INDIANA JONES AND THE DIAL OF DESTINY Review

To no one's surprise James Mangold - a man who has made solid films across multiple genres - does well to craft a loving and honorable homage to Steven Spielberg. There is no broader a canvas on which to paint to Spielbergian strengths than an Indiana Jones adventure and Mangold does his best to utilize Spielberg's trademark sentimentality along with his own brand of sturdy and assured filmmaking concurrently for the purposes of, if nothing else, ensuring Harrison Ford's titular character is given a properly satisfying farewell. Though Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny may not reach the heights of the first or third entries it's a far more enjoyable film than the second and a much more gratifying experience than the fourth which is to say this follows two stone-cold classics as the third best film in the franchise; nothing to scoff at, especially given the star of this action film made it as a seventy-nine year-old. 

It is to the point of Mr. Ford's age that Dial of Destiny (and yes, I do think there could have been a better subtitle for this movie even if I'm not yet sure what that is yet) finds its true meaning beyond the chase for the MacGuffin and besides the establishing of supporting players that might continue this franchise elsewhere should Disney decide to do so (they shouldn't). That is to say, said titular MacGuffin is very purposefully made an agent of time manipulation in order to construct a story around not only the pursuit of artifacts and the pedigree and recognition that may come with as much, but more to emphasize the inability to go back and alter our regrets or act differently given a longer perspective. After the flashback-based opening set piece we are introduced to an unhappy Dr. Jones in 1969, a man out of time who doesn't even pretend to understand where he fits into the modern world or how optimism continues to exist. Indiana Jones is not who he once was no matter how much we or he would like him to be and dealing with this harsh truth and tackling it head on is largely what gives this fifth film that comes to us some forty-two years after Ford first donned the fedora the endearing quality that delivers on both the genuine entertainment and sincere send-off it delivers.

KNIGHT OF CUPS Review

More and more Terrence Malick's films are becoming a collection of interesting images and random thoughts more than anything resembling coherence. The dialogue is sparse, the music more integral than ever, and yet rather than getting better at telling stories through these tools it seems the auteur peaked with his first attempt at such a loose narrative in his masterpiece The Tree of Life. Much like the more in tune with itself To the Wonder Malick directs Knight of Cups as if he is writing a poem. And by doing so he continues to stray further and further from conventional methods despite exploring themes we've seen touched upon many times before. Of course, one can't dock a filmmaker for being unoriginal in this day and age as it is the way in which they explore these emotions that really counts. The approach is clearly what is to be appreciated here while it is the ability to actually convey the sense of emotion and conflict that Malick is exploring that is coming up short. Once again the director is touching upon something of a "meaning of life" quest though this time through the eyes of a Hollywood writer rather than a Southern family in 1950's Texas or a woeful couple and pastor in the open planes of Oklahoma. We enter this indulgent environment through the guise of Christian Bale. I say guise for despite the fact we see the physical representation of this well-known actor there isn't much to suggest the true nature of who this character he's playing is much less what his journey might be about. Rather, it seems Bale has been left to figure out as much about his character of "Rick" as we have. While such methods as giving your actors only a character description instead of a fully formed script might help in capturing the natural development of said character's state of mind, for the viewers this doesn't remain consistently engaging enough for us to care what journey these characters are going on. Even worse is the fact that Malick is using such storytelling techniques in order to elicit more emotion from his actors and in turn his audience, but with Knight of Cups these attempts feel emptier than ever. Whereas Tree of Life really transcended the large themes the director was tackling through his pure filmmaking artistry Knight of Cups feels as numb as the Hollywood lifestyle it looks to comment upon.

First Trailer for Terrence Malick's KNIGHT OF CUPS

It was announced yesterday that one of the two Terrnece Malick films shot in 2012 would finally be making its debut at the 2015 Berlin Film Festival. Malick is such a reclusive director that any such news is good news and things only became more real when we also received a trailer for the film. I've been a fan of Malick before I realized who Malick was, salivating over the visuals and restrained approaches in The Thin Red Line and The New World before allowing The Tree of Life to blow my mind and subsequently forcing me to dig back deeper into his filmography. Lately, Malick has been producing at a much faster rate than he ever has before and while reviews were something of a mixed bag for 2013's To The Wonder I enjoyed what the director was doing and couldn't be more excited to see what he does next. It seems next he has chosen to tackle the Hollywood lifestyle and the easy corruption and distraction that such a path can create in taking us away from what may be the more valuable things in life. It certainly feels like something of a departure for Malick especially considering his last two features have been chock full of the countryside and the encapsulation of what could be called "the simple life." It is ultimately thrilling to see the director we may now think of as not necessarily limited, but more focused on one area of life to break out and try something vastly different. Titled Knight of Cups and starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Natalie Portman, Antonio Banderas, Brian Dennehy, Isabel Lucas, Imogen Poots, Wes Bentley, Freida Pinto, Teresa Palmer and Armin Mueller-Stahl the film will make its premiere in February and presumably show up in theaters some time next year.

THE EXPENDABLES 3 Review

Sylvester Stallone has defied what it means to be restless. The guy is beyond restless, he is still hungry and at 68 that is truly astonishing. You might think he and half of his co-stars in this third flick in the Expendables franchise might be tired of going through the motions and introducing new characters who are old friends with simple backstories, but defy you they will and with The Expendables 3 Stallone and crew have turned up the volume while toning down the blood and the swearing. I will admit to always having a good amount of fun with these movies and never really seeing any need to complain as they know what they are and more or less deliver on what they promise. To that point, I actually enjoyed what I can remember about the second one more than what I can remember about the first largely due to that finale where Stallone along with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis lined up and just gave us what we desperately hoped the first would deliver, not to mention the hand to hand combat showdown between Stallone and Jean Claude Van Damme. I appreciated the mixing of Stallone's mentality with Jason Statham who more or less is leading a new wave of action heroes today. These were elements we are meant to enjoy because of what they represent within the context of pop culture society and so I was at least appreciative for the countless winks and nods, the bad dialogue and the blood that spewed everywhere because that's what audiences wanted and that's what this mixed bag of knitty-gritty 80's stars and newly relevant tough guys planned to deliver. As we come to the third chapter in the saga though it is as if you can feel the toll the last two adventures have taken on our aging actioners no matter how much they try to mask it. The new rating wipes out a lot of the more honest aspects of what kind of relationships exist in a large group of all men and it certainly takes the CGI blood down a few notches (now there's just impact sounds!), but the elements of a large cast and a big action scene every now and then are still here, but the energy is clearly stalling.

New Trailer for THE EXPENDABLES 3

The Expendables films have not necessarily been good ones, but they have at least been good fun. I enjoyed the first one well enough to go see the second and the second one is so outrageous it almost bursts through its ceiling, but does well enough to maintain what this franchise set its sights on from the get-go. These aren't movies looking for high praise or top-caliber acting chops, but instead they are a mash-up of nostalgia and primitive movie-making that become as much an experiment as an experience. An experiment because they have, to this point, avoided computerized weaponry and other high-tech gadgets for pure, meat-headed bliss and an experience of nostalgia because it is what we expect from the mind of Sylvester Stallone. With the script penned by two others besides Stallone and the director chair taken by newcomer to the series Patrick Hughes I can only hope the series isn't getting away from what made the original so appealing in its premise and execution. These films are supposed to transcend current Hollywood trends and be nothing more than pure 80's pulp, but in what has become an ever changing roster of aging and up and coming action stars the films have been more about the expanding universe than the central conceit. Director of part two Simon West knew his way around an old-school action movie, but the text alone in this new trailer along with the sleek sky-diving shots against blue-lit buildings suggests something much more modern in the Expendables future. I can only hope Stallone reminded Hughes of this series' roots and that they keep this frame of mind intact as it would be a shame to waste the additions of Harrison Ford and Mel Gibson on a lousy third (and possibly final) act. The Expendables 3 also stars Wesley Snipes, Antonio Banderas, Kelsey Grammer, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Statham, Jet Li, Dolph Lundgren, Randy Couture, Terry Crews, Kellan Lutz, Ronda Rousey, Victor Ortiz, Glen Powell and opens August 15.

MACHETE KILLS Review

Remember six years ago when Robert Rodriguez and Quentin Tarantino decided to team-up and create an epic production that once and for all would pay obvious tribute to their love of exploitation films? It was awesome, right? Both Planet Terror and Death Proof had their own style and story while effectively re-creating the tone and look of those seedy, unrestrained 1970's flicks that weren't mainstream enough for big studios. While the combination of the two features were released under the banner, Grindhouse, the mainstream still didn't seem to take as much of a liking to the project as it ultimately wasn't the box office hit the directors had become accustomed to. Still, no one lost any credibility on the project as it catered exactly to the kind of high concept work the two directors were known for innovating. One of the many highlights of Grindhouse though turned out to be the fake movie trailers that played before and inbetween the features and thus the world was introduced to Machete. I went back and re-watched that original trailer that played before Planet Terror as well as watching a good portion of that Rodriguez film which only came to re-enforce the overly-negative opinion I have concerning the follow-up to the 2010 full length version of Machete, Machete Kills. One of the bigger issues of the first Machete was the fact it frequently became exactly the thing it was parodying while the sequel does so in even bigger strides while no longer even looking like or seeming to attempt to actually become a part of the genre Rodriguez was originally so intent on paying tribute to. There is a fine line though between showing affection and making fun of, and while both Planet Terror and Death Proof were able to play up the elements of these exploitation flicks to modern audiences in the form of laughs they at least had the craft and quality down pat. Machete Kills is little more than a parody, a rushed job with a nonsensical script and stunt casting that is clearly intended to fulfill the entertainment quota. The base purpose of these homages is to have fun watching the ridiculousness unfold while laughing at the countless references and cinematic commentary, but unfortunately there is no such fun to be had here.

HAYWIRE Review

There is a great scene in "Haywire" where Mallory (Gina Carano) is walking down a street and she knows she is being followed. Director Steven Soderbergh doesn't falter from her every step, studying her face. He follows her not letting the camera miss a beat. The tension this builds as we get a quick cut across the street to see a man clearly walking in stride with our heroine. We see a car pull slowly up beside her, pass her, still slowing. It is the perfect encapsulation of how an audience should be made to feel when in a high stakes game of spy vs. spy. As I said in my September review of Soderbergh's "Contagion" I have not seen as many of his smaller films such as "Che" and I never was able to finish "Solaris", but whether he be making heist capers like the Ocean's series, political farces like "The Informant" or the disaster move as some called "Contagion" they are at least all credible films in their respected genres. Soderbergh has found his niche in being versatile and he expands that taste for variety into the action genre in "Haywire". While the story plays as a mash up of movies we have all seen before it is the artistic liberties Soderbergh takes with the material that make it more entertaining than this would have been in lesser hands. There is a zip, bang, bam tone to the film while at times it feels almost subtle in the ways with which it approaches the genre's more cliched aspects. At an hour and a half it zooms by, not allowing the audience to stop and wonder what is going on despite the tangled web of a plot. This is good, mind-numbing fun; the kind of action pic that makes "Contraband" look like the generic film it is.

Malory (Gina Carano) takes out Aaron (Channing Tatum)
after he tries to hard to make her come with him...

When we first come across Mallory we are at an upstate New York cafe. It is clear she is hiding, but from what we don't know. Soon, Aaron (Channing Tatum) arrives and is set to bring her in, but of course Mallory knows better and does not plan on following orders. This disagreement leads to the explosive first fight scene in the film where Mallory takes on Aaron and coolly lays him out escaping the cafe with an innocent bystander who tried to help her out. After snagging Jacob (Michael Angarano) from the cafe and taking him and his car we begin to hear the story unfold as Mallory relays to Jacob how she has come to be in her current predicament. It is evident from the opening sequence Mallory is a highly trained operative of some kind. We learn she works for a type of government agency with a private contractor and after having gone on a recent mission to Berlin. She freed a Chinese journalist who was being held hostage and returned home but was immediately summoned for another job that led to her being double crossed by someone close to her. There is a buffet of strong supporting players here including Ewan McGregor as Kenneth, Mallory's boss and ex-boyfriend. Michael Douglas and Antonio Banderas show up in a few scenes as a government officer high up on the chain of command and the mysterious Ramon. Bill Paxton pops up in a few scenes as Mallory's dad and Michael Fassbender as the agent hired to dispose of her makes his bid for the next Bond actor. While we watch as Mallory goes toe to toe with every man she encounters the story boils down to a why did they do it that is easily enough solved and not at all surprising. It sure as hell is a fun ride getting there though.

British secret agent Paul (Michael Fassbender) could
learn a few things from Mallory.

Despite so many big names, the real star here is Carano and though this role doesn't require a whole lot of range from the newly minted actress she is the perfect fit for a woman an audience will believe can actually take on anyone thrown her direction and win. That is what the movie is all about after all isn't it? I mean, to watch Mallory chase down a loose end through the streets of Berlin just to run up a wall and send him swiftly under a garage-like door, or my favorite brawl of the film, the bedroom dance of a duel that her and Fassbender display is pure kineticism. The last great action flick I saw was "Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol" but where that was a high octane, flashy piece of big budget entertainment this is a low key and brutal revenge actioner. Carano is a former mixed-martial arts fighter and while as her popularity grows she will surely be offered more roles that require more than just kicking-butt I'm not going to fret over whether or not her acting abilities will rise with that level of requirement. She serves the purpose of her character here. Mallory is a reclusive woman who likes to do as she is assigned and be done with no connections to anything or anyone left behind. Soderbergh knew what he was doing in building a film around Carano and in completing this he has conquered another genre in ways that deny to succumb to the standards. In the end you may not be as riveted by the plot as you might have come to expect from an indie filmmaker like Soderbergh but you will certainly feel revved up by the fast, strong and intelligent character that anchors this film.

Coblenz (Michael Douglas) gives Mallory a few leads as to
where to fins the man who betrayed her.

There have been plenty of films over the past few years that have centered around a strong female lead in the middle of an action film. Whether it be the Resident Evil and Underworld films, Angelina Jolie in "Wanted" and "Salt" or one of my personal favorites from last year, "Hanna". The trend won't stop this year either with "The Hunger Games" and "Brave" coming out, but these kinds of movies where the makers think they are turning the genre on its head by simply changing the sex of the character no longer makes this something different. We, as an audience, require more innovation than this and despite following the rules of the genre Soderbergh is able to, at the same time, make this double as a kind of sly thriller. He saturates his characters with actors who with their credibility can play up the stock roles they have been assigned and turn this into a piece of action pulp. I was really looking forward to "Haywire" as it promised to be exactly what the genre was lacking and that was genuine excitement. Not only was this a literal edge of your seat kind of movie, but it makes a general, wide audience appreciate the quirks of smaller films while delivering everything they want from a good action movie. I don't know if there is anything Soderbergh can't do and it not turn out to be at least a charming effort. I guess we'll find out this summer when he extends his ever-searching eye to the genre of broad comedy with "Magic Mike".

HAYWIRE Review

There is a great scene in "Haywire" where Mallory (Gina Carano) is walking down a street and she knows she is being followed. Director Steven Soderbergh doesn't falter from her every step, studying her face. He follows her not letting the camera miss a beat. The tension this builds as we get a quick cut across the street to see a man clearly walking in stride with our heroine. We see a car pull slowly up beside her, pass her, still slowing. It is the perfect encapsulation of how an audience should be made to feel when in a high stakes game of spy vs. spy. As I said in my September review of Soderbergh's "Contagion" I have not seen as many of his smaller films such as "Che" and I never was able to finish "Solaris", but whether he be making heist capers like the Ocean's series, political farces like "The Informant" or the disaster move as some called "Contagion" they are at least all credible films in their respected genres. Soderbergh has found his niche in being versatile and he expands that taste for variety into the action genre in "Haywire". While the story plays as a mash up of movies we have all seen before it is the artistic liberties Soderbergh takes with the material that make it more entertaining than this would have been in lesser hands. There is a zip, bang, bam tone to the film while at times it feels almost subtle in the ways with which it approaches the genre's more cliched aspects. At an hour and a half it zooms by, not allowing the audience to stop and wonder what is going on despite the tangled web of a plot. This is good, mind-numbing fun; the kind of action pic that makes "Contraband" look like the generic film it is.

PUSS IN BOOTS Review

It has been apparent since he made his first appearance in "Shrek 2" that Mr. Puss in Boots was a stand out character and it was almost inevitable he would not claim his own feature. Well, that time has come and Puss has arrived in fine feline form as his usual suave, adventure savvy-self. Antonio Banderas still infuses the role with his Zorro-like attitude and all-around characterization of a kitten too cute for its own good. The real triumph of "Puss in Boots" though is that this great, but small aspect of the larger "Shrek" films did not stretch itself thin or become a one note gag that fell short in carrying the weight of his own movie on his shoulders. That this isn't much like the aforementioned series doesn't hurt either. While the great animation looks the same, "Puss in Boots" has a completely different tone going for it. This isn't the satirical, pop-culture referencing adventure that the green ogre populates, no, this is in fact a more straightforward adventure film that often has us chuckling, but not laughing out loud. In short, Puss in Boots can still be called the cat's meow.

Puss (Antonio Banderas) meets Kitty Softpaws (Salma
Hayek) for the first time.

In telling this kind of action/adventure film the plot sticks to the standards of that genre pretty closely. Puss, a cat on the run from the law is trying to set right his name in his hometown after being set up and accused of robbing the local bank. We learn all of this through a deeply detailed reflection in which Puss tells of his younger years and how he was adopted and taken in by a lovely lady who also had taken in a lonesome egg named Humpty. Yes, that Humpty the Dumpty who here is voiced by the wonderfully charismatic Zach Galifianakis. Humpty and Puss used to be the best of friends, considering each other brothers even, until the day Puss became a hero and Humpty became jealous. This all results in some backstabbing where we learn Humpty is indeed the one who set Puss on the outlaw path (sorry if you consider that spoiler worthy). Since their early beginnings though, Humpty has masterminded ways of getting the magical beans and with Puss as his partner, they could scale the beanstalk and capture the goose who lays the golden eggs. These story lines, using that same incorporation of famous fairy tale characters for effect as the "Shrek" series works the same here as an older, scruffy looking Jack and Jill (Amy Sedaris and Billy Bob Thornton) are enlisted as our films back up baddies. It is the troubled friendship between Puss and Humpty though that is the real centerpiece of the film and provides the most complex story for it to explore.

"Pray for mercy from..."

The other main addition to Puss's origin tale is Kitty Softpaws, a female feline who will steal you clean before you even realize she is there. Salma Hayek, re-teaming with Banderas yet again, brings as much as she can to the most underdeveloped character on the screen as she and Puss begin the spark of a romance, but while we always question her allegiance we never feel as if we really know Kitty Softpaws as much as we do Puss. We like her okay, but we aren't sure if she's the one for Puss. At least, that's how I felt and it also kind of sums up my feelings about the entire film. Puss is a coveted character we all love and feel a certain kind of claim over. In a way we feel we know this character better than any of those on the screen do, that is what a good job the makers of the second "Shrek" did in developing this sidekick that could rival even Eddie Murphy's donkey. If Puss is going to get his own movie, it better be a dang good movie and if they are going to give him a gal to fall for, she better be just as impressive a character as he. She needs to leave as great an impression as he has. This just doesn't ring true as we watch Puss ride off into the sunset just before the credits roll. Instead, we feel content and satisfied, but not overjoyed with the results that ultimately didn't do more than pass the time.

Puss and childhood friend Humpty Dumpty (Zach
Galifianakis) search for the magic beans.

The flawed Humpty moves the story along while much of everything else that is going on feels unnecessary and underdeveloped. But the bond, the back story, and the genuine interaction between Puss and Humpty raises the quality level to that of what Dreamworks has been producing recently with "How to Train Your Dragon" and the "Kung fu Panda" series. As odd as it may sound, we as an audience become genuinely invested in a friendship between a cat and an egg and that is the films saving grace. It is not a film that justifies the greatness the character of Puss in Boots deserves but overall it is an enjoyable, family friendly film (still, the opening scene and not so subtle sex and drug jokes throughout had me rolling) that is more than worthy of your attention if you fell in love with Puss when he first flashed those cute green eyes at you years ago. The makers were smart enough not to take away from the character at the heart and title of this project, but next time let's keep Puss the star while providing him a worthy adventure we can really get excited about.

PUSS IN BOOTS Review

It has been apparent since he made his first appearance in "Shrek 2" that Mr. Puss in Boots was a stand out character and it was almost inevitable he would not claim his own feature. Well, that time has come and Puss has arrived in fine feline form as his usual suave, adventure savvy-self. Antonio Banderas still infuses the role with his Zorro-like attitude and all-around characterization of a kitten too cute for its own good. The real triumph of "Puss in Boots" though is that this great, but small aspect of the larger "Shrek" films did not stretch itself thin or become a one note gag that fell short in carrying the weight of his own movie on his shoulders. That this isn't much like the aforementioned series doesn't hurt either. While the great animation looks the same, "Puss in Boots" has a completely different tone going for it. This isn't the satirical, pop-culture referencing adventure that the green ogre populates, no, this is in fact a more straightforward adventure film that often has us chuckling, but not laughing out loud. In short, Puss in Boots can still be called the cat's meow.