Goodbye Jacob. So long Edward. Good luck Bella.

Sometimes its hard to say goodbye, its hard to wrap-up a story, luckily Director Bill Condon found a way to do both in “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2″… its actually the best movie in the franchise with more action and significantly less angst.

Warning to parents: “Breaking Dawn Part 2″ is rated PG-13 for sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sensuality and partial nudity.  But mostly for the fantasy violence that can be disturbing and gruesome.

“Breaking Dawn Part 2″ poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

(My spoiler-free review)

“And all along.. I believed… I would find you…
Time has brought… your heart to me…
I …have loved you for a thousand… years” – now Christina Perri’s song “A Thousand Years” – the one that gets stuck in your head and won’t let go – finally makes sense in the context of the story.

Maybe its the big action sequence at the end of the movie or the early scenes with Bella learning her new found Vampire powers that makes it seem like Stephanie Meyer’s version of Xavier’s school for the gifted.  There are many things I liked more about this chapter of the “Twilight” saga.

“Breaking Dawn Part 2″ continues the style of lots of standing around and talking about what is going to happen, has happened, or will happen.  Gone are all the angst – thank you – and a lot of “longing” … close ups and tracking shots around our main characters who are just staring off camera.   We get moments of humor from different characters… but this time around, the audience is laughing more at the intended jokes than at the movie itself.

There are still several issues that keep this movie from entering any discussion of “best movies of 2012″… let’s start with the biggest elephant in the room: the CGI effects for baby Renesmee in the early scenes are ridiculous and distracting!!  Its clear that a baby would not make faces like that … its clear that its CGI… it destroys the moment of “cuteness” and family bonding and replaces it with the “what the heck” feeling I had the first time I saw the talking baby commercials during the Super Bowl.

Let’s be honest… I am not the target audience and I didn’t read the books… but we still get a lot of adolescent dialogue and some of the acting is still a little stiff (Kellan Lutz as Emmett Cullen) or over-the-top (Michael Sheen as crazy/maniacal Aro).  I feel like they and other characters could have had more depth and be more relatable if you make them more human… so much of this script/concept could have been punched up more and made stronger with a dedicated person, maybe a writer on the outside of this production.

Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Foy, Robert Pattinson in “Breaking Dawn Part 2″ photo courtesy Summit Entertainment

I did like that there was considerably more action and less romance… although its still in there, just less of it… in a different, more grown up way.   I love that Bella is not so mopey anymore.  Edward and Jacob almost have this Han/Lando old buddies/rivals relationship going – like they don’t completely trust each other – but they know they need to for everything to work out.   I also liked that the final climatic scenes are troubling — putting the heroes in peril… as we’ve seen in other great movie franchises… challenging your main characters and seeing how they respond builds depth and makes the characters more interesting.

Many scenes towards the end are quite violent and gruesome/brutal/disturbing action sequences – as many death scenes are in supernatural fantasy movies – that could be nightmarish for the younger ones.

The apparent twist ending had some fans in the audience gasping… but I thought it was interesting and refreshing for the Twilight series to do something slightly different.  But don’t worry Twi-hards – I’m told its in the book – you just have to kinda read between the lines and find it… and all the fans at the screening I attended didn’t really have a problem with it.

Fans will love “Breaking Dawn Part 2″…  its a solid way to wrap up the series.  Including a video yearbook style montage just before the end credits set to (another reference) Christina Perri’s song “A Thousand Years”.  It features a cast roll with names and images of all the characters from all 5 movies in the series in ascending order of billing… its a nice touch for the fans.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Breaking Dawn Part 2″ is the most entertaining non-angst riddled movie in this often staggering series that took itself too seriously at times with both decent entries and forgettable chapters in this wildly successful and misunderstood franchise that became a worlwide phenomenon … I give it 7.0 out of 10 … I wish this style of storytelling would have been used earlier in the series.  “… And all along… I believed… I would find you…” (final reference)

Video of my review from EightWest: http://youtu.be/RF8hYfdt98s

MORE INFO (possible spoilers):

Kristen Stewart, Mackenzie Foy, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner in “Breaking Dawn Part 2″ photo courtesy Summit Entertainment

“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2”

(2012) (rated: Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence including disturbing images, some sensuality and partial nudity)
(1 hr, 55 min)

Starring: Kristen Stewart (Bella Swan), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Taylor Lautner (Jacob Black), Peter Facinelli (Dr. Carlisle Cullen), Elizabeth Reaser (Esme Cullen), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen), Jackson Rathbone (Jasper Hale), Kellan Lutz (Emmett Cullen), Nikki Reed (Rosalie Hale), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Chaske Spencer (Sam Uley), Mackenzie Foy (Renesmee), Maggie Grace (Irina), Jamie Campbell Bower (Caius), Christopher Heyerdahl (Marcus), Michael Sheen (Aro), Dakota Fanning (Jane), Cameron Bright (Alec)

Director: Bill Condon ["Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1" (2011), "Dreamgirls" (2006), "Kinsey" (2004), "Gods and Monsters" (1998)]

Writers: Melissa Rosenberg (screenplay), Stephenie Meyer (novel)

Genre: Adventure/ Drama / Fantasy

The Plot: After the birth of Renesmee, the Cullens gather other vampire clans in order to protect the child from a false allegation that puts the family in front of the Volturi.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

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“The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 2” poster and photo courtesy Summit Entertainment

Laff at the Movies

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I have to admit, the reason it took me so long to see it is one part because of its crowded summer release date and one part because I’ve never been a huge fan of writer/director Woody Allen.  But after seeing this, I have to say, “Midnight in Paris” has me appreciating Allen once again!

"Midnight In Paris" poster courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

 (My spoiler-free review)

We know that Allen is a very talented writer and director, so its no surprise that in “Midnight in Paris” his characters and scenery are perfect, but I think he really hit this story out of the park!

Within 10 minutes of the movie, Allen has us fully involved in the characters, who we already seem to know completely after just two or three scenes, and he continues to develop them throughout the movie.

Owen Wilson’s ‘Gil’ is stuck in current clinging to the past.  He’s a struggling author but in-demand screenwriter… he is simpathetic and unassuming, a perfect role for Wilson.  He’s surrounded by a group of people that don’t like him, and he wants to fit in and feel appreciated… even yearning for the time when writers were celebrated.  Allen frames his shots of ‘Gil’ so that his main character isn’t always the center of attention, isn’t always “important” to the camera… so when he’s feeling awkward and out of place, he’s also out of place on screen.  When ‘Gil’ finds a place and group of people where he fits in, he is the star of the screen.  He’s hardly a character set in stone, though, as Allen keeps developing ‘Gil’ throughout the story, as he learns important life lessons along the way.

Keeping the balance is Rachel McAdams’ ‘Ines’, her parents, and her friend ‘Paul’ played by Michael Sheen.  ‘Ines’ and her parents aren’t just disapproving of ‘Gil’, they are completely mean to him, their characters are easy to dislike and will have you pushing for ‘Gil’.  Sheen is perfect for the most detestable character, the know-it-all ‘Paul’… the guy who seems to know everything about anything that comes up in conversation… the guy you want to see shot down in a conversation, because he’s always in control, always the center of attention… and its exactly how our main character ‘Gil’ must feel.

(Minor spoiler, click to continue)

To escape all this negativity, ‘Gil’ escapes to a fantasy world of 1920s France, through a cleverly devised and easy to follow time-traveling device (I’ll let you discover it for yourself).

Allen keeps us wrapped up in this walk through 1920s history with literary and artistical giants like Cole Porter, Pablo Picasso, Ernest Hemingway, SalvadorDali, T.S. Elliot, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Joséphine Baker.  Allen gets wonderful performances from his cast.  “Midnight in Paris” features wonderful sets, wardrobe, lighting that set a perfect balance between the 2010′s and the 1920s, including the language of two eras.  There’s also a nice hint of the early 1900′s throughout with a soundtrack of music that appears to be from that time period. I only lost track of time once, which is a credit to Allen who made it quite easy visually, without clocks, calendars, or graphics to distinguish when we were, not just where we were.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

“Midnight in Paris” is a great whimsical romantic comedy – we are a tourist of his trip through history and we fall in love with his concept of romance with a time and place. I give it 8.5 out of 10 … its definitely my new favorite Woody Allen movie.

Michael Sheen Nina Arianda Rachel McAdams and Owen Wilson in "Midnight In Paris" photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

 “Midnight in Paris”

(2011) (rated: PG-13 for some sexual references and smoking)
(1 hr, 34 min)

Starring: Owen Wilson, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, Kurt Fuller, Mimi Kennedy, Michael Sheen, Nina Arianda, Alison Pill, Corey Stoll, Tom Hiddleston, Kathy Bates, Léa Seydoux, Carla Bruni, Yves Heck, Sonia Rollandm, Marcial Di Fonzo Bo, Adrien Brody, Tom Cordier, Adrien de Van, Serge Bagdassarian, Gad Elmaleh, David Lowe, Yves-Antoine Spoto, Laurent Claret

Writer/Director: Woody Allen  ["Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (2008), "Deconstructing Harry" (1997), "Mighty Aphrodite" (1995), "Hannah and Her Sisters" (1986), "Manhattan" (1979), "Annie Hall" (1977)]

Genre: Romantic Comedy/Fantasy

The Plot: A romantic comedy about a family traveling to the French capital for business. The party includes a young engaged couple forced to confront the illusion that a life different from their own is better.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

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“Midnight in Paris” poster and photo courtesy Sony Pictures Classics

Laff at the Movies

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If you’ve been looking forward to this movie, than consider yourself part of the group that should see it in IMAX, because you’ll be happy you did.  The action sequences are cool, but there could be more, and the visuals are awesome and perfect for IMAX… but the story could be a little better.  Which is why those who haven’t been looking forward to this movies for the months since we saw the trailer or clips at a special screening… might want to see it at the regular ticket price first before spending the IMAX ticket price.  Just know that the real visual impact of this movie is only truly accomplished when seen in IMAX 3D.
 

(My spoiler-free review)

28 years after the original “Tron”, filmmakers are once again breaking ground with new technology and a look at possible technology of the distant future.  The suits, discs, lightcycles and effects are not just upgrades, they are what you would expect of 28 years of upgrades to the technology inside the grid.

Most of the scenes in the real world before we journey inside the grid are shot in 2D, but a couple are in 3D… so when Sam Flynn is transported inside the grid, its a “Wizard of Oz” kind of visual impact.  When Dorothy (in Black & White) opens the door of her Kansas home and steps into the world of Oz (in briliant Technicolor) your eyes and your mind immediately know that she’s “not in Kansas” anymore.  In that same way, “Tron Legacy” director Joseph Kosinski gives us a visual cue that we are not in the real world anymore by immersing us in 3D as soon as we begin our journey inside the grid.

And those visuals are amazing… a dazzling 3D spectacle that immerses into this high tech futuristic computer generated world.   The suits look so much cooler, the recognizer vehicles look more high-tech, the disc games are awesome, the lightcycle battle is amazing, and the air battle that makes the lightcycle look like child’s play.  All scenes that are truly worth the IMAX experience.   Its funny, at the screening I heard some younger audiences refer to it as “a little like “The Matrix” (1999)”… when in actuality, “The Matrix” at the time was a modern version of “Tron” (1982).

In aadition to some weaknesses in the story, I thought that the motion capture of Jeff Bridges as the 1982 version of himself is a bit distracting.  The computerized 1982 Bridges its acceptable inside the grid, but in the real world it is distracting from the story that is trying to be told.  The technology is clearly evolved, its close to replicating what people look like.. but not close enough to fool you.. or keep you from focusing on the face of younger Bridges (Kevin Flynn) and why he never came home to his son Sam, a scene that is important to the development of both characters.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

The visuals are as amazing and eye popping as last year’s “Avatar”, but the “Tron Legacy” story didn’t leave me feeling as excited to tell everyone to go see the movie.  I give it 8.0 out of 10 … if you like “Tron” and sci-fi or action movies, you probably won’t be disappointed seeing it in IMAX.  If not, just go see it in 2D… either way, at least see it and be entertained for a little more than 2 hours.

 “ Tron Legacy”

(2010) (rated: PG for sequences of sci-fi action violence and brief mild language)
(2 hr, 7 min)

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett, Michael Sheen, Anis Cheurfa

Director: Joseph Kosinski

Genre: Sci-Fi/Action/Adventure

The Plot: Sam Flynn, the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn, looks into his father’s disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 20 years. Along with Kevin’s loyal confidant, father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous.

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

.
“Tron Legacy” poster courtesy Disney

Laff at the Movies

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Lets get this out of the way right now — fans should SEE IT – you may only be a little disappointed.  MY WIFE LOVED IT but she had a few minor issues with this movie.  Non-fans should wait for the excitement to die down or WAIT TO  RENT…. or you may be doubly disappointed with fighting the crowds and seeing a less than stellar offering.   Let me tell you why, without spoilers….

  (My spoiler-free review)

By now, most of us know the story: teen girl (Bella) crushes on teen-looking vampire (Edward, who is actually 100+ years old).  Now with “New Moon”, this “Twilight” love gets the third leg in its triangle… as good friend Jacob (West Michigan native Taylor Lautner) starts to become more than just a good pal due to the circumstances of this chapter.

This growing love interest with Jacob adds to the themes of Love, Forbidden Love, Love Lost, Sacrifice, Tough Choices and more Forbidden Love…. and then more Tough Choices.

I guess Bella can’t catch a break.  First its Forbidden Love with a vampire and the whole teen anxst thing… now its on to another Forbidden/awkward level… why can’t she just date a normal guy… with no superpowers or immortality?  Because that would be boring.  And the references to Romeo and Juliet laid out early in this one wouldn’t make sense now would they?

But as this new chapter’s pieces all begin to unfold (and there are a lot of storylines to keep track of)…. its clear that not all is good for the happy couple… including Bella now worried about growing old like normal people.

The movie makes a clear distinction between Bella’s two love interests both in personality and physique… but its a labor going through the two hours she takes to come to a decision.   The visual journey isn’t easy either – with one close-up after another and tracking camera moves around Bella … its like a director with a budget and tools he never had before.

Most of those storylines do make sense in the end… but the journey through this love story/fantasy adventure is a lot of mushy, over-the-top moments that we know these good young actors can do better at… we saw it in some scenes here… but not in others. 

There’s more effects and long exhaustive camera movements with blaring music than actual character development.   More time is spent in the second half of the movie with the male leads removing their shirts and being objectified by Bella… than actually digging deeper into their characters… they are just moved along a storyline… in the same fashion and mostly the same acting as the first.  We expect more from a sequel since the main characters are established, we should be getting more into who they are and why.

Its good that all the effects support the story, and are not just done because the fillmakers have a bigger budget.    There are also nice little moments of humor – some only fans will get – that break up a lot of the tension and overall gloominess of the film.

West Michigan can be proud of Hudsonville native Taylor Lautner who does a good job with what he has to work with and succesfully pulls off the change in his character… Jacob is the only character that really gets much development this time around.   In “New Moon”, Lautner begins to seperate himself as a strong character and actor apart from his mopey screen companions that mostly do the same thing they did in “Twilight” – look young and inexperienced and unpolished… acceptable in the first movie… not this time around.

The supporting cast gets a little to work with including more for Ashley Greene’s “Alice” character… and respectable fare from Michael Sheen who plays a powerful vampire with limited screen time.

THE BOTTOM LINE:

Most fans will love this movie, others may become confused and point at this chapter as the not-so-good one – perhaps this generation’s “Return of the Jedi”… I give it (RATING REVISED TO 5.9) out of 10.

If you are one of the fans who are let down by this chapter in the “Twilight” saga – lets hope for better things in “Eclipse”.  And remember Twi-hards, don’t feel too bad if your dreams of “New Moon” aren’t fully realized – waiting a year for this disappointment is nothing like  waiting 3 years for “Phantom Menace” – only to be mostly let down…  I’ll always have Jar Jar to trump you… and don’t forget Greedo shooting first.

 “New Moon”

(2009) (rated: PG-13 for some violence and action)
(2 hr, 10 min)

Starring: Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner, Billy Burke, Anna Kendrick, Michael Welch, Justin Chon, Christian Serratos, Ashley Greene, Jackson Rathbone, Russell Roberts,  Michael Sheen, Peter Facinelli, Rachelle Lefevre, Elizabeth Reaser, Kellan Lutz, Tyson Houseman, Alex Meraz, Bronson Pelletier, Edi Gathegi, Dakota Fanning, Christina Jastrzembska, Cam Gigandet

Director: Chris Weitz  (“The Golden Compass” (2007), “Down to Earth” (2001))

Genre: Romance/Fantasy/Drama/Horror/Thriller

The Plot: After Bella recovers from the vampire attack that almost claimed her life, she looks to celebrate her birthday with Edward and his family. 

So what did you think?  Please post a comment!

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“New Moon” poster courtesy Summit Entertainment

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