Sunshine

Raise your hand if you’ve heard of this movie before. It’s still in limited release, so you probably haven’t seen it at your local Cineplex. I hadn’t heard about Sunshine until about a month ago when I saw the trailer. (If you wanna check out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=WNZwrgFo3GE) Ther were two things that instantly made me want to watch this film.

The first was director Danny Boyle. This director has one of the most amazing visual styles in film production today. He has given us one of the most disgusting images (the toilet in Trainspotting) and one of the most beautiful (the beach in The Beach). He re-energized the zombie genre is the stylistic 28 Days Later and then did a 180 by doing a fantastic children film called Millions. Now he’s taking on the science fiction genre. Seeing as the film centers on the sun, Boyle gets to play with various light sources, which can be blinding to his audience. Sunshine is very 2001: A Space Odyssey in its imagery but seems to convey a much clearer message. Are we trying to play God if we try to save ourselves by extraordinary means? Maybe we are meant to die at a certain place and time. At least this is the message that I came away with and also justified some of the actions that have been ripped apart by some of the critics. Even though the movie is relatively short at 108 minutes, Boyle takes his time when traveling through quiet space much like Kubrick did with 2001. I’m sure there will be many comparisons with the voice of Icarus II and HAL, but this computer seems a lot less lethal and menacing. There is also a hint of Alien in this film, where no one can hear you scream, but it doesn’t last for too long. And while the images,homages and story work very well in this picture, I can’t say the same for the characters. Well, except one.

The second thing that made me want to see Sunshine was Cillian Murphy. I enjoy watching this actor. He was compelling in 28 Days Later and creepy in both Batman Begins and Red Eye. His preciseness when it comes to dialogue reminds me of Alan Rickman’s rich pronunciation. Murphy plays Capa, the narrator and valuable member of the Icarus II team. His character’s wide range of emotions is expertly done, sometimes without having to say a word. Murphy seems to work well with Boyle and writer Alex Garland (28 Days Later, The Beach) and I’d love to see them collaborate again. And while Cillian Murphy is a treat to watch, I can’t say the same for the other actors.

Because so much time is spent on various tasks, there is not enough time to invest in the other characters. I find it difficult to root for people that I can’t connect to. Most of the characters seem a little one-dimensional with exception of Murphy, Rose Byrne (28 Weeks Later) and Chris Evans (Fantastic Four). Although I get annoyed just looking at Chris Evans; I can’t take him seriously at all. It’s probably his Human Torch persona that turns me off. But I’m sure other people don’t have as much of a problem with him.

While the characters are weak, the visuals more than make up for it, especially on the big screen. If you are thinking about seeing Sunshine, see it in the theatre. The greatness of space, the beauty of the sun and the rich sound of the machines will be completely lost on your plasma or LCD screens at home. I don’t care how many inches your TV is, it will not be able to compete with the larger than life visuals in Sunshine. But that’s of course assuming that you are interested in science fiction movies that don’t run at breakneck speed.

Top Ten Episodes: The Dramas

So I picked six great television dramas and wrote down my ten favourite episodes of each. I’m sure people will agree and disagree with me. That’s why I like lists. If you haven’t seen any of these series before and you’re curious, why not download an episode or two from the top of each list and give it a shot. You can thank me later.






Basic Plot: Buffy and her friends fight evil in a Califonia town
Seasons: 7 (not counting the current eighth season in comic form)
Creator: Joss Whedon (wrote Toy Story, Speed, and Serenity)
Why so great?: It mixes action, fantasy, drama and humour seemlessly with monsters representing real life struggles.
Top Ten Episodes
1. Once More with Feeling (Season 6, Episode 7)
Sunnydale breaks out into song and dance to the point of spontaneous combustion. All the songs are original and propel the storyline while using the traditional musical format.
2. Hush (Season 4, Episode 10)
Demons have taken all the voices in Sunnydale. All the various conflicts need to be resolved with other forms of communication.
3. The Body (Season 5, Episode 16)
Buffy and her friends deal with a death in the family. The point of views and realistic reactions make this episode stand apart from anything else on TV.
4. Restless (Season 4, Episode 22)
The Scooby Gang has some trippy dreams that reveal many aspects of their character as well as the future
5. Storyteller (Season 7, Episode 16)
Andrew documents the life and history of the vampire slayer is his own unique way
6. Doppelgangland (Season 3, Episode 16)
An evil Willow from another dimension causes problems for Willow and her friends by taking The Bronze hostage
7. Something Blue (Season 4, Episode 9)
Willow’s wish causes Giles to go blind, Xander to be a demon magnet and Buffy to marry her nemesis Spike
8. Surprise/Innocence (Season 2, Episodes 13 & 14)
Buffy loses her virginity to Angel causing him to become evil while Willow finds out about Xander and Cordelia
9. Selfless (Season 7, Episode 5)
The history of Anya is revealed after she kills group of frat boys
10. Earshot (Season 3, Episode 18)
Buffy can hear people’s thoughts, including someone who is going to take out his anger on the school.






Basic Plot: Angel is a private detective/vampire who fights evil
Seasons: 5 (yanked by the WB for no good reason)
Creators: Joss Whedon & David Greenwalt (currently running the similarly themed Moonlight)
Why so great?: It's like Buffy but is intended for older audiences
Top Ten Episodes
1. Waiting in the Wings (Season 3, Episode 13)
The ballet causes Angel and Cordelia to lust and Wesley to get his heart broken by Fred and Gunn
2. Smile Time (Season 5, Episode 14)
Angel gets turned into a puppet when a kids program starts killing children
3. Guise Will be Guise (Season 2, Episode 6)
Wesley has to pretend to be Angel for a protection job while Angel visits a swami to clear his head
4. A Hole in the World/Shells (Season 5, Episodes 15 & 16)
The men try to keep Fred from turning into Illyria and try to find out who caused it
5. Five By Five/Sanctuary (Season 1, Episodes 18 & 19)
Faith returns to kill Angel but Wesley want to save her instead
6. Spin the Bottle (Season 4, Episode 6)
A memory spell goes bad causing everyone to revert back to their highschool personas
7. Through the Looking Glass (Season 2,Episode 21)
The gang tries to rescue Cordelia from Pylea, where Angel has different abilities and meets Fred
8. Soul Purpose (Season 5, Episode 10)
Angel has disturbing nightmares while Spike becomes an Angel-like hero
9. Orpheus (Season 4, Episode 15)
Willow returns to restore Angel’s soul while Faith invades Angel’s memories
10. Not Fade Away (Season 5, Episode 22)
The gang spends the day as if it were their last, just before a climactic battle






Basic Plot: Sydney is a double agent fighting counter-governement cells
Seasons: 5
Creator: JJ Abrams (created Lost, Felicity and directed MI:III)
Why so great?: Great spy action mixed with humour and dramatic character development
Top Ten Episodes
1. Phase One (Season 2, Episode 13)
Sidney is able to take down SD-6 with a special password but she must rely on Dixon to verify
2. The Telling (Season 2, Episode 22)
Will figures out who set him up leading to Sidney trashing her apartment as she fights the real enemy
3. Truth Be Told (Season 1, Episode 1)
Sidney’s fiancée is murdered so she threatens to leave SD-6 but instead becomes a CIA mole
4. There’s Only One Sidney Bristow (Season 5, Episode 12)
Will is kidnapped so Sidney returns to work and finds herself confronting Anna again
5. After Six (Season 3, Episode 13)
Sark works with Lauren and Sidney works with Weiss to convince a security installer to betray her clients
6. Tuesday (Season 4, Episode 13)
Dixon is infected shutting down APO, so only Marshall can save Sidney who is buried alive
7. The Abduction (Season 2, Episode 10)
Marshall goes on his first mission while Jack is being interrogated
8. Bob (Season 5, Episode 8)
Rachel accidentally hooks up with Sark, then must work with him to stop a bomb from going off
9. Reprisal/All the Time in the World (Season 5, Episodes 16 & 17)
Marshall & Rachel are taken hostage, so the gang must works together to rescue them and stop Sloane & Irina
10. S.O.S. (Season 5, Episode 10)
Weiss helps the gang break into the CIA to get some important information on Sydney's whereabouts






Basic Plot: Scully, the skeptic, and Mulder, the believe, try to solve supernatural events
Seasons: 9 (they wanted to end after Season 7 but Fox kept it going)
Creator: Chris Carter (currently planning the second movie)
Why so great?: The middle seasons are filled with funny and creative cases
Top Ten Episodes
1. Hollywood A.D. (Season 7, Episode 19)
The movie based on Mulder and Scully’s life makes a mockery of their work
2. Triangle (Season 6, Episode 3)
In the Bermuda triangle, Mulder transports back in time where the Nazis control his boat
3. Bad Blood (Season 5, Episode 12)
Mulder and Scully have varying accounts of a vampire attack in a small town
4. Arcadia (Season 6, Episode 15)
Mulder and Scully go undercover in a gated suburb community where neatness is vital
5. Humbug (Season 2, Episode 20)
Residents of a circus freak show are all suspects in the murder of The Alligator Man
6. Je Souhaite (Season 7, Episode 21)
A genie grants any wish to a couple of trailer folk who don’t know exactly what to wish for
7. Monday (Season 6, Episode 14)
Mulder is caught in a continuous loop that features a leaky waterbed and a bank robbery gone bad
8. First Person Shooter (Season 7, Episode 13)
Scully must come to Mulder’s rescue when he is caught in the middle of a deadly video game
9. Dreamland (Season 6, Episodes 4 & 5)
Fox Mulder and Morris Fletcher switch bodies after a paranormal wave hits Area 51
10. Home (Season 4, Episode 2)
A tiny community is rattled by three inbred brothers






Basic Plot: Follow the lives of the President and his staff
Seasons: 7
Creator: Aaron Sorkin (created Sports Night, Studio 60 and wrote A Few Good Men and The American President)
Why so great?: The fast talking comedy mixed with powerful drama
Top Ten Episodes
1.In the Shadow of Two Gunmen (Season 2, Episodes 1 & 2)
While Bartlet & Josh cling to life, we see how the staff got hired
2. Two Cathedrals (Season 2, Episode 22)
Bartlet has a hard time dealing with Mrs Landingham’s death, MS and the impending reelection
3. Twenty-Five (Season 4, Episode 23)
Bartlet relieves his post when his daughter is kidnapped and he’s linked to an assassination
4. Here Today (Season 7, Episode 5)
Toby confesses to being the leak; Josh has to fire a bunch of Santo’s staff
5. Noel (Season 2, Episode 10)
Josh sees a therapist to deal with the shooting when he identifies with a dead pilot
6. Bad Moon Rising (Season 2, Episode 19)
Babish questions the president and Leo concerning the MS cover-up
7. Game On (Season 4, Episode 6)
Bartlet proves that intelligence is not such a bad thing in a debate
8. Evidence of Things Not Seen (Season 4, Episode 20)
Josh interviews Joe Quincy while the staff plays poker
9. Bartlet for America (Season 3, Episode 9)
As Leo testifies, we see how Leo and Jed started working together
10. Five Votes Down (Season 1, Episode 4)
Josh kicks some butt, Toby is rich and the Presidents takes too much back medication






Basic Plot: A group of friends in a smalltown learn about life and love
Seasons: 6
Creator: Kevin Williamson (wrote Scream, I Know What You Did Last Summer and The Faculty)
Why so great?: The self-referential dialgoue and drama is a much needed guilty pleasure
Top Ten Episodes
1. The Longest Day (Season 3, Episode 20)
The day is stuck on repeat as Pacey and Joey try to tell Dawson about their new relationship
2. Appetite For Destruction (Season 5, Episode 10)
Jen and Dawson’s new relationship is put under the microscope during a friendly dinner
3. Joey Potter & the Capeside Redemption (Season 6, Episode 22)
Joey gets everyone together to help Dawson shoot his independent movie about their lives
4. Guerilla Filmmaking (Season 5, Episode 14)
Dawson needs a new leading man and new ending as Audrey falls for Pacey during rehearsal
5. The Unusual Suspects (Season 4, Episode 8)
Jack, Dawson and Pacey are interrogated for a grad prank in film noir style
6. Coda (Season 4, Episode 23)
History repeats itself, as Dawson has to say goodbye to Joey and Capeside before heading to LA
7. Breakfast Club (Season 1, Episode 7)
In Saturday detention, the insecurities of the group come out thanks to Abby Morgan
8. To Be Or Not To Be/That Is the Question
(Season 2, Episodes 14 & 15)
Jack’s poem about a guy causes Pacey to spit at a teacher and Joey to question Jack’s sexuality
9. True Love (Season 3, Episode 23)
Joey has to make a decision between to the two boys before Pacey leaves town on his boat
10. All Good Things/Must Come To an End
(Season 6, Episodes 23 & 24)
It’s five years later. One of the friends is dying and Joey has to make her ultimate decision

So there you go. Did I miss your favourite episode? Do you agree with my selections? Are you still wondering why I covered Dawson's Creek? Feel free to let me know. I love to get feedback.The comedies are on their way. I'll be listing some favourite epsiodes from Cheers, Friends and Seinfeld to name a few. Stay tuned.

Hairspray

I always get a kick out of musicals. I find it funny that everyone in town seems to know the lyrics and dance steps to spontaneous songs. Maybe that’s why I’m mocking them in my next spoofed up play Musical!: The Musical. A good musical needs a great story, interesting characters and catchy songs. The movie version of a musical also needs stellar production values that tie all of these things together. Hairspray has some of these elements but not all of them. When I saw the trailers for Hairspray the biggest thing (no pun intended) that turned me off was John Travolta in a fat suit. The thing that drew me to the movie was the production values and the song used in the trailer. What brought me to the theatre was the 94% given by Rotten Tomatoes.

What Hairspray has going for it is some catchy songs, some great characters and some vivid sets. The film is bookended with the best songs. The opening tune “Good Morning Baltimore” is much like Belle’s from Beauty and the Beast. It also includes a fun cameo from John Waters (the original Harispray film director) as a flasher. This song is fun and bouncy and introduces us to the captivating Nikki Blonksy. This girl manages to steal the spotlight from all the other big name actors in this cast. Her energy and commitment to the role is outstanding. The screen literally lights up when she enters a scene. This is Blonsky’s first film, but that sheer wonder of working in the movies works to her advantage as her character is given a role in the Corny Collins Show. The last song is the climactic “You Can’t Stop the Beat” which is still running in my head as I write this review. This song, also used in the trailer, is instantly infectious and has you leaving the theatre with a spring in your step.

Unfortunately, the rest of the songs aren’t as memorable as the first and last. Zac Efforn’s “Ladies Choice” and the ensemble’s “Without Love” are good but hardly showstopping. I did enjoy Blonksy’s daydream-like “I Can Hear the Bells” but that’s mostly because of her charm and the cinematic journey throughout the school. While the other songs have fun lyrics, the music doesn’t seem to match.

Along with Blonsky, the other students are well cast. Amanda Bynes (She’s the Man, What I Like About You) is simply adorable as the lollipop sucking Penny Pingleton. Zac Efron (High School Musical) is wonderfully cast as the dreamy love interest. Brittany Snow and Elijah Kelley also portray their 60s character beautifully. I have a bigger problem with the adult characters in this story. Well, except for Christopher Walken who shines as the gentle and caring Wilber Turnblad. Queen Latifah is boring as Motormouth Maybelle even if she can sing her heart out. Michelle Pfieffer plays an okay villain but I hope she does far better in the upcoming Stardust. And as expected, John Travolta was terrible. I wish they cast gravel-voiced Harvey Fierstein (Mrs. Doubtfire, Independence Day) to reprise his Broadway starring role as Edna Turnblad. What maybe bothered me more than Travolta’s annoying mugging for the camera was the fact that I could see the prosthetic attachments under his eyes. There is a clearly visible line that should have been taken care of by the make-up people. I found it completely distracting.

As much fun as the movie tries to be, the message is plain and boring: Segregation is bad. Hairspray is all about accepting people no matter what their weight or skin colour. I don’t know about you, but it sounds a little too ‘afterschool-special’ly to me. Maybe I’m too cynical, but I found this message a little too simplistic and took most of the emotion out of the film. Musicals need a great story and this one falls short. It’s no Chicago.

So should you see Hairspray in the theatre? I’d wait for the DVD personally. Sure, the visuals look great on the big screen but I know you’re going to want to rewind the opening and closing songs. Of course, doing that will keep the songs lodged in your head forever. You can’t stop the beat.

Sicko

Whenever I bring up the film Sicko, people get riled up. They start going into this diatribe on how Michael Moore is so one-sided and that his documentaries are just thinly-veiled propaganda messages. I always wonder what else they were expecting. Most documentaries are one-sided. The filmmaker is trying to make a point, so they are probably going to avoid the counter-point as much as possible. I mean, you can’t tell me An Inconvenient Truth is fair and balanced. It’s a one-sided view on ending global warming. Do I think we should try and reduce global warming? Sure. Do I think Al Gore has all the facts correct? No. Do I think An Inconvenient Truth is a good documentary? Actually, no. I found it boring. Insightful but boring. This is where Michael Moore comes in. Say what you will about his one-sided views, but I find Moore’s documentaries far from boring.

I’ve always enjoyed Michael Moore’s in-your-face style of filmmaking. His work in Roger & Me and his television series TV Nation and The Awful Truth were fun and cutting at the same time. He loved to exploit the hypocrisy and greediness of corporate America. He was and is inventive in his style even though some of his “don’t you care” ambushes are a little hard to take. I loved his dissection of gun violence in Bowling for Columbine. Sure, his unlocked Canadian doors and Charlton Heston/Dick Clark ambushes were unfortunate, but he made up for it with insightful interviews with Marilyn Manson and showing us the animated History of America. Michael Moore’s documentaries (much like Morgan “Super Size Me” Spurlock’s) are entertaining but also spark discussion. I’ll grant that Fahrenheit 9/11 was less fun and I got sick of his hypothetical “maybe he was thinking” stuff but it still got people talking. I find that Sicko is similar in this vein; it’s not as ‘entertaining’ as Bowling for Columbine, but it does make you think.

In Sicko, Moore thankfully spends some time behind the camera as he bashes the American health system. With a scary look at insurance practices and hospital costs, Moore definitely wants his audience to question their government. To show the glaring inadequacies of American health care, Moore travels around the world to explore how other countries treat their sick. As we all know, Moore is in love with Canada so he comes here first to feign shock at our ‘free’ health care. Of course, Moore always goes to smaller Canadian suburbs instead of Toronto or Vancouver, just so he can showcase the quick waiting room service and ‘free’ hospital stays. The Canadian citizens he interviews always seem to forget that they pay taxes, which in turn provides them with ‘free’ healthcare.

What I found interesting was the healthcare in England and France. I like what England does with their medication prices and France appears to be a birthing heaven with its free nannies who make you dinner and do your laundry. Of course, this is from Moore’s point of view so I take it with a grain of salt. Again, people and Moore seem to ignore the taxes that they pay and where that money goes. But regardless, it is still interesting to see how it’s done in other countries without having to do all the research. Moore lays it on thick when he brings 9/11 volunteers to Cuba but it’s what I’ve come to expect. He ends on a high note with a response to a damaging website and even includes a way for Americans to hook up with Canadians to benefit from our healthcare system.

I think you should watch this film even if it’ll make you angry. Just ignore the Michael Moore aspect and look at the state of health care. Sure it’s one-sided but I bet you’ll be talking about it as soon as you leave the theatre. And I think that’s all he’s hoping for, starting the discussion.

Harry Potter V

As I was sitting in the movie theatre watching the “guess-which-movie” slide show for the billionth time, an excited lady sitting next to me leaned over and asked if I was a Harry Potter fan. I didn’t know how to answer. I simply said, “I haven’t read the books, I just watch the movies, so you tell me.” So, I guess I’m not a true Harry Potter fan. The great thing for me is that I don’t get disappointed when the movie omits 'valuable details' from the book. It pays to be oblivious sometimes.

As much as I enjoy going to see the latest Harry Potter film, I never leave the theatre reveling in its greatness. All the movies contain fun storylines, interesting visual effects and great acting, but nothing profound. And sometimes that’s just fine with me. To be honest, this film was probably my least favourite of the series, but still managed to be enjoyable. If I had to rank the movies so far, I’d probably go 3, 1, 4, 2, 5. Azkaban had a special darkness to it and a fun time-shifting storyline. Philosopher’s Stone had the daunting but fun task of introductions. Goblet had the adventurous trials and nervous courting. Chamber has an interesting mystery. And I don’t know what Phoenix really has story-wise. The building of the army didn’t really grab me and the climactic battle was just okay. When I look back on the fifth installment, I’ll probably remember the characters more than the storyline.

The addition of the devilishly prim and proper Dolores Umbridge, played by the brilliant Imelda Staunton (Vera Drake), was a treat. Not only does her character infuriate both students and the audience, she also represents the director/author’s views on the government interfering with the education system. As a teacher myself, I had to laugh at the importance of Hogwart’s standardized tests.

Of course, my favourite character in the Harry Potter universe is Severus Snape. And yes, I know that his part becomes bigger in the next two books/films. I enjoy listening to every word drip out of Alan Rickman’s mouth as he portrays the slippery Snape. His scene with Umbridge is classic as is the quick flashback that was surprisingly reminiscent of my favourite ten seconds of Ratatouille. It put Snape is a whole new light and I look forward to seeing him strut his stuff in the next couple films.

I will admit that Daniel Radcliff has come a long way since his first turn as the famous Harry Potter. I guess that naked stableboy role in Equus helped. Also, when you’re working with the likes of British acting royalty like Richard Griffiths, Gary Oldman, Jason Issacs, Emma Thompson, Robbie Coltrane, Maggie Smith, Michael Gambon, Brendan Gleeson, Ralph Fiennes, Imelda Staunton and Alan Rickman, you really can’t go wrong. I’m sure these thespians have been a wonderful source of acting methods and stories. I am truly impressed that the Harry Potter films have been able to employ some of the greatest actors of our time and kept them around for the entire run of the series. But then again, can you blame these actors for wanting to be a part of a ground-breaking series of books that have reinvigorated children’s interest in reading?

For me, I’ll stick to the movies for now. I already know who dies in the sixth book and I’m sure I’ll know how the whole thing ends way before Deathly Hallows makes it to the screen. But I’ll enjoy the films anyway. They’re fun. And sometimes that’s all I need. So watch the film. Enjoy. And wonder why the giant looks just like Alfred E Newman from MAD magazine. Go ahead, tell me I’m wrong.

Happy Anniversary

So it’s hard to believe that I’ve been doing this blogging thing for a whole year. After 68 posts and over 60 movie reviews, I’m still not sick of this. It does surprise me that I have written this much. I never enjoyed doing essays in school, yet I seem to have no problem filling many paragraphs with my opinions on film and television. I hope the reviews have been helpful over this past year. If you have any suggestions to make this blog better for pop culture junkies, just let me know. I guess that’s my only regret when it comes to writing blogs; I have no idea how many people are actually reading this. I only know of a couple of people who tell me they read my reviews. I wish there was a way to have a counter tell me how many people have visited. (Maybe there is and I’m too stupid to know how it works.) If you are a regular reader of my blog, drop me a comment. I’d love to know who I’m writing for. Think of it as a Facebook friends list.

Here’s to another year.

Upcoming reviews: Harry Potter V, Sicko, Hairspray, The Simpsons Movie
Upcoming features: Top Ten Episodes, Emmy Nominations, Fall TV Preview

Ratatouille

There is scene in Ratatouille that is roughly ten seconds long. It is the best scene Pixar has ever created (and that’s saying something). It was instant. It brought tears to my eyes. It made me laugh so hard the volume couldn’t even come out. It was simply brilliant. And I’m not going to tell you what goes on this climactic moment of excellence, but if you have seen this film you know exactly which scene I am talking about.

Ratatouille is deserving of all its critical praise. There is little wonder how this film got 97% on Rotten Tomatoes. Brad Bird and Pixar know what they are doing. I haven’t seen Pixar screw up yet. Every film they put out is great fun for both kids and parents alike. Pixar is a five-course meal compared to the microwave burritos put out by Dreamworks Animation. Even the Pixar shorts (in this case a fun alien romp called Lifted) are better than Shrek. The animation is so crisp and the stories are so well told, you simple have to marvel at the genius of Pixar. Of course, a lot of credit should also be given to Brad Bird. This former Simpsons writer, is responsible for The Incredibles and The Iron Giant (both on my greatest animation list). Bird knows how to get you involved with the characters and tell an interesting story with powerful messages. All other animators should take a Brad Bird seminar in order to perfect their craft.

Here is a sampling, an appetizer if you will, of what I loved in Ratatouille. The character designs. The water sequence. The Paris visuals. The squeaking. The design of Ego’s study. Ego’s critic speech. The realistic reaction to rats. The quick cut of the health inspector. The thumb. The love story. The message of knowing who you are. The wet rat look. And of course, the ten second scene. I also love that this movie doesn’t rely on celebrity voices. People might remember Patton Oswald as Spence from King of Queens, but he’s hardly a household name. Granted, Peter O’Toole is recognizable as the miserly food critic, Anton Ego, but most of the actors disguise their voices in French accents. It’s hard to place Janeane Garofalo as the love interest or Pixar favourite John Ratzenberger as a waiter. Of course, now you’ll probably be listening for it.

And while I think Ratatouille is an excellent film, there are two things that bothered me. The first is the disturbing image of rats running through a building. While Remy, the main rat, is cute, the rest of the clan is a little hard to take. I kept thinking of the plague. There is scene that is reminiscent of Cinderella with all the rats working, but this version kind of creeps me out. Maybe that was intentional. I’m not quite sure. The other thing that bothered me were the supporting characters. While Finding Nemo and Cars are rich with funny and strange individuals, this film kind of backed off from them. Don’t get me wrong, the main characters and even some supporting characters are well fleshed out and interesting, but in one scene they quickly gloss over the other chefs in the kitchen. I wanted to see and hear them a bit more. Maybe they were cut for time. I also thought they could have given Remy’s brother a few more quirks. By these are minor quibbles.

Ratatouille is awesome. I think you should see it in the theatre. The fine-hair animation looks great on the big screen. But then again, if you have HD, you can probably see that at home too. Personally, I would spend ten bucks just to see that ten-second scene again. Seriously, it’s that amazing.

Transformers

I remember seeing the first teaser trailer. The audience was confused by the Mars Rover footage, then we saw the robotic silhouette and the murmuring began. Then the title Transformers appeared on the screen and there was a testosterone cheer that shook the theatre. This is the movie everyone’s been waiting for. It was even given the ludicrous MTV Movie Award for Best Summer Movie You Haven’t Seen. My expectations were high at first, until I saw the first full image of a transformer. As those who have talked to me in the last couple months know, I had some issues with the movie from day one but I’ll get to them after I tell you about the good stuff.

Transformers is the typical Michael Bay film. It has the slow-motion low angle 180 degree arc around the main character as he slowly gets up. It has the soldier silhouettes walking around a hangar. It has the slow motion Americana shots of people and buildings just before they get obliterated. It has the highly explosive action sequences you have come to know and love. It has the music that is reminiscent of The Rock and Armageddon combined. And it has the wide array of main and supporting characters with great one-liners mixed with action movie clichés. I like Michael Bay films. I like Bad Boys, The Rock, Armageddon, The Island, Bad Boys II and even Pearl Harbor. (The latter one for the action and characters, not the historical content.) So this film was right up my alley when it came to the filmmaking. Michael Bay knows how to move the camera. There is a great shot of a transformer changing overtop a woman standing in the street; it looks awesome. So visually this movie rocks.

The human cast also does some fine work. I didn’t think that I would like Shia LaBeouf (Holes, Disturbia, Indy 4). He was great. He plays Sam Witwicky, the nervous teenager, perfectly and keeps the energy going throughout the movie. His love interest, played by Megan Fox (Hope & Faith), does a good job stringing him along. Anthony Anderson is very funny as a signal analyst and Bernie Mac is fun to watch as a car dealer. John Turturro goes slightly overboard as an FBI agent but still manages to make it work. Sam’s parents, played by Kevin Dunn and Julie White, are hysterical, as they don’t know how to deal with their son. Josh Duhamel (Las Vegas) and Tyrese Gibson (2 Fast 2 Furious) are your cliché spouting soldiers and Rachael Taylor plays the “typical” unbelievably hot signal analyst. Apparently, the government only hires good-looking people. No Ugly Bettys here. Probably the biggest waste of talent is Jon Voight, who is usually menacing but is given very little to do in this film.

So the cinematography is great, the cast is great and even the story works. Well, except for the fact that they decide to hide a valuable object in a highly-populated area so more people can accidentally get injured or killed.. So what’s wrong with the film? I think it’s the transformers themselves. Now I want to preface this by saying that I’m not trying to be a LOTR-type purist, but if you’re going to mine my childhood for some quick cash, you better make it look how I remember it.

Now there are some things I have come to terms with regarding the design of the Autobots. At first, I was annoyed that Bumblebee was made into a Camero instead of the classic VW bug, but I head that Volkswagon was asking for an insane amount of money, so Michael Bay said screw you. It also makes a scene where Bumblebee wrecks a VW that much more funny. I was also not a big fan of the muscular design of the transformers. I remember them looking more boxy instead of this toned figure with every little car part adding to its muscle mass. But then again, there have been newer anime cartoons of the Transformers so maybe that’s where they got the new sleeker inspiration. I was very happy that they got Peter Cullen to reprise his role as the voice of Optimus Prime. I also like the attitudes they gave the rest of the Autobots; it not only reminded me of the series but they also took a step further. I still laugh when I think of Optimus Prime saying “My bad.” There is a fantastic scene in Transformers where the Autobots are trying to hide in Sam’s backyard. This is what made the movie work for me. So there, I loved the Autobots. Too bad they screwed up the Decepticons.

For those who grew up with the Transformers, I’m sure you remember the Insectacons and Constructicons, but the big three baddies were Megatron, Starscream and Soundwave. All three are ruined in Michael Bay’s Transformers. First of all, Megatron is a gun, not a jet. And while I think Hugo Weaving does great evil voices, why not get Frank Welker, who did Megatron’s voice from 1984-1987, to come back. He’s does Santa’s Little Helper’s voice on The Simpsons, I’m sure he was available. I was also annoyed at the voice of Starsceam. He’s supposed to be whiny. The original was Chris Latta who also did Cobra Commander’s voice, but he unfortunately died in 1994. Still, Charles Adler could have made Starsceam more annoying.

The one villain who got the shaft was Soundwave. Sure, Soundwave is a tapedeck and the kids would get confused, but he’s a classic. Now at first I thought they had reduced this character to a Dead Like Me-type graveling instead of the towering monotone foot soldier he is. But looking through the credits, the gremlin creature is named Frenzy, who happens to be one of the cassette henchman Soundwave controls, much like Ravage and Rumble. So, I guess I can forgive that as well. My main issue with the Decepticons in this film is that they aren’t given enough personality. Action movies need dynamic villains. This is the one place where Michael Bay’s Transformers fails.

For some, the villain thing is minor issue and I realize I’m a bit of a freak when it comes to things like this. In conclusion, you should definitely see this film in the theatre. Like you need me to tell you that. It’s the eye-candy you’ve been waiting for and as they say throughout the film, it’s more than meets the eye. And it’s more than meets the trailer.

Reviews coming soon: Ratatouille

Live Free or Die Hard

The name Die Hard is synonymous with action flick. When it came out in 1988, it not only propelled Bruce Willis into stardom, but it also changed the nature of the action genre. What was so cool about Die Hard was that almost the entire film took place inside the Nakatomi Building. (Well, that and Alan Rickman’s Hans Gruber is the bomb.) The film was so influential everything got compared to it: Under Siege was “Die Hard on a boat”, Passenger 57 was “Die Hard on a plane”, and Speed was “Die Hard on a bus.” So does the fourth installment, Live Free or Die Hard live up to the original? Of course not, but it is one hell of a ride. Most people would agree that Die Hard 2 was too self-referential and that Die Hard with a Vengeance was pretty sweet with the addition of Samuel L Jackson as Zeus, but I think Live Free or Die Hard might be my second favourite in the Die Hard series. Why is this film not as good as the first? Well, the joy of Die Hard for me is that it takes place in one restrictive location. Ever since, the series has gotten less and less restrictive: from building to airport to New York to the entire Eastern Seaboard. I’m guessing Die Hard 5 will be international and Die Hard 6 will be in space. (There is talk of a fifth one.)

When you go into a Die Hard film you need to expect the following: taunting comments from Willis’ John McClane, stunts that are way beyond the realm of possibility, and a “yippee-ki-yay motherfucker.” Check. Check. And Check (even though it’s muffled due to its first PG rating). Live Free or Die Hard has all that you should expect in a summer big-budget action flick. I walked out of the theatre entertained and a little deaf from the sound. Good times. Bruce Willis is back in his element as John McClane, the New York cop in the wrong place at the wrong time. He has the same smirk and same creative methods of putting away bad guys, but he gets beat up a little more easily this time around. Some of the bad guy deaths are a little grizzly but McClane always undercuts it with a sound of triumph and disgust. It’s those responses that seem to bring McClane down to earth despite his over-the-top stunts.

While I enjoyed Sam Jackson’s banter with Willis in Vengeance, I loved seeing Justin Long (Accepted, Ed, Mac commercials) taking on the role of sidekick. Long is very funny as geeky target, Matt Farrell. I loved how his character is so impressed with everything John McClane does. It’s like he’s channeling the audience. The differences in age and skill definitely add to the chemistry between Willis and Long. The supporting characters do fine work as well. Timothy Olyphant (Go, Deadwood) is fun to watch as the cyber-villain of this installment. He’s no Alan Rickman or Jeremy Irons, but what do you expect? He may not be as lethal but he gets to have some fun lines as he demeans his crew. Maggie Q (MI:III) is awesome as Olyphant’s kick-ass assistant. She is both sexy and scary in her combat scenes with Willis. I wonder why she wasn’t the one in charge? Kevin Smith (Clerks, Catch & Release) also makes a cameo in the film as a fellow hacking nerd.

The story of using computers to shut down America worked for me. I like that John McClane is out of his element when it comes to technology; it only serves to strengthen his dependence on Justin Long’s character. But what I really liked about Live Free or Die Hard is that McClane’s family is back on the line. With the kidnapping of Lucy McClane (now all growed up), there is something more to fight for. I think that was the element missing from Vengeance.

This is a movie to see on the big screen. This is what the big screen is made for. Live Free or Die Hard is full of intense action sequences that will lose its power on the smaller television or computer screen. The freeway tunnel accidents won’t have the same impact at home. Oh, but if you’re looking for realism, you might want to stay away. I mean Willis jumps from a shot-up rig to an out-of-control jet wing to a destroyed highway while avoiding a giant fireball. But that’s John McClane. That’s Die Hard.

Reviews coming soon: Transformers, Ratatouille

1408

I usually know what movies I’m going to watch each summer; it’s pretty much planned out in May. I know I’m a freak. Every once in a while, a movie comes in under the radar, a movie I haven’t even heard about, but is getting lots of critical acclaim so I have to watch it. 1408 is one of those movies. It’s a ninety-minute suspense thriller adapted from a Stephen King short story starring John Cusack. I’m sold.

This movie is must see. The basic plot is John Cusack plays a writer who travels around and debunks haunted hotels and such. Then he hears about Room 1408 in The Dolphin Hotel. He takes the “challenge” and asks Samuel L Jackson’s hotel manager if there are “ghosts or specters” haunting the place to which Jackson ominously replies, “It’s an evil fucking room”. And that it is. The room has a mind of its own as it gives Cusack’s Mike Enslin one hour to live. Now in case you’re wondering, this movie isn’t torture porn like Saw and Hostel; it isn’t gory and there is only a little blood. What this film does have is suspense and disturbing images. It’s a psychological thriller. I would say it’s like The Shining with a much faster pulse.

John Cusack gives a tour-de-force performance in this film. Basically, it’s just him in Room 1408 for an hour. Cusack’s Mike Enslin goes through a wide range of emotions as the room starts to toy with him. I found his skepticism to be easily relatable and the audience gets pulled along as Enslin slowly gets convinced of the evil presence within the hotel room. What I actually found impressive was how well Cusack could cry. I have seen a lot of male actors try to cry on film and it usually looks terrible. The tears coming out of Cusack were totally believable. This guy is a much better actor than people give him credit for. This movie is worth it for just the acting experience alone.

Of course, it’s Stephen King’s brilliant story that keep the audience on their toes. If you are a fan of suspense, there are a couple of things you can see coming but then there are twists that will throw you for a loop. What’s really weird is that the pace of this movie is quick even though not much is happening on the screen at times. One of the things I love most about 1408 is that it’s only ninety minutes long. They tell their story and they finish it well. Hollywood seems to think that I want to see longer movies in order to get my money’s worth. That couldn’t be further from the truth. I would much rather see a well-plotted, well-acted hour and half over a poorly-scripted, three-hour mess any day.

In conclusion, if you like suspense, you have to see this movie. I won’t take no for an answer. You really gotta trust me on this one.

Reviews coming soon: Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers, Ratatouille

Evan Almighty

This is likely to be the review that most people will disagree with but I actually enjoyed Evan Almighty. Sure it has many flaws, most of which I would usually use against the film, but I still found myself liking what happened. Now, bear in mind, I went in with the lowest of expectations; it was basically Steve Carrell that got me into the theatre seat. You have to admit that Carrell is on a roll right now. However, if you are hoping for Bruce Almighty caliber, keep hoping. This film is a little more restrictive than Bruce but I’ll get to that in a minute. Let’s start with the flaws.

If you remember in Bruce Almighty, Steve Carrell and his gibberish newscast practically stole the film from Jim Carrey. That’s an impressive feat. Carrell played Evan Baxter, a pretentious news anchor who’s basically a jerk. In Evan Almighty, this character is now a nice, clean freak with some slight family issues. Apparently, Evan did a 180-degree character shift since that last film. That’s the first flaw. The second is the wife’s utter disbelief. Even though Joan Baxter, played by the loveable Lauren Graham (Gilmore Girls) is a good Christian wife who is all for reading the Bible and praying, she cannot accept the fact that her husband is turning into Noah. Evan is able to grow amazing facial hair overnight, he is in possession of enough wood to build a gigantic ark, exotic animals are following him home, what’s not to believe? I think the constantly growing facial hair is enough of a sign. What reason would he have to lie? The last major flaw in Evan Almighty, is the horrific cast/crew karaoke over the credits. Evan’s little victory dance (trying to match Carrey’s “It’s good” catchphrase) is blown out of proportion to the grating sounds of C+C Music Factory’s “Everybody Dance Now”. It was a terrible decision. There’s Something About Mary’s “Build Me Up Buttercup” and 40 Year Old Virgin’s “Aqaurius” were right on the money; this was anything but. What an unfortunate end.

But here’s what I liked about Evan Almighty. The story was simple. I had to laugh at one of the critics who complained that the story was too simplistic. In a time where the complex storylines of Spiderman III and Pirates III are sinking franchises, give me simplicity. The story is a nice modern-day version of Noah and the building of the ark. There is an unnecessary sub-plot about the wrecking of the environment but I can easily forgive that. The supporting characters do their job; the usually irritating Wanda Sykes gets a few good one-liners and John Goodman plays a good-enough bad guy. The standout for me was Jonah Hill (Accepted, Knocked Up) as Eugene, the knowledgeable intern. This is one funny guy with fantastic comedic timing. I’m looking forward to his work in Superbad with Arrested Development’s Michael Cera. Of course, Morgan Freeman is wonderful as God. He has the perfect mix of kindness, humour and seriousness. And even though Evan is now a kindler, gentler man, Steve Carrell still gets to have some fun.

Evan Almighty is not as outrageous as Bruce Almighty but there are two big reasons for that. First, it’s rated G. This is meant to be a family film; therefore things need to be a bit tamer. There’s no orgasm jokes in this one. Some of the fun is meant solely for the kids, like birds pooping on people. The second reason is that we’re now dealing with a Biblical character. Bruce was just a wacky individual who challenged God; Noah is figure from the Old Testament. This film is more respectful in tone; it doesn’t feel the need to become blasphemous. So there isn’t as much edginess in Evan Almighty; it’s a different movie, despite the same director and some returning actors. You need to ignore the Bruce Almighty factor if you want to truly enjoy this film. I’m sure some of you will say that the movie is too simple and preachy. Maybe I was just in the mood for that. Sue me.

Reviews coming soon: 1408, Live Free or Die Hard, Transformers

Ocean's Thirteen

I loved Ocean’s Eleven. I thought it was slick, funny and exciting. George Clooney’s suaveness, Brad Pitt’s eating, Matt Damon’s deer-in-headlights look, Scott Caan and Casey Affleck’s bickering, Bernie Mac’s racial taunting, Don Cheadle’s gleeful pyrotechnics; this film was so much fun to watch. The lines were sharp, the cinematography was smooth, and the story sailed. It was one of my favourite movies of 2001.

I didn’t like Ocean’s Twelve. I thought it was tired, pompous and slow. George Clooney and Brad Pitt are left in jail with most of the gang. Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Scott Caan and Julia Roberts are left to do all the dirty work. Catherine Zeta-Jones was boring, the locations weren’t hip and the dialogue was too tongue-in-cheek. It’s like the cast was having fun but didn’t let the audience participate in it. It was poor use of resources.

I really like Ocean’s Thirteen. The slick, funny and exciting elements are back. It’s like this group of well-connected stars are apologizing to their audience. Director Steven Soderbergh actually wanted to call the movie Ocean’s Thirteen: The One We Should Have Made Last Time. (I’m guessing the studio wouldn’t let him.) It’s still not as good as the first one, but that’s a pretty hard thing to do. I was just happy to be having fun again.

The story of revenge is a great device to bring the group back together again, sans Julia Roberts and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Thank God). The task of rigging an entire casino to loose millions in 3.5 minutes is both challenging and fun to watch. I’m a big fan of heist movies, especially ones where they let you in on how it can be accomplished. Of course there will be some ‘unforseen’ snags but that just adds to the excitement. This was one of the elements missing from Twelve; they didn’t show you what happened until the very end, leaving the audience out of the loop and scratching their head. Trying to trick a casino is next to impossible, which makes this story so fascinating and enjoyable. From rigging shufflers to weighting dice, the task has each member of the thirteen doing what they do best.

As much as I like the work of George Clooney and Brad Pitt, I loved the supporting players in this one. Caan and Affleck’s Malloy brothers are hilarious as they take part in a protest. Matt Damon, with the large fake nose, is great as the nervous seducer. And conversations with the Amazing Yen are hysterical. I love how there are no subtitles and the rest of the characters simply know the language. Al Pacino did his smarmy best as Willie Bank, but that should be expected. I think my only surprise was the lack of Bernie Mac in this installment. Even though his name is on top of the bill, he wasn’t given much to do this time around.

My only disappointment with this movie was that Topher Grace didn’t have a cameo. His scenes as a terrible card player and destructive actor in the first two films were hysterical. I would have loved to see a small moment with Grace and Pitt. But that’s all I have for complaints. I had fun watching this movie. Granted my expectations were low. Not only was this a threequel, but I was suckered by the Ocean Twelve ads before and didn’t want to be fooled again. So maybe that’s the trick: expect to see Twelve's caliber and you’ll be overjoyed with lucky Thirteen.

Reviews coming soon: Evan Almighty, 1408, Live Free or Die Hard

Knocked Up

“From the people who brought you The 40 Year Old Virgin . . .” actually means something. I hate those ads that say, “the studio that brought you”, who cares what a studio did? I want to see the next project from the same director, actors and writers. These people who brought us The 40Year Old Virgin, a movie that while raunchy had a heart at its core and cemented Steven Carrell as a star, have now given us Knocked Up. Like Virgin, this film also contains some over-the-top disgusting scenes but despite that, you end up caring about the characters.

You can thank writer/director/producer Judd Apatow for giving this movie a strong base. It’s kinda like Apatow bakes the cake and the actors add all the frosting and sprinkles on it to make it even more delectable. I’ve been watching Apatow’s earlier TV work on The Larry Sanders Show and have found that this writer/director knows how to perfectly mix the crass, the realistic and the heart. I find it both funny and sad, that when he made his critically acclaimed shows Freaks & Geeks and Undeclared, America and the networks practically shunned him and now he is one of the most sought after comedy writer/directors in Hollywood. If you haven’t seen Apatow’s early stuff, you should definitely go down to the video store and rent these gems. I’m sure you’ll recognize most of the cast.

Seth Rogen is awesome. I love that the poster of Knocked Up is just his face with the tag line “What if this guy got you pregnant?” Rogen has always been good at interjecting the hysterical one-liners in film and television, but in this movie he has to do so much more. The audience needs to care what happens to him, and I think he pulls it off beautifully. He still has the crackling wit and dumb-guy humour, but he also manages to have (I’ll keep saying it) heart. One of the funniest moments for me was when his Ben Stone character is describing his BC heritage, seeing as Rogen is actually from Vancouver. I’m looking forward to Rogen’s work in Superbad which comes out soon. He is a funny, funny guy.

Along with Rogen is the surprisingly funny Paul Rudd as Pete. Rudd’s earlier work included Clueless, The Object of My Affection and Romeo + Juliet, now he’s this extremely funny guy in Friends, Anchorman and 40 Year Old Virgin. He works very well with Rogen as was evidenced in their “You know how I know you’re gay” routine from Virgin. Katherine Heigl (Grey’s Anatomy) and Leslie Mann (Big Daddy) do a great job as the counterparts to these funny guys. The rest of the cast have small but incredibly funny roles throughout the film including Jason Segel (Freaks, How I Met Your Mother), Jay Baruchel (Undeclared, Million Dollar Baby) Jonah Hill (Accepted) and Alan Tudyk (Dodgeball, Serenity). Some of the standouts are Kristen Wiig who channels her quiet, cutting down character from SNL, and Ryan Seacrest playing himself as a total jerk. I was also amazed that Harold Ramis (Ghostbusters, Orange County) actually looks like he could be Rogen’s dad.

The story of Knocked Up contains a good message about taking responsibility, just like 40 Year Old Virgin talked about waiting until marriage. And while some of the scenes seem a little sitcomy and cliché with their montage sequences, there are plenty of laugh-out loud moments that will keep you laughing through the next scene. I will never look at hotel chairs the same way again. This movie is definitely for an older crowd and not intended for young teenagers. If you liked The 40 Year Old Virgin, you’ll like Knocked Up; I’m not going to say better or worse, because I really feel that they are equal in story, quality and humour. I guess that’s what you get when you get a movie “from the people who brought you . . .”

Reviews coming soon: Ocean’s 13, Evan Almighty, 1408, Live Free or Die Hard

Hot Fuzz

It’s a shame Hot Fuzz didn’t get more exposure in North America. In the UK, this film was a smashing success; here it was barely seen. I think the name of the movie had something to do with it. To some it sounds dirty, even if it is referring to the police. I would say maybe it was because Americans aren’t huge fans of British humour, but that wouldn’t explain the success of Snatch or Monty Python. In fact, Shaun of the Dead, which was made by the Hot Fuzz people, did very well. So colour me confused.

Hot Fuzz is the very definition of homage. In my media class, I sometimes talk about the differences between parody and homage. A parody is often more specific and mocking in tone. Classic parodies are found in scenes from Airplane!, The Naked Gun, Hot Shots, and to a lesser degree Scary Movie. An homage is more respectful in tone and looks more at the style of filmmaking. Simon Pegg (Mission Impossible III), Nick Frost and director Edgar Wright have taken the big-budget Bruckheimer genre and turned it on its ear. Not only do they poke fun at the action genre, but they start to revel in it. You can tell that these people enjoy American action flicks, just like they enjoyed the zombie genre in Shaun of the Dead. I also enjoy the stereotypical summer action blockbuster, so this film was an absolute treat to watch.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost are a comedy dream team. They play perfectly off each other and have instant chemistry. In real life, these two have been friends for years and used be roommates, or flatmates as they would say in England, and it shows on the screen. With them are a number of gifted British actors including Martin Freeman (Hitchhiker, Love Actually, UK’s The Office), Bill Nighy (Hitchhiker, Love Actually, Pirates II & III), Jim Broadbent (Narnia, Gangs of New York, Moulin Rouge), Timothy Dalton (James Bond), and Cate Blanchett (Babel, Aviator, LOTR). Okay, Timothy Dalton is usually not considered a great actor, but he is definitely fun to see channeling Daniel Day-Lewis’ Bill the Butcher for this film. In any case, the acting is top notch and fun to watch.

The directing and camera-work of Edgar Wright is also masterful. Wright uses the Guy Ritchie (Snatch, Lock Stock & Two Smoking Barrels) style of editing to establish scenes and activities. Quick, close up flashes of objects to get you to the scenes quicker. And as we all know when it comes to comedy, quicker is better.

As a slight warning, there is quite a long lead up to the intensely funny showdown at the end of the film. There are a lot of thing introduced, but everything is there for a huge pay-off later in the film. It’s amazing how a simple sign reading “One Student at a Time Please” can be so funny when it is used near the end of the movie. The last half-hour is where the movie shines. Action movie clichés are demonstrated left and right as a small English town becomes a trigger-happy video game. And if you have seen films like Point Break and Bad Boys, you will definitely share in the glee. When I watch Bruckheimer films I often like to point out the quintessential Michael Bay shot that has the camera do a slow-motion low angle 180 degree arc around the main character as he slowly gets up to face what is ahead. Hot Fuzz nails this shot, it almost brought a tear to my eye.

Hot Fuzz can still be found in a couple of theatres but it’s coming out on DVD August 7. Download or buy it and enjoy, especially if you love the blow-em up action blockbusters as much as I do.

Reviews coming soon: Knocked Up, Ocean’s 13, Evan Almighty, 1408, Live Free or Die Hard