is fabulous (“You know when you want something really bad and you close your eyes and you wish for it? God’s the guy that ignores you), as are Djimon Hounsou (Gladiator) and Ethan Phillips (Star Trek: Voyager), while Sean Bean plays exactly the sort of character typical of him. It’s also worth noting the soundtrack to this movie is spectacular.  Composer Steve Jablonsky really outdid himself and you’ll recognize some of the music, as it has been heavily used for other things.  I really enjoyed this, found it immensely satisfying as well as thoughtful and I’ll definitely need to watch it again. – BETHANY

For more on this festival of great actors, visit: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0399201/?ref_=nv_sr_2

Waiting to see who won the lottery.

Don’t look now, Jordan Two Delta, but I think there’s something wrong with our perfect world.

The something wrong.

                                          Dr. Merrick (Sean Bean), owner of Merrick Biotech

The Renevatio, which appears in Lincoln Six Echo’s dreams.

Lincoln Six Echo and Jordan Two Delta literally on the run.

Oh thank the Lord Almighty, there’s two of him!  (image courtesy of YouTube.com)

Because this is a Michael Bay movie

Ditto

Djimon Hounsou as Albert Laurent, a Burkinabé private military contractor and either Lincoln Six Echo or Tom Lincoln.  Guess which one?  (Gee, there’s a lot of helicopters in this movie!)

Jordan Two Delta isn’t playing around.

Photos courtesy of Dreamworks SKG, Warner Bros. and Parkes+MacDonald Image Nation

Fargo

Warning: If the Minnesota accent annoys you, do not watch this movie. Also, if you object to lots of particularly colorful language and blood splattering everywhere, you might want to look elsewhere for entertainment. The story itself is unfortunately believable, as it explores the dreadful things people will do for the sake of money or when they are pushed beyond the limits of their endurance. It’s a sad, but accurate commentary on humanity and the scene with the wood chipper will no doubt make frequent appearances in my nightmares. I’ve often wondered if being a cop necessarily gives a person a certain cynicism, but the character of the sheriff was quite refreshing. She just kept at it, unraveling things bit by bit and following the evidence wherever it led.

I must admit, I was hooked with the dramatic opener, which read ‘This is a true story. The events depicted in this film took place in Minnesota in 1987. At the request of the survivors, the names have been changed. Out of respect for the dead, the rest has been told exactly as it occurred.’ However, I have since found out this is a flat out lie and felt annoyed at the filmmakers for being so deliberately dishonest and frankly disrespectful to other films that really are based on real events. Was it a good story? Yes, it was full of dark humor, lots of unexpected twists and turns and the characterizations were fascinating. I really never knew what was going to happen next, but in the end I felt vaguely unsatisfied, as though something was missing. Perhaps the reason for that is that reality doesn’t usually tie up every loose end in a neat bow with explanations for everything. The movie instead winds up being thought provoking and stays with you longer than if the ending had been more pat. I’m glad I watched it, as it allowed me to better appreciate the new TV show of the same name (which is excellent!), although I’m still grateful I do not live in Minnesota. – BETHANY

For more on this classic movie, visit the Internet Movie Database

Well, doesn’t this look inviting.

 Carl Showalter (Steve Buscemi) and Gaear Grimsrud (Peter Stormare), some very shady characters, and not just because you can hardly see them in this bar.

Police Chief Marge Gunderson (Frances McDormand).  Is that hair something else?  You Betcha!

This is not a happy man!  Jerry Lundegaard (William H. Macy).

Mrs. Lundegaard (Kristin Rudrüd), contributor to why Jerry is not happy.

Marge and Norm Gunderson (John Carroll Lynch) having breakfast.

Who knew hookers wore fuzzy cat sweaters?  Maybe only in Minnesota.  The one in pink, Hooker #2, is played by Melissa Peterman, more recently known as Bonnie Wheeler on Baby Daddy.

“Say, Lou, didya hear the one about the guy who couldn’t afford personalized plates, so he went and changed his name to J3L2404?”  “Yah, that’s a good one.”

Minnesotans seem oddly proud of their connection to this movie, going so far as to memorialize the actual wood chipper used in the film in a museum.  And yes, that is a leg sticking out of the hopper.  Am I sorry I saw this particular scene in the movie?  You’re darn tootin’!  (Image found at mnprairieroots.com)

 

Photos courtesy of PolyGram Filmed Entertainment, Working Title Films and MGM (unless otherwise noted)