Talking Pictures

Although the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader boasts some of the best special effects seen all year long, the film is mired down by its heaviness.

After the first 30 minutes, the innocent air that surrounded the first two outings is gone and replaced by a thick cloud of indulgence. In this, the 3rd film in the series, Lucy and Edmund return to Narnia with their high-strung, bratty, ever complaining cousin, Eustace.

The plot has something to do with the children coming to the aid of the Narnians and help rid the land of an unseen evil force. Along the way, Eustace is transformed into a dragon and then into nice kid who doesn’t complain anymore. Then there are some glowing swords everyone is after but never really do anything, sorcerer’s who just explain the plot up to now and a star-girl who flirts with Prince (King) Caspian, but it never goes anywhere.

Pretty much that’s it. Then everyone goes home including the audience who scratches its collective head trying to figure out what they just spent 115 minutes watching.

The Chronicles of Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader is a weak story trapped inside terrific special effects. But without a story, special effects just become tiresome.

The Chronicles of Narnia Voyage of the Dawn Treader gets a C- and is rated PG.

Johnny Depp and Angelina Jolie would be anyone’s “dream team” it was exciting to hear they would be appearing together in the new film “The Tourist.” But even the best actors can’t save a bad and indifferent script from itself.

Depp plays a tourist who meets a beautiful and mysterious woman on a train going to Venice, Italy. She’s being followed and she uses him as decoy.

The film from time to time has a familiar flavor to it, as it’s trying to be a kind of modern-day “Charade,” but it never quite makes it to “edge of your seat” status. In fact, the film is really a let down considering the star power it has.

The Tourist gets an average C and is rated PG-13

After a hard days’ work at the computing machine my thoughts turn to… movies? Yes, but it’s movie stuff that may not necessarily be a review, but just something (hopefully) nifty relating to movies, so hence – the BLOG!

Now both Tony and I will have a space in which to wax (hopefully) poetic about all things movies; so WATCH THIS SPACE!

Danny Boyle’s “127 Hours” is one of the best film this year. Virtually a one-man
performance from James Franco, the film is wonderfully constructed give the viewer the
feeling of being trapped along with the film’s main character.

Francoi is pitch perfect as Aron Ralston, who’s true-life experience is what the movie is
based upon.

The film gets an A and is rated R

“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” is a fan film first and foremost.

Not that there’s anything wrong with that.

But I mention it because if you’re not a fan you may get lost a bit in the film’s characters and references. But that being said, “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1” offers up the best combination of acting and special effects so far in the series.

And while this is a darker film than than the others, it also and boasts deeper relationships between the main characters and a more wry sense of humor.

Overall, this first part of the final curtain for Harry and friends is well worth watching and well worth the ticket price in.

It gets a solid B and is rated PG-13

Rich’s Quickie: Although very much a set-up, a good (dark) film in it’s own right.
Lively: With direction from David Yates that is at once both bleak and beautiful, HP 7.1 (I’m not typing Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part 1 again!), delivers in almost very way. The acting is better than it’s ever been, as all three of our central characters have grown before our eyes over these last few movies, in both age and thespian experience. Although dark, the tone is potent and pretty consistent throughout, as the threat of Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) is very real, and penetrating every facet of our young heroes’ lives – indeed, not even Hogwarts or their own homes are safe from The Dark Lord’s touch. This permeation of evil is no better defined than in Hermione’s opening scene, wherein she erases herself from the memories of her parents for their own protection.
Things get tougher from there as Harry’s friends lose their lives while protecting him from harm, and the nasty influence of the soul-shard wielding Horcrux around their various necks (in a near-steal from The Lord of the Rings), unduly influences their darker sides, and pulls them apart just when they need to stick together.
Luckily in the midst of such angst, Ron (Rupert Grint) who had left the group in a fit of Horcrux-induced rage, reunites with Harry (Daniel Radcliff) and Hermione (Emma Watson), and brings back a bit of the old magic (hehheh… forgive the pun), and we are all treated to a wonderful animated sequence (in another near-steal, this time from Tim Burton’s A Nightmare Before Christmas), explaining just what The Deathly Hallows are. Still, it was so cool, I could’ve watched a whole movie’s worth of that kind of animation… oh wait; I did (see the aforementioned Burton’s Nightmare)!
But even a well made set-up film is still a set-up film, and HP 7.1 has that thorn in its side but it also does what set-up films are supposed to do; get you ready and waiting for the next film. Although a bit bleak and long, by the time Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1 ends, you’ll be itching to see Part 2… and that was the whole point.
Deathly: While viewing the first of a two-part 7th Harry Potter movie (you heard me!), you’d better be paying close attention. Not that many who have NOT seen the last six Harry Potter movies or who have NOT digested the books will even be in the theater – the main attendees of the Potter movies are a bit of a special interest group – but even so; the cast of characters is large, the off-screen references even more so, and the magicspeak gobbledygook abounds, so listen up!
Yes it’s dark (and thank Ron and The Twins for what brief comic relief there is); yes it may have a bit of blood and some scary bits too strong for a much younger audience (then again; it IS rated PG-13)… but no, the supposed “sex scene” isn’t scandalous at all – I’ve seen more skin in a Garnier Fructis commercial. And yes, although it is most obviously a robust “set-up” movie, it is still a good flick in and of itself. But again, if you haven’t memorized the last few books and/or movies, drag a Potthead with you to help sort out the many and varied references peppered throughout Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows Part 1. It is also on the longer side, and halfway through it feels that way, as Harry’s pseudo spirit quest slows a bit while we’re treated to our heroes running and hiding in various scenic vistas discussing what to do next. But still, few set-up movies have ever been done so well.

“Unstoppable” stars Denzel Washington and (Star Trek’s Captain Kirk) Chris Pine in a throwback to those 70’s disaster films.

When an unmanned freight train is accidentally let loose, the railroad line begins a frantic quest to simply stop it. The action cards are stacked when the audience learns the train is carrying tons of volatile chemicals that will explode and wipe out a small city the train is shooting toward.

As it happens two lone railroad workers are on the track and as the company’s efforts to stop the train keep failing, it becomes clear these two men are the only hope to stop this disaster.

Under the direction of Tony Scott, Washington and Pine rescue “Unstoppable” from becoming overly cartoonish and laughable and allow the audience to relax and simply enjoy the ride.

“Unstoppable” gets a B and is rated PG-13

“Morning Glory” began as a wonderfully inspired comedy with a tip of the hat to cinematic predecessors like “The Front Page,” and “Broadcast News.” The new comedy also had quite a pedigree of good solid actors including Harrison Ford, Diane Keaton and Rachel McAdams. But somewhere during the 2nd half of the film the plot, directing and comedy began to sputter and fade.

I’m not saying the film didn’t have its share of laughs, it did. But those laughs seemed to be spaced further and further apart as the movie plodded along.

“Morning Glory’s” best feature is the widely underused Jeff Goldblum, as the overworked executive news producer who hires Rachel McAdams, a young zealous producer to help a dying morning show make a come back. Goldblum can take even the most mundane dialogue and make it work.

Both Harrison Ford and Diane Keaton turn in good performances but in a mostly one-dimensional and formulaic way. Ford is clearly the old curmudgeon newsman, who has found his way of doing ‘hard news” is long past.

Keaton is the aging matron who is established herself as the queen of the morning, but finding that she has settled into a rut and needs to get out of her comfort zones.

Finally Rachel McAdams actually turns in a very pleasing turn as the young, vibrant catalyst finally finding her place and pace in life.

I guess what bugs me is although this will certainly please audiences, Morning Glory should have been much better than an episode of ‘The Mary Tyler Moore Show.”

It gets a C and is rated PG-13

Rich’s Quickie: A student film with a big budget.

The Sky’s the Limit: Weirdly watchable, “Skyline” is an FX heavy big monster/alien flick that has alternately cool and lousy special effects. Fun in spots (mostly when the big aliens are on screen), “Skyline” has the benefit of being part old-fashioned big monster movie and part modern FX movie, while being short and largely to-the-point.

What’s my skyline? But everything else seems to be the problem. The acting is amaturistic, the dialogue silly, and the plot scarce (I’m not kidding; aliens come down to sort-of eat our brains). “Skyline” starts with an unnecessary out-of-sequence scene (probably so it could start with a bang), and then steps back a few hours to set up trivial back stories of the people we will eventually watch die one by one. Part of the movie becomes a bit of a zombie flick, with our heroes holed up in a building, arguing amongst themselves regarding which would be the safest route to avoid danger. And as a movie often is its ending, the ending of “Skyline” is so ridiculous you may actually want to see it (and stick around through the beginning of the credits) to believe it.

Movie Grade: D

Director: Colin Strause, Greg Strause
Writers: Joshua Cordes, Liam O’Donnell

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some language.

Rich’s Quickie: A fun, no-brainer.

Don’t Stop: This is a straight-up, no holds barred an uncomplicated action flick, that has the benefit of being “inspired by true events”. Denzel Washington knows how to deliver a line, and seems very comfortable playing the kind of guy who is so relatable and heroic at the same time. The ample action sequences are well done, turning something as benign as a train into a malevolent force – and solid protagonist.

Cease! Unfortunately, Chris Pine is left playing second fiddle to either Washington or the train itself. The outcome is never truly in doubt, and even though it wraps itself up a bit neatly, it’s so easy an action flick to watch I doubt anyone will complain.

Movie Grade: B-

Director: Tony Scott
Writers: Mark Bomback

Rated PG-13 for sequences of action and peril, and some language.