Official Trailer for CRUELLA Starring Emma Stone

While it will be difficult to separate myself from Glenn Close's turn as the evil Cruella de Vil from the 1996 and 2002 live-action adaptations of the 1961 Disney animated film which in and of itself was based on the 1956 novel by Dodie Smith, but I shall do my best and if there's anyone charming enough to redefine the role it's Emma Stone. While the well seems to be drying up rather quickly for Disney on what exactly they can make into live-action versions next given 101 Dalmatians kind of kicked this whole trend off some twenty-five years ago there is undoubtedly plenty more Disney can mine from its vault as live-action versions of The Little Mermaid and Hercules are on the horizon (not to mention a Barry Jenkins-directed Lion King sequel) with untold new takes on plenty of other properties likely in the works as well. Unlike the Glenn Close films of the late-nineties and early-aughts though, this time around the evil de Vil is getting her origin story that might illuminate audiences on how someone could become the type of person that enjoys murdering a hundred puppies for the sake of their style. Man, when you really stop to think about Cruella's mission in that original story it's kind of crazy most kids walked away unaffected by that movie. This brings up what is to be the most curious question pertaining to this new film in how is Disney going to make a movie about a woman who finds puppy murder as satisfying as she does without making her the sympathetic hero a la Maleficent? How were they going to do this AND keep the movie targeted at the demographic they largely serve? Well, it seems the answer to both parts of that question is a simple, "they won't" as Cruella brings with it a PG-13 rating while this first, official trailer more or less indicates this will be the Mouse House's version of Joker. Directed by Craig Gillespie (I, Tonya, Lars and the Real Girl) and co-written by Dana Fox (How to Be Single) and Tony McNamara (The Favourite) the film has a broad enough range of influences to at least feel like it could become an oddity among the Disney live-action remakes we've seen thus far. As far as what can be derived about the film from this brief look it would seem Stone is going all-in on being over-the-top, ludicrous British accent and all. As with everything, we'll see. Still, this one feels like it could legitimately go in either direction which I guess is better than landing in the middle as most of its predecessors have. Cruella also stars Emma Thompson, Mark Strong, Paul Walter Hauser, Joel Fry, Kirby Howell-Baptiste, and is currently scheduled to open in theaters on May 28, 2021.     

MEN IN BLACK: INTERNATIONAL Review

From the outset of director F. Gary Gray's (Straight Outta Compton, The Fate of the Furious) Men in Black re-boot one can gauge there is a certain indifference to the project and if not necessarily an indifference, but a lack of creative care towards the film. This can be gleaned from nothing more than the opening credits which only goes so far as to ape the font of the original without bothering to try and emulate the objective. The opening credit sequences of the Barry Sonnenfeld trilogy would each attempt to emphasize perspective in this world in which the Men in Black existed, whether it be seeing said world through the eyes of a flying "bug" or by actually playing with perspective so as to upend expectations and re-enforce that not everything is as it seems and furthermore, not everything is as we might assume. I recall these opening credit sequences because not only did they play into the story the rest of the movie would be telling, but they played into the themes of the whole series: that this, our world-no matter how big and alone it might seem to us at times, is actually only a small part of a much grander scheme. The majority of the first three MIB films take place in and around New York City and yet they do their best to emphasize time and time again how vast the universe is outside of themselves even if what is happening within the events of the film might have epic repercussions on this, our third rock from the sun. With MIB: International, despite going bigger in terms of operating on a global scale the film can't help but to feel much smaller-especially in comparison to that original film-both in terms of scale as well as its ideas. This is to say, the seemingly carefully plotted opening credits of the previous films are no more and have instead been replaced with text over the movie just as it would have played were the opening credits not present at all. This may feel rather finicky, but as it is noted that Gray and his team took little time to consider the legacy of the franchise and the little details that made the original so special-and more importantly, work as well as it did-it only makes it more clear as to why there isn't necessarily any care taken to carry said legacy forward in any meaningful way. Rather, MIB: International ends up feeling like exactly what it is: a rushed and uninspired riff on a proven formula that cares more about the how it's been received in the past as opposed to the why it was received that way in the first place.

First Trailer for MIB: INTERNATIONAL Starring Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thompson

In my mind, this was never going to work-the idea that one could carry on what Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith created in the original Men In Black and then botched in unforgivable ways with the sequel, but somewhat redeemed with the ten year-later sequel that used a time travel bit to its advantage and turned out to be a hell of a lot of fun. One could say that I might put that original film in my top ten favorite (key word: favorite) movies of all time given I was ten when I first experienced the film and can clearly remember thinking how flat-out good of a movie it was-from every facet: the story, the comedy, the characters, the look, the score-everything was great in a full-on entertaining fashion that accomplished its job in spades. Needless to say, the idea of re-booting the franchise without either of the original trilogies stars seemed like a bad idea, but leave it to Sony to prove me wrong once again after they destroyed my preconceived notion that the last thing we needed right now was another Spider-Man movie, let alone an animated one. With MIB: International the studio has enlisted young and hip commodities like Chris Hemsworth and Tessa Thomspon to re-vitalize and refresh the brand while keeping ties open to the original by having Emma Thompson reprise her role as Agent O from the third film. Smith and Jones get a nod in a mural that graces the halls of MIB headquarters, but this is very clearly not a film intent on re-hashing characters or circumstances from the original outside of silly alien designs and outrageous shiny weapons. As far as the story is concerned though, it seems this new film will deal with a mole in the Men In Black organization. Given the film has been written by the guys who penned the last Transformers movie as well as Iron Man it's anyone's guess as to how good or bad the Men In Black twist on this premise might be, but Straight Outta Compton and Fate of the Furious director, F. Gary Gray, hopefully has enough style up his sleeve to make some if not most of this feel substantial as well. Men In Black: International also stars Rebecca Ferguson, Kumail Najiani, Rafe Spall, Laurent Bourgeois, Larry Bourgeois, Liam Neeson, and opens on June 14th, 2019.

BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Review

When I was a little kid and would take in a particular Disney animated feature multiple times within a very short window I always wondered what it might be like to see such characters and such worlds come to life. Real life. I never thought it would happen after the live action versions of 101 Dalmatians and its money-grubbing sequel underwhelmed (at least they did in my adolescent mind), but then again I also desperately hoped that one day movie studios might wise-up and begin building a shared universe where my favorite super heroes interacted on the big screen as well. As I've grown up and become a parent myself it seems Disney has decided to make all of my dreams come true while also giving their most iconic of animated classics updates so that they might reach wider audiences and new generations-including my daughter's. Over the past seven years or so now we've seen an uptick in the number of live-action films based on classic Disney properties. Whether they be from the respective studio that originated the tale in popular culture or not it seems many have noticed this as a way to garner solid returns-despite the brand recognition formula not always working (I liked you, Tarzan, but you cost too much). Though Disney began this recent trend by attempting to re-work properties such as Alice in Wonderland and the Sleeping Beauty story in the form of the Angelina Jolie vehicle that is Maleficent, it has been the last two live action adaptations in Cinderella and The Jungle Book that have yielded the best results in terms of quality (with all doing rather well financially). The point being, when it comes to these re-imaginings the best bet for both pleasing audiences and critics alike seems to be sticking with the source material and simply adding flourishes where might be necessary. This is one of the highlights of this latest incarnation of Beauty and the Beast as more logic and depth are applied to the characters and their plights despite the film as a whole being little more than a pound for pound remake of the Oscar nominated 1991 animated version. One would be hard-pressed to even call what director Bill Condon (Dreamgirls) has made here an interpretation, but while there isn't anything in particular that separates the film apart as being great in its own regard, it pays honorable enough homage to this reviewer's childhood memories that it would be difficult to argue with the thrills and excitement it delivered in selling such a fantastical story come to life.

Full Trailer for BEAUTY AND THE BEAST Starring Emma Watson

After glimpsing the teaser trailer for Disney's live-action adaptation of one of if not their most celebrated animated films this past summer it wasn't hard to sense the amount of anticipation for this thing. It's going to be huge. If you thought The Jungle Book was big. Watch out. That said, just in time for the holidays the mouse house has finally released the full-length trailer for director Bill Condon's (Dreamgirls) Beauty and the Beast and based on what we see here I'm still fairly optimistic. Condon, despite his several serviceable credits, gives me caution as he has a few other credits that don't bode so well for this incarnation of the only animated movie to ever get a Best Picture nomination at the Oscars, but taking into consideration that Perks of Being a Wallflower writer/director Stephen Chbosky assisted in penning the screenplay (along with Evan Spiliotopoulos who seems to fit the bill of generic Hollywood writer) I have something of a renewed faith. This fact, coupled with the rather unbelievable cast that look and sound great from what we see here is enough to hope that Disney can pull off with Beauty and the Beast what they were able to do with Cinderella and the aforementioned Jungle Book. The visuals are especially stunning here as Watson looks pitch-perfect in both her physical and mental approach to the titular beauty that is Belle. While I still harbor some concern for the amount of CGI that it seems Condon and his team are relying on to bring the other half of the title as well as the remaining inhabitants of the castle to life I can only hope that there is still work to be done and that the representations of the talented casts' voice work will come through as effortlessly as Jon Favreau and his animators were able to make it feel in their Disney adaptation. These live-action remakes of animated classics are certainly turning into big business for the studio, but given we've essentially seen these movies before these new versions have to be both faithful while at the same time bring something new to the table. Based on what we see here one really can't see through the nostalgia of it all to know how good or bad Condon's version might turn out, but darn it if I'm not rooting for this thing to work and for these re-imaginings to keep on comin'. Beauty and the Beast also stars Dan Stevens, Kevin Kline, Luke Evans, Josh Gad, Emma Thompson, Stanley Tucci, Ian McKellen, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, and opens on March 17th, 2017.

BURNT Review

Burnt will certainly make you hungry. Whether it is for food or the better movie this had the potential to be will have to be decided by you when you come around to the "too neatly wrapped" ending it doesn't really deserve. For my money, Burnt is a movie that is fine enough because it features another committed performance from Bradley Cooper doing what he does best and that is him digging into the psyche of his character. What makes Burnt a not so stellar vehicle for the guys talent is the fact it is a story we've seen numerous times before. As soon as the set-up is delivered and we're keen to the conditions of all the major players it is clear where this thing is heading. Still, the credentials the movie sports are more than solid: Steven Knight (Locke) penned the screenplay (he also wrote last years under-appreciated The Hundred-Foot Journey to which Burnt feels like a lesser version), John Wells (The Company Men, August: Osage County) is at the helm (though it was once supposed to be directed by David Fincher-which really makes me want to see a Fincher/Cooper collaboration) and besides Cooper we have a pedigreed cast that includes Sienna Miller (American Sniper), Daniel Brühl (Inglorious Basterds), Alicia Vikander (Ex Machina), Omar Sy (The Intouchables) and Emma Thompson not to mention a quick cameo from Uma Thurman. So, with so much going for it why does Burnt feel so stale? It's actually somewhat difficult to pinpoint as it's not as simple as blaming it on any one aspect. The film, as shot by Adriano Goldman (Cary Fukunaga's Jane Eyre), is gorgeous to look at-numerous shiny surfaces contradicted by dark shades of facial hair and the bags under Cooper's eyes with the lovely London setting all adding something of a spice to the proceedings. The dialogue is direct, the intensity of Cooper's Jones when he gets worked up in the kitchen, while Gordon Ramsey-esque, is believable and yet it is the obligations the film feels it needs to make these characters hit that pull it into mediocrity. It's not the single downfall, but it becomes the most glaring the closer we get to the conclusion.

First Trailer for BURNT Starring Bradley Cooper

The Weinstein Co. has finally decided to release the full trailer for the latest Bradley Cooper-starrer that initially premiered Monday morning on the Today show. The film, which was originally titled Chef and then changed for obvious reasons to Adam Jones is now going by Burnt, and follows the career of a rebel chef who is determined to redeem himself by spearheading a top restaurant in London that can gain him his third Michelin star. While I'm curious as to if this will be the vehicle Cooper gets his fourth consecutive Oscar nomination for, but at this stage the film seems a bit too much on the fluffy side to be considered awards material. That isn't to say the film won't be good or that Cooper won't deserve a nomination (he'll also appear in Joy which reunites him for a third time with David O. Russell and Jennifer Lawrence), but it inherently feels less like something the Academy won't find worthy of such recognition. Regardless, the fact remains that Cooper has become one of the industry's top leading men (I'm not holding Aloha against him) who does consistently strong work and puts in serious effort that makes it clear he truly loves the craft. While Burnt will revolve around Cooper's chef whose ability to create explosions of taste is undermined by his badboy rants and diva behavior director John Wells (The Company Men, August: Osage County) has also rounded up a rather stellar supporting cast that includes Sienna Miller, Omar Sy, Daniel Brühl, Uma Thurman, Matthew Rhys, Emma Thompson, Alicia Vikander, Jamie Dornan and Lily James. Burnt opens on October 23rd against Jem and the Holograms, The Last Witch Hunter, the latest Paranormal Activity and Rock the Kasbah.

MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN Review

I watched with my iPhone out, taking notes on it as I sat alone in the theater with the latest from director Jason Reitman unspooling in front of me. As the man behind Thank You For Smoking and Up in the Air he will always have my attention, but as he somewhat pretentiously preached to what will no doubt be the choir about how technology has brought us together by pushing us apart I couldn't help but feel this was redundant and worst of all, boring. It makes sense as ultimately this is a film about people who are bored so it is a question of how to make boring people interesting and the conclusion seems to have been to cram as many boring people as possible into the story so there would be plenty of problems to fill out a 100-minute movie. That sounds harsh, but the problems don't stop there and the truth is this is such a dramatization of man-made, first world, too personal too understand when casting a wide net problems that it all comes off as trying and whiny. It isn't meant to be that way; Reitman clearly wants to elicit serious reflection, to inspire questions and probably even likes to think he reveals something to us about ourselves that we didn't already know, but as I sat tapping away at my screen I felt no remorse or reflection, but rather just appreciated the irony. Men, Women & Children ends up coming off, not as a meditative look at how much closer to meaningless our existence is as we create such issues as those under examination, but rather a film so perverse, dark and one-note for the sake of being all of those things that it ends up feeling insignificant. I use "insignificant" because we are asked multiple times to consider what really matters in our world, but more than trying to offer some existential philosophy on how the ramifications of our instantly gratifying society weave into these issues I was instead left wondering if this was truly representative of the high school experience these days or has Reitman actually turned into as one note a director as I suspect his portrayals of the human race are. I understand the characters function as a means to tell a specific story and relay a certain theme, but while the film wants to cut deep in that it tries to get on a level typically reserved for minimal interaction it comes off more as a collection of extreme examples with no depth or dimensions to give us reason to feel affected or involved.

Teaser Trailer for MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN

It is easy to dismiss director Jason Reitman's last film, the overly sentimental and rather sappy Labor Day, but for what it's worth I didn't mind the film. If not for it's higher class of acting based in a Nicholas Sparks world at least for the cinematography and somewhat melodically paced story. It was though, admittedly odd coming from the same filmmaker who made dramedy's along the lines of Juno and Young Adult while going slightly darker with the superb Up in the Air. With his latest, it looks like Reitman will once again be skewing towards the darker side of things rather than retreating to a safe haven of comedy after Labor Day was lambasted by critics. Based on Chad Kulten's novel of the same name the film will follow high school students and their parents and how all of their lives have seemingly become dictated by the Internet, social media and the new types of "connections" we all have. The trailer is quite a downer, but at the same time is immensely engaging and seems to promise some rather intense situations and revelatory situations concerning a fair amount of the characters glimpsed. It seems to be quite reminiscent of the very much underrated Disconnect from 2012 while mimicking the tone of The Social Network. Even after Labor Day though I am still very interested in anything Reitman attempts and so I'm eager to see what twist he puts on this now typical cautionary tale. Men, Women & Children stars Ansel Elgort, Adam Sandler, Rosemarie DeWitt, Jennifer Garner, Judy Greer, Kaitlyn Dever, Dean Norris, J.K. Simmons, Timothée Chalamet, Olivia Crocicchia, Emma Thompson and will have its world premiere at the 2014 Toronto International Film Festival while opening in limited release on October 3rd.

SAVING MR. BANKS Review

There is just that something that comes with movies about making movies and how the behind the scenes dynamics somehow connect more and serve as dramatic material in their own right that gives, at least certain audience members, a rush of fascination especially when paired with a film or some other piece of pop culture that has become a mainstay over time. There is no doubt that the 1964 Mary Poppins film has become a soft spot for generations of children that have fallen in love with the songs and the characters that are now iconic, but what many people even fail to realize is that Mary Poppins herself was not the creation of the Disney studios and it's figurehead Walt Disney, but instead of a small English woman by the name of P. L. Travers who took the nanny very seriously as she was more than a fictional character to her creator but the heart and soul of her childhood that would shape the woman she became and the code she would live by. This is made apparent in Saving Mr. Banks until the terribly particular author comes in contact with Mr. Disney and is able to find common ground with a man who'd made his fortune from portraying himself and pumping out products that conveyed the happiest man the world could offer. There is a complex relationship at the heart of this film that gives us not only a look at the shaping of one of Walt Disney's productions in the latter half of his career, but it also chronicles the creative process in a way that you realize the depths to which some people hold onto moments past in their life and how it inspires what is the centerpiece of their existence to the point they find it hard to let go, to let it become something new and how that can both be a weight lifted and a new burden all at once. I began the film, excited to see what was in store for the audience as, obviously, I love movies and so I love movies that detail the industry and how other movies are made, but as we are introduced to Miss. Travers and her constant scrutiny I was at first repulsed by the way in which she not only treated the people involved in the production, but everyone around her to which she is then somehow able to become a more respectable figure whose complexities don't excuse her attitude, but endear her more to the audience which is credit fully due to the performance of Emma Thompson.

BEAUTIFUL CREATURES Review

Personally, I've been rooting for Beautiful Creatures since first seeing the trailer and its stellar mix of southern goth and Florence & the Machine soundtrack. Though I haven't read the young adult novel by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl the film is based on, I was intrigued by the setting, the fantasy and trying to assure myself that the next teen-lit adaptation featuring witches, wizards, or vampires had to be better than those Twilight movies. While it seems the buzz has been slow to build around this series I truly hope it becomes a talking point among its target audience and even beyond as I would love to see this series continue and have the opportunity to tell all four of its stories on film. While I enjoyed the movie plenty, there is much left to be desired and to a certain degree this takes away from the experience of the film. In some ways, it is as if this is only exists to set things up for what might come in the future and granted, that might just be due to the fact that there is still very much to come in the future. Still, for a first chapter there is much to enjoy here as the film adaptation of Beautiful Creatures features an impressive and very likable cast that executes its somewhat familiar story with a flair for the fun in it. There was a film a few years ago called Stardust and I always wished it had become a bigger success than it was. Based on a Neil Gaiman story it was a fun, enjoyable, very good film that took itself just seriously enough to feel credible while also not feeling overly cheesy when dealing with such things as witches and wizards. Beautiful Creatures is not as good a film as Stardust, but in the same vein it is a none too serious take on the fantasy world that gets overlooked or under cooked these days. Any movie that can involve elements of such genres and still manage some humor and honest drama is a welcome treat.

BRAVE Review

Brave never enticed me like most of Pixar's features usually do. From the beginning I was somewhat weary of the project while remaining intrigued due to the scope on which it was operating and the fantastical elements that seemed to be involved with its story. That is the thing about Pixar though, they never divulge the entire story to you in the trailers but instead introduce you to the characters that anchor their films. In using this method the audience is attracted to the piece not only because it is made by the always reliable Disney/Pixar but because we want to get to know these people. That way, by the time we sit down to watch the movie we are swept up in a story that hasn't been completely given away in the previews. We simply know we like the characters, we find them interesting, funny, smart or whatever and we know we wouldn't mind going on an adventure with them. Such is the case with Brave where our red-haired heroine Merida has been the topic of much conversation as she is the first female lead in any of Pixar's 13 films. Lucky for us, she is more than up to the task of handling her own feature and is paired with the darkest of tales Pixar has ever had to offer. Though I wasn't overly optimistic for Brave after last years unnecessary sequel to their least beloved property I feel a fool now for doubting the animation studio as this is another moving tale that touches on something much more than any other animated film would fittingly, not be brave enough to touch.

Queen Elinor, King Fergus, Princess Merida, and her
triplet brothers dine together on a mighty feast.

I won't go into much of the details of the story so as not to give away the magic of it, but I don't think it is much to say that it explores the mother/daughter relationship unlike any film before be it animated or not. It was refreshing in many ways but mainly because I expected it to follow the more standard route of putting Merida (Kelly Macdonald who I always associate with No Country for Old Men but has lately been featured on HBO's Boardwalk Empire) on an all out adventure that takes her far away from her family and teaches her a lesson. No, this teaches her the ever important lessons of family and responsibility while shining a light in on the often ignored relationship that determines how a young lady will turn out and that is the influence of or lack thereof in her mother. In the case of Merida we have the overly complicated Queen Elinor (Emma Thompson). Elinor is a Queen's Queen who follows every rule and fits every stereotype to a T. She expects Merida to be this way as well and see no issue when it comes time for her to choose a suitor so as to keep peace between the clans of this ancient Scottish land. Merida, who is in no way trying to get married and settle down, or worse, become her mother, decides to break this tradition and carve out her own way. This leads to that lovely tagline we've been hearing since the marketing campaign ramped up, "If you had the chance to change your fate...would ya?" Merida certainly jumps at the chance and with plenty of old Scottish folklore thrown in and a strange witch voiced by Julie Walters to boot Brave turns into not just a heartfelt lesson of a movie but the darkest exploration of the human condition that Pixar has yet to produce.

Merida (Kelly Macdonald) follows the will-o-the-wisps
for a chance to change her fate.

Several critics have expressed their disenchantment with the film as it is definitely not Wall-E or Up but because Brave has the unfortunate spot of following up Cars 2 it seems that their jaded feelings with Pixar have not yet been resolved. Year after year the studio is expected to produce a masterpiece to join its rankings and though up to last year each of them at least explored such different areas of our world that it seemed almost impossible to compare any two. When that barrier of perfection was broken last year it gave people the sense that maybe Pixar wasn't exactly invincible and thus has resulted in several naysayers when it comes to Brave. The film, while not boasting as deep a lesson as Wall-E or conjuring up nostalgia like Toy Story 3 still does not deserve to be compared with these works because it functions, like every other Pixar film, within its own universe and on its own terms. Being only the third Pixar film to feature a cast of entirely humans we are transported to a place the animation studio has never taken us before with a lead character unlike any other they've allowed to front their films and delves into the mythology of a country that sets itself up perfectly for a wondrous story that will show the youngins in the audience why it is important to listen to their parents and why always doubting them can lead to things far worse than what their parents ask. On the other side it defends that childhood drive to make ones parents understand who they are, what they want to be and how they can't be pressured into the person their parents might have pre-expected them to turn into. In this case, everyone learns a valuable lesson and gains something from it. And while that is a tale as old as time, Brave puts a fresh enough twist on it while layering it with beautiful animation and lively characters to keep us oogling at the sights and laughing at the hijinks.

Lords MacGuffin, Macintosh, and Dingwall all have sons
competing for Merida's hand in marriage.

Not meaning to sound as if I am strictly defending the film, I would just like it to be made clear that Pixar's latest deserves just to be in the canon of films that have garnered the studio its reputation. It is a lovely film that doesn't stand to go past its limits and has a riotous bunch as a supporting cast that even out the dark and heavy with the light and comical. Billy Connolly as King Fergus is a riot as is the King and Queens three young triplets who are mischevious enough to keep the kiddies laughing and cute enough to keep the parents endured. They will likely fall into that roster of beloved side characters that enhance the memory of the film. Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, and Hagrid himself Robbie Coltrane all provide voices for the different clan leaders who are as quirky as they are brutal. The moments with the host of them and their armies battling it out verbally and physically with one another are those moments where Pixar shines in its use of comic timing while the small moments where Merida and her mother create a connection out of more than just one incident, but with an understanding between them of where each is coming from show the storytellers are as keen as ever at adapting the truth of human emotions in cartoons. That is why Pixar continues to prove itself again and again. Even with Brave, which will unfortunately be considered a lesser work, they have created what will no doubt not only be one of the best animated films of the year, but one of the best films period. I enjoyed it thoroughly and am anxious to see if it will become more appreciated with age. I certainly hope so, much like those myths of old Brave is a reflection of our own selves in a time of children growing up too fast and why that bond between parent and child is more important than ever.

 

BRAVE Review

Brave never enticed me like most of Pixar's features usually do. From the beginning I was somewhat weary of the project while remaining intrigued due to the scope on which it was operating and the fantastical elements that seemed to be involved with its story. That is the thing about Pixar though, they never divulge the entire story to you in the trailers but instead introduce you to the characters that anchor their films. In using this method the audience is attracted to the piece not only because it is made by the always reliable Disney/Pixar but because we want to get to know these people. That way, by the time we sit down to watch the movie we are swept up in a story that hasn't been completely given away in the previews. We simply know we like the characters, we find them interesting, funny, smart or whatever and we know we wouldn't mind going on an adventure with them. Such is the case with Brave where our red-haired heroine Merida has been the topic of much conversation as she is the first female lead in any of Pixar's 13 films. Lucky for us, she is more than up to the task of handling her own feature and is paired with the darkest of tales Pixar has ever had to offer. Though I wasn't overly optimistic for Brave after last years unnecessary sequel to their least beloved property I feel a fool now for doubting the animation studio as this is another moving tale that touches on something much more than any other animated film would fittingly, not be brave enough to touch.

MEN IN BLACK 3 Review

I am a huge fan of the first Men In Black film. Like, I would rank it up there in my top 10 favorites of all time. This, as you might suspect led me to really dislike the sorry excuse for a sequel that was released, count em, 10 years ago. In their absence from the cineplex alot of things have changed, but this might be why the third installation in the series feels so refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that it is reminiscent of the original film while throwing in a nice twist for good measure. There is nothing unconventional about this latest and some would say unnecessary sequel, but it lives up to every standard that was being held for it. All of the original stars are back here plus one and director Barry Sonnenfeld has of course returned as this is really his only bread and butter as a filmmaker. While I and everyone had good reason to be cautious before walking into the film and even still as the opening scene played. It began to come back to me, the excitement to see these characters go on another adventure was plagued by the blandness of the script and non existent enthusiasm of the cast. There was no spice to the routine, it was standard and I began to fear the worst: a repeat of the sequel. Fortunately something magical happens about a half hour into the film. All of the expository junk that began to clog our brains and all of the standard odd couple charm that seemed to be wearing thin between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith was wiped away as if by a neuraliyzer and we were rendered completely charmed once again by the world in which the Men in Black exist. This is mainly due to the wonderful performance of Josh Brolin and his fine portrayal of a young Jones that re-infuses the odd couple relationship with the same engaging chemistry that made the first one such a stand-out.

Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) and Agent J (Will Smith)
prepare to neuralyze a confused crowd.

While a big part of the problem with movie number two was that of the story, the same cannot be said for Men In Black 3. The second entry in this series was seemingly a rehash of the first with less interesting characters. The bad guy that was Vincent D'Onofrio's Edgar is a classic in my mind and while I can only remember the baddie from the second one because Smith featured her name in his song for the sequel "Black Suits Comin", (is anyone else mad he passed the task to Pitbull for this one rather than do it himself?) it's Serleena by the way. I was fearing the worst (again) when I saw the first stills of Jemaine Clement as the villain Boris the Animal. He looked rather cheesy and seemed all but standard. Expetations weren't raised after his opening scene where he enjoys the luxury of a big special effects sequence designed to provoke a nice use of 3D. In the end, he ends up not playing as crucial a part in the piece of the story that the film documents and instead provides a funny and self aware, ridiculous baddie in the vein of Edgar. After escaping from his prison on the moon Boris makes his way to earth and travels back in time to kill K (Jones) before he can again shoot off his arm, throw him in prison, and stop Boris' entire race from invading the earth. Agent J (Smith) is still trying to crack the present day K's shell after their 14-year partnership. Smith is in fine, smooth form here after taking a 4-year break from movies and is seemingly able to pick up right where he left off. When Boris goes back in time and the effects start to show in present time J experiences a world where K died 40 years before. Thus, he has to travel back in time to save his partner and you can probably guess where things might go from here.

A young agent K (Josh Brolin) has some serious affection
for agent O (Alice Eve). 

This is actually where we run into the surprise of MIB3 because for as sci-fi standard as it seems to be there is real heart here, something the second installment was really lacking in. The film has some real moments of meaning whether they be in the form of J realizing what shapes someone as a person or the value of life and the circumstances that lead to everything that occurs in life as pointed out by extra terrestrial Griffin (Michael Stuhlbarg of A Serious Man). It should be noted that while Brolin gives a great performance and doesn't only imitate the vocal inflections of Jones. He is able to create a full fledged character and inhabits this man who we realize we have never really known or understood. Brolin lends the film a weight that it would not otherwise have and in doing so actually creates a chemistry that is more fun to watch than that of Smith and Jones. While this is obviously the draw of the film, and it does serve as the main highlight, what Stuhlbarg brings to the picture is even more of that credibility and poignancy. His ability, as an alien, is to see all possible scenarios in the immediate future. He is within every moment all the time. With his quick delivery and heartfelt tone he steals nearly every scene he is in. He plays Griffin with a Robin Williams kind of sensitivity and it makes all of this talk about philosophy and life on other planets and in other galaxies feel somewhat more earned. Not as jokey as we might expect, but in many ways, more profound. That may sound silly as this is essentially a crowd-pleasing summer movie, but for all the script problems this was rumored to have they seem to have conquered these nicely (although a love story between K and the new head of MIB, Agent O played by Emma Thompson in 2012 and Alice Eve in 1969, feels tacked on) and delivered a blockbuster worth thinking about.

Agents J and K are joined by Grifin (Michael Stuhlbarg) in
their quest to save the earth.

And so, it is with a sigh of relief that MIB3 turned out to be much better than expected and just as good as it should have been. While director Sonnenfeld and crew likely hope we have all forgotten about MIB2 the only real qualm I have with the latest movie is that it doesn't really compute with the story line of the first one. Usually, in a case like this, I would go back and watch the previous films before seeing the latest in theaters but that didn't end up being the case. I have seen the first one countless times and could probably quote every line and like I said before, I too would rather forget the first sequel even existed. I can accept most of what  goes on here but I distinctly remember Agent K longing to get back to a normal life in the first one because of the girl that got away. I know that he goes back to her and is then somehow brought back into the agency in part two, but that storyline was a distant memory here. It still stands the test of logic I guess as it clearly states K met O after he was part of the agency, but still, I like my continuity. What does it really matter though when it has been fifteen years since the original Men In Black came out? Most movie goers won't remember or won't care enough that not every single aspect lines up or makes sense. What does matter though is that the current experience they receive is well worth their time and their investment in these characters does pay off. As a die hard MIB fan I didn't necessarily love the film as I did the first, but it was very good when I had no doubt that it might be very bad.

  

MEN IN BLACK 3 Review

I am a huge fan of the first Men In Black film. Like, I would rank it up there in my top 10 favorites of all time. This, as you might suspect led me to really dislike the sorry excuse for a sequel that was released, count em, 10 years ago. In their absence from the cineplex alot of things have changed, but this might be why the third installation in the series feels so refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that it is reminiscent of the original film while throwing in a nice twist for good measure. There is nothing unconventional about this latest and some would say unnecessary sequel, but it lives up to every standard that was being held for it. All of the original stars are back here plus one and director Barry Sonnenfeld has of course returned as this is really his only bread and butter as a filmmaker. While I and everyone had good reason to be cautious before walking into the film and even still as the opening scene played. It began to come back to me, the excitement to see these characters go on another adventure was plagued by the blandness of the script and non existent enthusiasm of the cast. There was no spice to the routine, it was standard and I began to fear the worst: a repeat of the sequel. Fortunately something magical happens about a half hour into the film. All of the expository junk that began to clog our brains and all of the standard odd couple charm that seemed to be wearing thin between Tommy Lee Jones and Will Smith was wiped away as if by a neuraliyzer and we were rendered completely charmed once again by the world in which the Men in Black exist. This is mainly due to the wonderful performance of Josh Brolin and his fine portrayal of a young Jones that re-infuses the odd couple relationship with the same engaging chemistry that made the first one such a stand-out.