San Andreas

Late to the punch again on this one, and regretfully so. San Andreas certainly packs a blockbusting punch. Released during Memorial Day weekend earlier this summer, (Likely why I missed it, as I was enjoying the great outdoors that Maine has to offer) it premiered as the first major disaster movie in some time and as the natural movie one would go see after seeing Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson play a superhuman federal agent in Furious 7 the previous month.

Announced in 2011 by New Line Cinema, the movie has a plethora of writing credits from Jeremy Passmore and Andre Fabrizio, to Allan Loeb, who was brought in to polish the script, to Carlton Cuse (Lost) who re-wrote the script. One might assume that with all these writing designations and re-writes that this script was doomed from jump street, but I'm not sure if it was Cuse's re-write or somewhere prior but the final product is an often humorous script, that's paced well, includes obligatory emotional dialogue between the main players, but is also intelligent and witty.

Starring alongside Mr. Johnson are Carla Gugino and Alexandra Daddario, with the latter occupying more onscreen time, but the prior definitely showing that she is still able to hold her own. Daddario who plays the teenage daughter of Johnson and Gugino's characters, steals many a scene with her stunning expressions of shock and fear that light up in her eyes, which in turn light up the screen. Daddario certainly makes a case for being Hollywood's next femme fatale a la Angelina Jolie, as she utilizes adept survival skills scurrying for her life through earthquake ravaged San Francisco. Hugo Johnstone-Burt and Art Parkinson play a pair of British brothers, who's savvy casting adds a welcome dynamic to the movie.

The movie was shot in Australia, at Village Roadshow Studios, as well as in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Bakersfield, CA. The result is very inclusive movie that leans effectively on the differences of these locales in making them pseudo-characters in the movie. Toss in some rather stunning CGI and the imagination and gall it takes to depict the destruction of popular, major metropolitan areas like LA and SF and you get a blockbuster that is more than worthy of seeing.

Jurassic World

Being that it has been nearly two years since my last post, I thought this blog could use a current movie review.. And why not review a summer blockbuster the week that fall just officially begun!?

I may be late to the party on one of the most successful movies of the summer, but the reason is because I was waiting for a particular friend to watch it with.. Low and behold she didn't wait for me though! 

Jurassic World, Universal Studios behemoth tent-pole of a movie, plays out on the screen similar to how you would expect a movie of it's background and budget to play out. There's of course the exotic locations, massive exterior cinematographic shots with hundreds of extras, and the nostalgic nods to the film's predecessors. But, the film is essentially a reboot of the franchise started in 1993 by Steven Spielberg and Co. 

Gone are familiar faces like Jeff Goldblum, Samuel L. Jackson, Julianne Moore, Vince Vaughn, and others who joined the franchise after the success of the first installment. The reboot is in capable acting hands though with Chris Pratt (Community, Guardians of the Galaxy) and Bryce Dallas Howard (The Help), in the leading roles. They exchange pleasantries and reminisce on not so fond dating memories in a well-written, adeptly acted scene where Howard's character enlists the help of Pratt's character. 

The charm of Jurassic Park, at least for me watching as an adolescent, was experiencing the world that the film created through the eyes of its young stars. I'm sure many from my generation can attest to having nightmares from the infamous scene in the kitchen with the velociraptors. But, that novel charm is missing from this movie, instead the producer's and director, Colin Trevorrow, did what many (with deep film financing pockets) tend to do, they decided to spend voraciously on computer generated images that they believed would shock and wow audiences causing them to forget about what it is that made them love that Michael Crichton-adapted movie from the 90's. At time's this worked well enough for me, and others it did not, but ultimately it was a fun two hour ride.       

Don Jon

Joseph Gordon-Levitt has really been beating the pavement to garner publicity for his directorial debut, Don Jon, from a screenplay that he also penned. Gordon-Levitt plays the lead role of, Jon Martello, a quick-talking, ball busting, slick operating Italian twenty-something, who manages to pick up ladies like no one's business clad in only a cut-off tank. The role is one that many men will certainly be envious of, perhaps even more jealous of his co-star, Scarlett Johansson, who plays the role of, Barbara Sugarman, a voluptuous thick Jersey-accented "dime-piece" with a trunk full of attitude. Throw in Tony Danza, as his "chip off the old block" father, Glenne Headley, and Julianne Moore, and you have a supporting cast that is ripe with enriching performances and cross demographic appeal that is sure to score this movie a solid opening weekend. But, leave it to Brie Larson, who plays Gordon-Levitt's sister, Monica, to progress the plot in a significant way with her only two lines of the entire script.

Don Jon, seems a bit redundant and perverted at time's but, if you can make it past these moments you're in for a surprisingly candid movie that depicts the digressions that contemporary couples face in today's dating world. Two thumb's up to Gordon-Levitt for taking a chance with this one and striking a solid chord in the overly factory-churned out world, that has become the norm for Hollywood of late.

The Place Beyond The Pines

Place Beyond the Pines, is the latest picture from Derek Cianfrance, director of Blue Valentine. Cianfrance directed, Ryan Gosling, in both films and after seeing PBTP, I can see why Gosling wanted to be paired with the director again. It's a pretty risky film to decide to direct; following up the critical success of a movie like, Blue Valentine. But, Cianfrance who's worked with the likes of Run DMC and P. Diddy, wasn't deterred in the least. He attracted other A-list talent like, Eva Mendes, Rose Byrne, and Bradley Cooper to his well-written, well paced screenplay and the finished product is a picture that does stay with you, so to speak. It depicts how the trials and tribulations of life come to make a man, and how they can break him. It shows how fatherhood can skip a generation, but how those who hope to have the chance at it, sometimes never realize it. It's a clever picture, with great performances, and it's worth a watch.

Flight

Flight, is a harrowing dramatic picture that portrays a brief period in the life of a misguided heroic pilot, played by Denzel Washington. If you've seen the trailers and other promo for this movie, you've unfortunately seen pretty much the majority of what this movie has to offer. I have a difficult time as well, kind of callously dismissing any cinematic effort from Denzel Washington, but this one has a good bit about it, that I've already dismissed. Don't get me wrong, there is a lot of good to take from this, but perhaps my expectations from Washington, and Robert Zemeckis, the movie's director/producer, were a bit too lofty. Also too worth mentioning, Flight seems like the type of movie that doesn't give away too complete of a picture of it's intended message.

Briefly touching on a few critiques from some of Hollywood's more reputable critics, Denzel's performance is lauded as being "one of the best in his career" in terms of depicting a train-wreck of a person, wrapped in such a heroic act that it splits not only the audience, trying to figure out whether or not they should hate this guy or applaud him for being able to do what no other expert could. But, it not only casts this difficult decision on the audience as a whole, but as a moviegoer it makes you have to personally decide which side your on, as well. How can I man throw away what seemed like a solid relationship and a beautiful family away, for bottle after bottle of intoxicating spirits? Yea sure, it can be simple, easy momentary escape, but it always come with repercussions and you can't always call on a "Harling Mays'-esque" character to come and reset your battery. If there's one overall theme to take away from this effort from Zemeckis, is a completely jaded protagonist who's always gotten away with the stupid decisions he's made in the past, but on one given day, the repercussions got too be much for him, and there wasn't really anywhere to escape to. Washington's character provides for an interesting scene at the end of this one, that provides for some post-fallout commentary/discussion about the movie.. But I wont spoil it.

John Goodman's character, although afforded little camera time, does more than steal a scene, he may have also kick started the movie when it really needed a boost. Don Cheadle, is clever and dominant in his supporting role, in a major scene that really required him to be. Kelly Reilly, another actress, who's work is worthy of mention, provides Washington's character with an equally troubled counterpart upon which to massage and mold, Whip Whitaker (The character Washington portrays), into the final product which he see him as, during the deposition before, Melissa Leo's character, Ellen Block and the rest of the NTSB panel.

Flight, is a good movie, but unfortunately with the current crop of films playing, and title's like Lincoln and Skyfall, coming soon, I can't fully recommend using haste to see this one, but certainly see it, if your a Denzel fan or just really want to change your holiday travel plans.

End of Watch

End of Watch, may be the best movie to be released before we get into the more Oscar-minded releases of this fall season. In my opinion, not just the best cop movie in recent years, as one critic asserted, but probably the best police movie since Training Day. It fuses key elements of differing genres, in such a way that by the end of it, you're so enraptured by the protagonists, that the final scenes of the movie evoke a flood of emotion from moviegoers of both sexes.

David Ayer, produced this film, with a reported budget of $8 million. He's the auteur director/writer who penned, Training Day, the Fast and the Furious, Harsh Times, S.W.A.T, U-571, amongst other well reviewed films. Ayer is a master of depicting the lives of those who protect and serve. He's one of the best in Hollywood at portraying these men and women's lives with such realism, grit, and honesty. In this film, he created characters that his two stars, Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Peña, that audiences could easily relate to. I grew to like them both so much over the movies 109 minute running time, that the film's conclusion was very difficult for me stomach.

The supporting performances in this movie are fantastic, with my nod for best one going to, Anna Kendrick. America Ferrara gets a close second, while Natalie Martinez, rounds out a stellar cast.

End of Watch is more than worthy of the price of admission. See it before, the fall box office gets overloaded with other quality pictures.

The Bourne Legacy

The Bourne Legacy is the latest installment in the Bourne series, but it's sort of a reboot, as franchise mainstay, Matt Damon, decided he was done portraying Jason Bourne in 2011. A more than capable, Jeremy Renner, steps in for Damon, assuming the role of Aaron Cross, a highly trained "Black briar" operative. Tony Gilroy, director or 2007 Academy Award winning, Michael Clayton, helmed this movie as well as shared the writing duties with his brother, Tony.

Given the very high visibility that Matt Damon had as Jason Bourne, paired with the box office power of the previous films, this was a franchise that was going to be carefully handled through its transition phase by the studio, in this case, Universal. They chose a familiar, action/suspense movie-tested leading man, in Renner, and even added some notable actors like Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz. Both really brought exceptional performances that added considerable value to the production.

Unfortunately, there isn't too much that stuck out too me from this one, which must be a big bummer for execs at Universal, while breaking down its $125 million budget. But, following on the heels on, "The Bourne Ultimatum" was never going to be easy, although I think this movie served as a solid vehicle to transport the franchise from the Damon-era, into the Renner one. Overall, there's still a couple blockbusters in theaters that are a little bit more worthy of seeing than this one, but that's not to say it's not entertaining and worthy of the price of admission.