Talking Pictures

Movie Reviews

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1” is a fan’s film from beginning to end.
I am stating that not as a bad thing, but as a matter of fact.

When a film is shot for a core audience of fans, then that audience experiences a shared exuberance at seeing their favorite characters come alive on screen. It is this “shared experience” the viewer takes with them, not necessarily a memory of a great film.

This is true for any fan of any genre… the Star Trek fans, Harry Potter fans, James Bond fans – the list can go on.

So what “Twilight” fans are feeling isn’t new.

Also, when a film like this is released, it will mostly be seen by fans of the books and other movies and not necessarily the majority of the general public. A smaller group, consisting of the simply curious and those who are dragged along by a significant other, will also see it.

So I feel I have to review “Breaking Dawn part 1″ with all that in mind.

So here we go… Overall, the film does its job of entertaining its audience and stays pretty close to the book’s vision. The audience I sat with was mostly women who have read all of the novels and some of them told me the film kept them entranced for the most part.

And just as a “Harry Potter” movie has certain elements fans expect (Harry’s scar, flying brooms, incantations, etc), this installment has everything expected in a “Twilight” movie – including longing looks, shirtless hunks, angst, rivalries, hard glances, great clothes… and even a few chuckles as a “you’re in on the joke” wink to all the “Twi-Hard” fans from producer and writer Stephanie Meyer.

There were a few problems for “Twilight” lovers as the story unfolded on screen. The biggest is the drawn out and graphic “honeymoon” scene, which I found to be a bit over the top for a PG-13 film.

The second is the gratuitous and bloody “birth” scene, which went on far too long.

I pointed those out because in discussing the film (after the screening) with actual Twilight fans and “Twilight Moms” attending, it was these two scenes that seemed to bother them the most.

Again, as I said, “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn part 1” is “fan film” and needs to be reviewed as such.

So, for the fans the film gets a B and is rated PG-13.

Happy Feet 2

The sequel to “Happy Feet” is now in theaters. And although it’s wonderfully animated for children, “Happy Feet 2” really has no idea of what it wants to be.

Adults will find the plot sketchy as young Erik, the son of Mumble, goes off an adventure on his own.

But younger kids will find the film enjoyable and fun as the penguins discover that with teamwork anything can be accomplished. Plus children will respond well to the brilliantly colored animation and the better-than-expected 3-D.

Plus the film boasts a great soundtrack!

If you’re over 13 the film will rate an average C.
For the under 13 audience, the film deserves a B-.
“Happy Feet 2” is rated PG.

J. Edgar

Certainly both Clint Eastwood and Leonardo DiCaprio will be considered for their work in “J. Edgar,” the new biopic about the life and times of FBI chief J. Edgar Hoover.

The film is meticulous in its presentation and the acting is solid.

The biggest problem I had with the film is it’s about 20 years too late getting into theaters. And perhaps most of today’s audiences will let this one go by due to its somber subject matter and slow pace.

The story begins at the end as Hoover begins to dictate his memoirs and as he tells his story, the camera takes us back and forth from past to present as if we are part of Hoover’s memory moving along with him as his recollections ebb and flow.

The camera uses faded and muted tones of color and black and whites, to gently inform the viewer of where they are in Hoover’s time line. This use of shadow and contrast brings an unexpected dimension to the film underscoring the plot.

As I mentioned in my opening words, Clint Eastwood will most likely garner another Academy nomination for calling the shots in this film. Eastwood seems to enjoy bringing the past to life and has a master’s touch when it comes to this kind of storytelling.

Leonardo DiCaprio offers up an Oscar-worthy performance as Hoover and is reminiscent (at least to me) of Orson Wells’ performance as Charles Foster Kane in “Citizen Kane.”

“J. Edgar” is a great example of how to balance performance with substance.

It gets an A and is rated R for brief strong violence.

Jack and Jill

In his newest film, Adam Sandler does double duty as a guy who’s wacky twin sister comes for a visit while he tries to stop his ad agency from going under.

I have to simply cut to the chase here, despite a deluge of cameo appearances from some of Hollywood’s biggest names (even Regis) there is no saving this horrible train wreck of a movie.

It gets a D- (I gave it 1 point for the celebrity cameos but took back ½ point for Shaquille O’Neal’s bit)

The film is rated PG.

Tower Heist

The idea of gathering two comedic stars like Eddie Murphy and Ben Stiller together for a “caper” film sill sounds good to me, even after watching them grind through their new movie “Tower Heist.”

“Tower Heist” seems to have had everything going for it, but I think that’s exactly the reason it falls short of its mark. It just may have had too much star power and so little for them to do.

The plot revolves around a high finance banker who swindles the employees of an expensive high-rise out of their pensions. Their solution to the problem is to rob they guy out of millions of dollars he supposedly has hidden in a secret safe he has in his residence.

That’s when the “fun” should begin.

It doesn’t

Ben Stiller plays the concierge of the building and the brains behind the caper. Stiller approaches the role with a deadpan quality, as if his character is bereft of emotion.

As the story progresses, he enlists the help of a streetwise con man. Played by Eddie Murphy. Murphy is back to his 1980’s quick talking self, but the patter is more annoying than funny.

Murphy and Stiller do their best to offer up some comic exchanges, but alas, these two veteran comic actors just don’t mesh well, leaving the audience with only a handful of smiles and no real laughs.

“Tower Heist” is a less than average outing and deserves a C-. The film is rated PG-13.

Puss in Boots

“Puss in Boots” is really very funny and endearing. There’s enough in this film to satisfy both children and adults. Usually we parents have to endure a “kid’s film” as there’s little reward in it for us.

But that’s not so with “Puss in Boots.”

The film explores Puss’s origins and his life growing up in a small town. His relationships with the other orphans, most notably Humpty Alexander Dumpty, are also examined.

The main plot of the film has Puss and Dumpty going after the evil Jack and Jill as they hold the key to finding the goose that lays golden eggs. I don’t want to give too much away so you’ll have to see it and experience the fun for yourself.

“Puss in Boots” is well worth the ticket to see it.

It gets a B and is rated PG.

Johnny English: Reborn

If you like nonsensical slapstick comedy, “Johnny English: Reborn” is for you.

Starring Rowan Atkinson as the clumsy, Clouseau-like secret agent bent on saving the world, the film is a silly farce on spy movies and gadgetry.

A bit more juvenile than “Get Smart,” “Johnny English: Reborn” offers up a lot of quick silent gags as English goes from one catastrophe to the next.

Enjoy this silly guilty pleasure with the kids on a Saturday afternoon.

It gets a B and is rated PG.

Anonymous

“Anonymous” examines the idea that, perhaps, William Shakespeare may not have been the genius playwright we all have believed him to be.

Under Roland Emmerich’s skillful direction, the idea that Shakespeare was actually a front for the Earl of Oxford, is wonderfully brought to light.

The film is enriched with powerful performances by Rhys Ifans and Vanessa Redgrave and beautifully paced.

I am aware some may not want to see it because it might seem “heavy,” but please give it a try. I really think the rewards are worth your time.

“Anonymous” gets an A and is rated PG-13

In Time

“In Time” stars Justin Timberlake and Amanda Seyfried in a nonsensical sci-fi thriller about a future where people earn and spend time.

You’d think with a high concept idea like that, the producers would have brilliantly come up with a film that examines our concepts of time and aging.

Nope. They didn’t

In fact they didn’t do anything. The film simply has no point to it.

So, I’m not going to waste your time on a longer review.

It gets a D- and is rated PG-13

The Three Musketeers

For a movie that had everything going for it, nothing seems to be going right in the finalized version.

Based on the classic tale of honor, friendship, loyalty, courage and duty, “The Three Musketeers” has always been a statement about fighting for the right.

This new version is lacking in the basic character development, which the audience needs to understand the characters and their relationships with each other. Without that the audience just doesn’t know who stands for what.

Also the film relies heavily on Jules Vern looking special effects and a lot of green screen imagery, giving the film a cartoon vibe. It’s kind of like mixing “League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with a Ninja movie.

Acting-wise, the film isn’t too bad as Orlando Bloom takes on the role of The Duke of Buckingham, a scoundrel with an eye for more and more power.

Also worth mentioning is Milla Jovovich’s role as “Milady De Winter,” a black-hearted femme fatal.

Ray Stevenson, Luke Evans and Matthew Macfadyen are “The Three Musketeers” and do a grand job mostly. Their performances slow to a crawl when the silliness of the script takes them from dueling to special ops.

But the acting was never a problem. The film’s fault lies in the thought that this centuries-old classic needed to be peppered up.

The Three Musketeers didn’t need to be a big special effects extravaganza.

It needed to be what it always has been, a heroic and well told swashbuckling adventure.

It gets a D and is rated PG-13