ARKANSAS Review

Right off the bat I'd like to acknowledge the fact I live in Hot Springs, Arkansas which is situated about forty-five minutes north east of Glenwood where writer/director and actor Clark Duke was born; his experiences in the area clearly informing his connection to and desire to adapt John Brandon's best-selling book of the same name. And yes, the climactic scene of the movie takes place on historic bathhouse row, and was shot about five minutes from my house in downtown Hot Springs National Park. I say all of this not to try and convince you of how cool I am (unless it's working, then yes-I'm very cool), but instead to make it clear there will be no playing favorites here simply because the movie takes its name from the state I've called home for nearly three decades and because I recognized a few locations. In fact, despite the title of the film Duke and his crew shot the majority of his directorial debut in Alabama rather than in or around the Little Rock area as the movie suggests. So while there is certainly a layer of appreciation and affection for some of the sites we see and the accents we hear, there was almost more of an eagerness to see these things serve as a backdrop for what is a genre of movie we're all very familiar with whether from the natural state or not. Arkansas pays plenty of homage to the overall tone of the state, especially in its flashbacks to the mid to late eighties as we're delivered the backstory of Vince Vaughn's character, Frog, as he belts out the Gatlin brothers and cruises past open fields and dilapidated barns in his Nissan Fairlady 300ZX Coupé. At one point, Vaughn's Frog asks a couple of his associates what they're up to in which they respond with a generic comment before summarizing the feeling as being, "asleep at the wheel of the American dream." There's almost no better phrasing one could have concocted to define the stagnant air of progress yet fierce commitment to maintaining aged ideals (some good, not all bad). It is in this kind of mentality that we find the best facets of Duke's film as he's not simply telling a story of the "Dixie mafia" and funneling said crime/drama through the lens of the south, but he's utilizing this contradictory air of the south where everything feels ironic without the slightest bit of intent to add specific tone to his crime caper. Arkansas, the film, although a story about drug dealers is mostly a story about two generations of men whose aspirations are only limited by the economic options of their environment and whose intelligence is only undermined by their (mostly) unassuming appearances dictated by that same environment.

THE DRESSMAKER Review

Note: This is a reprint of my review for The Dressmaker, which originally ran on September 21, 2015 after seeing it at the Toronto Film Festival. I am publishing it again today as it hits select theaters this weekend.

I watched what could be considered some very strange films at 2015's Toronto International Film Festival, but I don't think any of them were as weird or out there as Jocelyn Moorhouse's The Dressmaker. This movie, you guys, is completely bonkers. You wouldn't think so given the look of the poster and the fact it stars such credible and well-respected talent such as Kate Winslet, Hugo Weaving and Judy Davis, but once this thing gets rolling it is both surprising and distracting as to how ridiculous things become. As I watched the events of the film unfold I couldn't help but to keep writing down again and again how I couldn't believe they were going where they were going and yet, the film kept going...one step further. Now, to be clear, this isn't strange or ridiculous in the sense of bombastic violence or discussing things typically considered far too taboo for everyday discussion, but more in the sense of general absurdities. Having not directed a film in nearly twenty years and operating strictly in Australia this would seem to be a fine opportunity to return for Moorhouse and there is plenty of stuff to have fun with here despite the fact I wasn't able to get on board with all of it. With Winslet leading the charge (though she seems miscast) Moorhouse and her ensemble of misfits that make up this small town in Australia endeavor to deliver a perfectly cheeky little screwball comedy that is able to hold a slight amount of substance rather than being completely flippant.

INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE Review

There is a bit of trivia on the IMDB page for Independence Day: Resurgence that talks about how, after the success of the first film, 20th Century Fox paid screenwriter Dean Devlin a large sum of money to write a script for a sequel. The story goes though, that after completing the script for what would have been the original sequel to 1996's Independence Day Devlin decided not to turn it in and instead gave the money back to the studio. The trivia goes on to state that Devlin did this because he felt the story didn't live up to the first film. As we are now twenty years removed from that original film and have now seen what an Independence Day sequel looks like this course of action only seems to beg one question: how bad must that original sequel script have been? Could it really have retreaded the beats of the first film as much as Resurgence does? The only thing that differentiates the first film from this new one is the passage of time and how that has changed earth's technologies and defense systems while having what cast returns look a little older. The IMDB page goes on to say that it was only fifteen years later, when Devlin met up with director Roland Emmerich to try again, that they felt they had finally "cracked" a story for a sequel. Though it is difficult to be downright negative towards a film story and character development certainly aren't Resurgence's strong suits and may even be the most laughable aspects of a movie that tries really hard to be funny. One can't help but feel that, in this scenario, "cracking" the story only meant they were offered a lot more money than before. If Resurgence does indeed deliver the story that Emmerich and Devlin thought more justified the existence of a sequel to their 1996 feature it can only now be concluded that they were only going to repeat themselves more with the scrapped screenplay. While Resurgence certainly finds moments of dumb fun and some rather spectacular action sequences given special effects have improved greatly in the last two decades it is more or less a retread of what we saw in that original movie in terms of ensemble cast and humans versus aliens. Granted, the question easily posed in response to that statement is, "what did you expect it to be?" and the answer to that is that they at least try to find a new way into that same old story.

New Trailer for INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

In light of Earth Day today 20th Century Fox has decided to release a new look at this summer's Independence Day sequel that will inevitably destroy it. This twenty years later sequel that undoubtedly hopes to cash in on some of that nostalgia money Jurassic World was able to make last past summer is throwing all the chips on the table with this latest trailer. Unlike World though, this property has many a returning factors. Director Roland Emmerich has directed what looks to be a real time second chapter to the story of the 1996 alien invasion where the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsh, and Vivica A. Fox are all back to once again defend the planet from incoming invaders. The set-up has a neat little conceit to it as Goldblum's David Levinson has seemingly been leading the charge to ready the Earth for the inevitable by using the alien technology they acquired after the events of the first film to protect them if the aliens were to ever return. Well, it seems as if the time has come. With this new look at what I assume is recently completed footage given the amount of CGI here is seems the director has really outdone himself this time in terms of pure spectacle and scale. The destruction in this thing is almost incomprehensible, but it is truly stunning and should translate on the big screen quite well. The real question is if any of these characters will the same way Smith was able to way back when. At the very least, Emmerich is always a reliable source for big, brainless summer spectacle and I expect nothing short of such entertainment here. Independence Day: Resurgence also stars Liam Hemsworth, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and opens on June 24, 2016.

Teaser Trailer for INDEPENDENCE DAY: RESURGENCE

Out of nowhere 20th Century Fox has decided to release the first look at next summer's Independence Day sequel. Of course, this isn't really out of nowhere as everyone in their right mind is vying for a spot in front of Star Wars: The Force Awakens this Friday and Fox has simply thrown their hat in the ring with both the X-Men Apocalyspe trailer that debuted Friday and now the twenty years later sequel that will undoubtedly hope to cash in on some of that nostalgia money Jurassic World was able to make this past summer. Unlike World though, this property has many a returning factors. Director Roland Emmerich has directed what looks to be a real time second chapter to the story of the 1996 alien invasion where the likes of Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Judd Hirsh, and Vivica A. Fox are all back to once again defend the planet from incoming invaders, but sadly there is no Will Smith to be seen. The set-up has a neat little conceit to it as Goldblum's David Levinson has seemingly been leading the charge to ready the Earth for the inevitable by using the alien technology they acquired after the events of the first film to protect them if the aliens were ever to return. Well, guess what-they're back. While this first glimpse at the footage for the upcoming film looks to be in line with what today's audiences expect in terms of dark and gritty and taking things fairly serious, I wouldn't be surprised if the final film is much more in line with the tone of the original. Plus, Emmerich is always a reliable source for big, brainless summer spectacle and I expect nothing short of such entertainment here. Independence Day: Resurgence also stars Liam Hemsworth, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, and opens on June 24, 2016.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2 Review

Ultimately, The Hunger Games films as well as the books are about sacrifice and that this final installment of the film franchise encapsulates this theme to it's fullest while still maintaining a clear narrative drive that is moved along by several exhilarating action sequences allows it to be nothing short of wholly fulfilling. In all honesty, as a reader of the books, I don't know that one could have asked for a better interpretation of the novels. Even in retrospect, the splitting of Mockingjay into two parts now seems a genuine decision rather than a financial one as it allowed more time to fully grasp the multiple changes and conflicts our protagonist, Katniss Everdeen (the ever-steady Jennifer Lawrence), would experience while also allowing plenty of space to develop the idea that both sides of a war use the same kind of propaganda to strike fear into their followers hearts. This development as well as the fact both parts of the Mockingjay films were not shackled by the narrative constraints of the actual games make for a much more involving and complex set of moral decisions and real world repercussions that don't typically apply to young adult literary stories. Whether it be through the casting of the terrific Donald Sutherland as President Snow who makes the overriding threat seem all the more vile as he eloquently executes his intentions of power over the classes of Panem through his politics or the unexpectedly layered Alma Coin (Julianne Moore) that brings about not only an epiphany in Katniss concerning the vicious circle that human beings naturally put themselves in when systems inevitably become corrupted, but also in realizing the necessary differences in the two men in her life that will finally bring about a peaceful decision. As much as The Hunger Games series is about sacrifice it is also about holding true to ideals no matter the sacrifice it takes to keep such principles relevant. Some may counter Katniss with the argument that there is no need to fight for ideals if there will be no one left to carry them on and if that is to be the result it seems Katniss thinks we might not deserve to exist at all. It's a bold statement, one that the films could have easily smoothed over with a toothless and sentimental final act, but instead they embraced the complexities and let them play out in an honest sense only making it all the more interesting to watch come to an end.

TIFF 2015: THE DRESSMAKER Review

I watched what could be considered some very strange films at the Toronto International Film Festival, but I don't think any of them were as weird or out there as Jocelyn Moorhouse's The Dressmaker. This movie, you guys, is completely bonkers. You wouldn't think so given the look of the header photo above and the fact it stars such credible and well-respected actors as Kate Winslet, Hugo Weaving and Judy Davis, but once this thing gets rolling it is both surprising and distracting as to how ridiculous it gets. As I watched the events of the film unfold I couldn't help but to keep writing down again and again how I couldn't believe they were going where they were going and yet, the film kept going...one step further. Now, to be clear, this isn't strange or ridiculous in the sense of bombastic violence or discussing things typically considered too taboo for everyday discussion, but more in the sense of general absurdities. Having not directed a film in nearly twenty years and operating strictly in Australia this would seem to be a fine opportunity to return for Moorhouse and there is plenty of stuff to have fun with here despite the fact I wasn't able to get on board with all of it. With Winslet leading the charge (though she seems miscast) Moorhouse and her ensemble of misfits that make up this small town in Australia endeavor to deliver a perfectly cheeky little screwball comedy that is able to hold a slight amount of substance rather than being completely flippant.

Full Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY – PART 2

It's hard to believe The Hunger Games franchise is coming to a close, though it seems Peeta confirmed there will be some type of spin-off or prequel in a few years time. What is strange about The Hunger Games series though is that I tend to care less about them in between installments despite having read all of the books and still being interested in the film adaptations. I was beginning to put together my most anticipated list for the fall movie season the other day and I completely forgot we had the finale to Suzanne Collins trilogy coming out. I don't know if this means I'm not really excited to see the movie or if in the three years since the first film premiered I've grown tired of these types of films. That said, I still get excited for a good super hero movie so who knows, maybe I'm really just not that pumped for it. Either way, you won't see it on my list despite this full trailer for the film looking nothing short of fantastic. I guess it could be due to the fact I wasn't able to catch Mockingjay - Part 1 in theaters and thus it felt like less of an event, but I will still be seeing Part 2 in IMAX opening night as director Francis Lawrence has seemingly put together a worthy final chapter to the three rather solid films that have come before it. While Catching Fire is easily my favorite so far, Mockingjay - Part 2  may well in fact top it given it's the conclusion and it looks packed to the brim with both action and drama. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Julianne Moore, and Donald Sutherland all return when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 opens November 20, 2015.

First Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 2

It's somewhat hard to believe The Hunger Games franchise is coming to a close, though I'm sure in three to four years time there will be some type of spin-off or prequel that will need to come to the big screen. Nonetheless, it seems as if the first film in the franchise opened just the other day. Granted, Harry Potter was a much longer journey and I didn't get caught up in the Twilight saga so this is really my first time dealing with a shorter series that I've actually become so invested in. What is strange about The Hunger Games series though is that I do tend to care less about them in between installments despite having read all of the books and still being interested in the film interpretations when they come around; which is more than I can say for the Veronica Roth series. With both parts of the series finale being filmed simultaneously last year, it has been a long time since even the actors have been close to the material and with Mockingjay - Part 1 feeling more like a blip on the radar than a worthy chapter in the story of Katniss I can only hope this final film really delivers on what its source material executed rather well. If this first trailer is any indication I'm feeling fairly optimistic we're still in good hands with director Francis Lawrence. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Elizabeth Banks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Jeffrey Wright, Willow Shields, Sam Claflin, Jena Malone, Stanley Tucci, Julianne Moore, and Donald Sutherland all return when The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 opens November 20, 2015.

THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1 Review

I've always been a fan of second chapters, but this new trend of first halves of last chapters is an unfortunate one that doesn't seem to be going anywhere soon given the extra dollars to be made from it. Not only does it completely contradict the reasons studios use to justify these splits, but they often times present glaring weaknesses in the story that otherwise wouldn't be present if the intention was the same as with the first two or however many predecessors there were. In the case of The Hunger Games, having read the books, I would have much more preferred they split Catching Fire into two parts than the rather lackluster and somewhat disappointing third book in the trilogy. Of course, as the finale, it is the one that gets the big to-do. There is a case to be made and an essay to be written for why studious should consider breaking the book that deserves it most into two parts rather than the concluding chapter (one that might ultimately agree with their story justifications in the press release that we all know are just covers for double the profit), but that is for another time and head space. While we may eventually get to a place where every book is broken into two movies right now we are here to discuss the beginning of the end for what has been the middle ground between the more credible Harry Potter series and the laughable, niche that was Twilight. The Hunger Games has served as a bridge between these series, uniting the tween and teen girls that flocked to the Bella Swan soap opera and the fans of varying degrees that grew up with J.K. Rowling's boy wizard in a way that melded the female heroine with the gritty realism of a fictional world. These films are, in a way, the ultimate composition of young adult literature combining every successful element that have come before and garnering the masses all the more for it while also sporting its own line of imitators. I wouldn't necessarily say I enjoyed The Hunger Games, either in the books or film series, but I am no doubt intrigued by them and fascinated not only by the role they play in pop culture and the brand they've etched out for themselves, but for the actual intentions of the story and how that has somehow been maintained in the feature adaptations. With that mindset I went into Mockingjay - Part 1 with a hopeful optimism that director Francis Lawrence and his unbelievably impressive cast might have crafted a game-changer.

Official Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: MOCKINGJAY - PART 1

At long last, the full-length trailer for the first installment of director Francis Lawrence’s conclusion to the Hunger Games franchise has been released. Lionsgate has been playing this entire series close to the chest after the first film became somewhat of a phenomenon simply because it knows what it has on its hands. At this point, people are going to show up to this no matter if they've seen a trailer or not and so we get glimpses of what is to come, but not a marketing onslaught that wears us out before the final product arrives (take note, Sony). Having read all three of Suzanne Collins' books on which these films are based I found "Mockingjay" to be the least satisfying which has always made me weary of the film adaptation yet Lawrence took "Catching Fire" (my favorite reading experience of the series) and made it a much better film that the initial installment giving me hope for what he might do with the conclusion of this story. It was inevitable that the studio would split the final book into two features (despite the book length being about the same as the first two) and with this first real look at footage from the first half of the finale it looks like Lawrence has taken the themes of what this world of districts represents and has turned the emotional repercussions up to eleven. The book did take some interesting avenues with the characters though and naturally I look forward to seeing those play out on the big screen. It also looks like Gale will finally get his due after being heavily sidelined in the first two films, only building to a more emotional ending than we might be ready to handle. here's hoping it actually gets to us that much, signaling some real depth in blockbuster filmmaking. The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 1 stars Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson,  Liam Hemsworth, Woody Harrelson, Julianne Moore, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Elizabeth Banks, Jena Malone, Sam Claflin, Jeffrey Wright, Stanley Tucci, Natalie Dormer, Donald Sutherland and opens in theaters on November 21st.

Worst Films of 2013

I usually include my least favorite films of the year at the bottom of my top 10 list but seeing as I will not be able to compile my top ten list this year until after January 10th (due to not having the opportunity to screen Her, Inside Llewyn Davis, August: Osage County or Lone Survivor until then) I am going ahead with publishing them separately this year. I feel out of the loop slightly as most critics have already put forth their top 10 lists but these are the drawbacks of living in a small market where you don’t get Nebraska until December 20th. In clearing that up, I don’t like to seek out movies that I think will be horrible, or even bad. I try to look for redeeming qualities in each and every film I see and these are the few this year I just couldn’t really get over or found them to be more disappointing than rewarding. Many of them were downright irritating given the potential they carried whether in cast or in filmmakers/writers. I didn’t get around to seeing many of the obvious choices such as Texas Chainsaw 3D, A Haunted House or Safe Haven and have included an alternate list of five films that are more easy targets for a list such as this rather than being as horrible as they have been made out to be by critical and box office reception. I won't get ridiculous and make a list of movies that weren't everything I wanted them to be, most falling into that category were still decent films even if they didn't meet my personal expectations. Still, while I even hesitate to make a list of what I consider some of the worse films this year as many of you who bother to look at these kinds of lists know what wasn't good and it seems pointless to single them out again, thus there were a few I took issue with and thought were given more praise than they deserved while not impressing me in the least. With that in mind, here are my top ten least favorite movies I saw this year...

THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE Review

There are plenty of perks to being the middle installment of a giant trilogy. Whether you've read the books or not I think it goes without saying that Catching Fire, the film, is a much bigger and more impressive exercise than what the first film was able to deliver after it finished setting up the world all of this would be taking place in. This, coming from the benefit of being that middle child. It has always been the case though (Empire Strikes Back, The Dark Knight, X2: X-Men United, Spider-Man 2) that without having to deal in exposition and not having to worry itself with how to wrap everything up nicely, that the second chapter of a larger story is the one where we get to dig in, where we are able to see the meat of the conflict, and get to really know the characters and what drives them, what makes them different and why we remain interested in their plight past the unbelievable circumstances they were thrown into the first time around. All of this remains true in director Francis Lawrence's follow-up to Gary Ross's faithful and fervent opening chapter. Yes, it is important to note that I am a fan of the books, all three of them, but that Catching Fire was by far my favorite and for all the reasons I've listed above I desperately hoped the film turned out the same way. As we reach the final shot of this film it became all the more clear that we'd just witnessed something rather special. It may not have been a game-changer like The Dark Knight or as exceptional as X2, but it has some clear moments and techniques that are more than impressive and more than intriguing that lead us to becoming intensely wrapped up in the world of Panem and the brewing revolution. The scope and scale, the performances all-around, the more confident hand behind the execution; it all adds up to a film that knows what it is, what its message and main themes are, and where it is going because there is a driving force behind the narrative that makes the briskly paced film (not a bad thing with a run time of two and a half hours) feel like a consistently mounting piece of music that perfectly staggers its force and intensity until hitting that crescendo. This is only one passage though, and that perfectly timed climax of this specific progression only leaves us wanting more which can only mean part two has done its job and done it well.

First Trailer for THE HUNGER GAMES: CATCHING FIRE

MTV has premiered the first teaser trailer for the highly anticipated follow up to last years $691 million hit, The Hunger Games. Interest on my part has been relatively high as I enjoyed the book series and the second book, Catching Fire, was far and away my favorite in the series. I enjoyed Gary Ross' take on the first film and the world he set up and created for these characters to exist and rebel in as the titular challenge is simply a stage to personify the extremes the capitol goes to in order to keep their people in check. I was anxious also to see what new director Francis Lawrence (I Am Legend, Water for Elephants) would be contributing to the world and if the trailer is any indication it is only getting all the more dark and all the more epic. The whole thing looks a a bit sleeker and a bit more credible than the slightly laughable capitol outfits that made the first one look like it took place partly in Oz. As the trailer is structured around a conversation between President Snow (Donald Sutherland) and new Gamemaker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman) that details the downfall of Katniss we get a taste of the great cast hamming it up and delivering the goods. There are several cuts to Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) and Katniss (Jennifer Lawrence) on their victory tour, but as the trailers for the first film did there are no games in sight and only a slight hint towards them near the end here. I won't lie and say I haven't been eagerly awaiting this trailer though I thought I'd have to wait longer. Does this make it better or worse we still have to wait seven months for the actual film? Still, this trailer has given me faith in Lawrence and piqued my interest in these film adaptations again in that this second installment might actually exceed the first and match the intrigue the novel delivered. The film also stars Liam Hemsworth, Sam Claflin, Elizabeth Banks, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, Jeffrey Wright, and Amanda Plummer. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire opens on November 22nd in IMAX and traditional theaters. Hit the jump to watch the trailer.

THE EXPENDABLES 2 Review

In my review of the first Expendables film I ended it by saying that the film was nothing more than a good time and I imagine that is all Sylvester Stallone really desired for his audience to have. That he did a fine job at achieving that goal and that I couldn't wait for the sequel, quipping that maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme would show up next time. One can imagine my excitement when it was actually announced that the Muscles from Brussels would not only be showing up in The Expendables 2, but would be playing the bad guy. Perfect! It is easy to criticize these films for their lack of any kind of ambition outside of the bad 80's action flicks they intend to pay homage to, but that is their purpose and if you go in wanting or expecting anything more than that you will be sorely disappointed. If you know what to expect at all though I can't see how one could not thoroughly enjoy themselves as this sequel is everything the sequels of that action hey day aspired to be. Bigger, louder, and packed with even more action heroes with more bullets to hand out than you could ever imagine. While I looked forward to the first film for the reasons of seeing Stallone's old school style and ideals mix with someone leading the new school such as Jason Statham that excitement has passed and so to find something to actually look forward to and invest in with the sequel we find it to be the fact that there is an even bigger palette of action stars than the first one offered. We look to see the minor cameo roles of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger expand to where these three titans of the genre stand together on the front lines. The last twenty minutes is worth the price of admission alone and to boot, this is so ridiculously entertaining you'll find your self surprised at how much you can't wait to see The Expendables 3.

From left: Maggie (Yu Nan), Caesar (Terry Crews), Barney
(Sylvester Stallone), Road (Randy Couture) and Gunner
(Dolph Lundgren) are the Expendables.

While story only matters so much in a movie like this, there is a surprising amount of attention paid to the details here. We open this time with a major action set piece, something I wanted from the first film that felt a little underwhelming. Barney Ross (Stallone) and his crew that includes Lee Christmas (Statham), Yin Yang (Jet Li), Gunnar Jensen (Dolph Lundgren), Hale Caesar (Terry Crews), Toll Road (Randy Couture) and newcomer Billy the Kid (Liam Hemsworth) bust through some poor little Nepal town where the old school mercenaries blow holes in everyone who gets in their way, busting down structures with their parade of tanks all in order to rescue a Chinese businessman for God knows what reasons. It is purely the set up to re-introduce us to the wide cast of characters while putting on display exactly how outlandish and graphic the violence of the film is going to be. Li's character is dismissed early as he escorts the businessman back to their hometown so we are treated to some nice bonding moments and a hint at a storyline that is never further explored that has Barney disliking Christmas's plans to move forward in his relationship after the cheating episode of part one. This is minor to the introduction of little Hemsworth though who is an expert sniper and slowly taking that place of Barney's right hand man from Christmas. That is, until Billy admits the life isn't for him. The thick of the plot begins when Willis's Church comes a callin' for the payback Barney and his boys owe him. Church sends them on a seemingly simple mission that asks them to take along female tech genius Maggie (Yu Nan) and retrieve an item from a safe on an airplane that crashed in Albania. The mission is completed quickly, but the victory is short lived as Jean Vilain (Van Damme) and yes, that's seriously his characters name, kidnaps one of the Expendables and demands the item from the plane. Barney is hesitant, but gives in while Vilain takes the life of his captive anyway. It is now personal, and you know they're going to make sure they get revenge.

Trench (Arnold Schwarzenegger), Barney, and Church
(Bruce Willis) let loose on their enemies.

As far as summer blockbusters go, it will be hard to beat this one in terms of pure enjoyment. There is a sense of carelessness, of fun that goes along with the ride the film takes you on while still containing some nice attempts at genuine emotional moments as well as several hilarious bits, some of which are even intentional. In this aspect I think I may have laughed at The Expendables 2 more than any other comedy that came out in the past three or four months. There is a point in the film where the team is trapped, surrounded by members of Van Damme's gang known as the Sangs. Naturally, there is no way all of these guys can bite the bullet and so who else is there to come to the rescue but Chuck Norris? Literally every time Norris appears on screen as the lone wolf Booker I was smiling. It completely epitomizes the cheesiness of the series yet perfectly captures the tone that Stallone established in the first one and director Simon West carries over so well in this one. West is no stranger to big, giant action films as he's made a few successful ones of his own including Con Air, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, as well as working previously with Statham on The Mechanic. The director not only improves on the way in which they convey the intentional, almost satiric tone of the films but he also stages the action pieces with a more brutal force. Whereas under Stallone's direction there were clearly a few messy edits and sloppy action sequences built on great ideas that didn't transition as well to the screen as I would have hoped, they seem all the better choreographed here while still allowing each character a moment to shine. There is no shortage of action here though, and the whole thing is completely relentless in its goal to create an all-out, over the top action movie they just don't make anymore. If they were made more often The Expendable  films likely wouldn't have as much charm as they do, so the film ultimately benefits from being one of a kind in this day and age.

Bad guy Vilain (Jean-Claude Van Damme) faces off against
Barney in the finale.

In my initial reaction to the first film I was so in love with the idea of the film and was satisfied enough with the final product that I gave it a rating of three and a half stars. That was my initial gut in what I would rate this film as well. Looking back I would probably take away the half star or maybe even a whole from the original. That speaks bad for the first film, but it means well for this second entry in the series as it shows the potential for what that first movie should have reached. Does it mean there isn't room for the third one to grow and be even better? Of course not, with this series there will seemingly always be room for improvement and they are far from perfect, but they serve their purpose as well as any Oscar bait drama. There is plenty of bad acting and horrible dialogue here, but Hemsworth lends the movie a bit of credibility while Van Damme is living it up, making what could have been a stale role this juicy experiment as this ridiculous villain who plays up every cliche of a foreign bad guy you could imagine. The final showdown between Van Damme and Stallone will elicit several cheers while the corny dialogue exchanges between Willis and Schwarzenegger in the heat of battle will have you rolling in the aisles. I can only imagine Stallone intended to have another successful franchise on his resume when he began to shape this idea of an orgy of action heroes rolled into one film together into an actual reality and he has delivered what he promised, only improving on the formula this time around. I really am excited about part three coming down the tube. I hear Eastwood may show up next time or we may even get a trip inside the Cage on top of what will no doubt already be the most bombastic chapter yet.

THE EXPENDABLES 2 Review

In my review of the first Expendables film I ended it by saying that the film was nothing more than a good time and I imagine that is all Sylvester Stallone really desired for his audience to have. That he did a fine job at achieving that goal and that I couldn't wait for the sequel, quipping that maybe Jean-Claude Van Damme would show up next time. One can imagine my excitement when it was actually announced that the Muscles from Brussels would not only be showing up in The Expendables 2, but would be playing the bad guy. Perfect! It is easy to criticize these films for their lack of any kind of ambition outside of the bad 80's action flicks they intend to pay homage to, but that is their purpose and if you go in wanting or expecting anything more than that you will be sorely disappointed. If you know what to expect at all though I can't see how one could not thoroughly enjoy themselves as this sequel is everything the sequels of that action hey day aspired to be. Bigger, louder, and packed with even more action heroes with more bullets to hand out than you could ever imagine. While I looked forward to the first film for the reasons of seeing Stallone's old school style and ideals mix with someone leading the new school such as Jason Statham that excitement has passed and so to find something to actually look forward to and invest in with the sequel we find it to be the fact that there is an even bigger palette of action stars than the first one offered. We look to see the minor cameo roles of Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger expand to where these three titans of the genre stand together on the front lines. The last twenty minutes is worth the price of admission alone and to boot, this is so ridiculously entertaining you'll find your self surprised at how much you can't wait to see The Expendables 3.

THE HUNGER GAMES Review

For most fans of "The Hunger Games" series the film adaptation has been a long time coming. Since it was first announced a year ago who would be directing and starring in the film a slew of other news and information, photos and trailers have come out prepping everyone for the next huge series based on a young adult book series. I think it is important to note that this reviewer has read all three books and loved them. Since seeing the movie I have spoken with others who have also read the books and heard their thoughts on it as well as with those who went in without knowing anything more than a plot synopsis. Both have had equally interesting things to say ranging from it being the best adaptation that could have possibly been made from the book to those who were a little confused as to what all of this meant but at least engaged with where all of this might be going. I tend to agree that director Gary Ross and his team have constructed what is probably the best visual representation of Suzanne Collins imagination as they could. The dystopian world in which 12 districts remain in the ruins of North America is delivered in the opening moments of the film with that outermost district of 12 being a place of hardship and citizens barely making it by in their day to day lives. On the other end of the spectrum is the capitol, a place that visually is like a technologically advanced Oz with crowds of large wigs and ridiculous face paint. The books are of a certain commentary on the world today and the type of entertainment we can find enjoyable. Will fans of the book think the movie is better? Probably not, but that has never been a fair judgement. Where the book gave us the internal thoughts and reasoning's of our characters the movies give us the how. What is so appealing about "The Hunger Games" film is that while it certainly delivers the "how" of Suzanne Collins world it is able to tap into the "why" as well and give us hints of what is to come while setting everything up in this first chapter with satisfying results.

Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Gale Hawthorne
(Liam Hemsworth) ready themselves for the reaping.

For those that are still unaware of what the story is here it can basically be summed up in that each year a boy and girl tribute between the ages of 12 and 18 from each of the 12 districts are chosen to compete in the hunger games. The 24 contestants are placed in an arena to fight to the death until their is only one victor remaining. This is done to remind the citizens of Panem (the nation that now exists in place of North America) of the rebellion that happened previously and why it should never happen again. By the time Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) are chosen as the tributes from district 12 Panem is now on their 74th hunger games. For those of you who have heard the comparisons to the "Twilight" series you can stop thinking that here because the only similarity between the two series is the angle of the love triangle between Katniss, Peeta, and Katniss's long time friend Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth). This also isn't the main focus of the story either, and even throughout the series it serves as a second string subplot to the games. For the first hour of the film director Ross is able to introduce those who are unfamiliar with the world of Panem to the ins and outs and rules of the game while giving those anxious to see their imaginations materialized on screen reason to be excited as the tone is pitch perfect and the players couldn't be better.

Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) interviews Katniss after she
takes the place of her sister as the girl tribute from district 12. 

Katniss is a strong female lead that has taken care of her younger sister, Primrose, since her mother lapsed into simply existing after her husbands death. Katniss doesn't have time for feeling sorry for herself, she hunts and keeps the family well fed and as you've probably seen in the trailer volunteers to take Primrose's spot when she is originally chosen for the games. In this role, Jennifer Lawrence does look and sometimes feels a little too old to be playing the 16 year-old, but she is so honest and sincere in her performance that it is hard to picture a better Katniss. Lawrence is the sole reason why some of the emotions elicited from Collins words are to be felt as if they were perfectly translated to the screen. She is forced, as Ross was to tell an elaborate story and set up a large universe within a certain amount of time while trying to please themselves and fans of the series. It is not an easy task, but Ross knew what he was doing when he placed Lawrence in the role because not only does she have the tomboy-ish rogue side to pull off the district 12 Katniss, but also the beauty and stamina to pull off the Katniss that is forced out of her comfort zone and the vulnerability of the girl on fire who has to survive in the capitol where there are more games being played than just the ones in the arena.

The same can almost be said for Hutcherson as Peeta. In the books, Peeta is the most genuine kind of person that expresses such a pure, unselfish love for Katniss that he knows from the beginning if anyone is going to win it will be his fellow tribute. Hutcherson is a gentle faced young actor with a humble persona that for me, felt like it fit perfectly with who Peeta was. On screen, Hutcherson is not able to convey as much depth as the literary Peeta did, but I am anxious to see how Hutcherson grows as a performer throughout the series as Peeta becomes a character that will require the skills of a very talented actor to portray. As for Gale, Hemsworth does his best with his limited screen time here while setting up why Katniss will have such a hard time determining what her relationship with her best friend could be and if the new feelings she is experiencing for Peeta are even real or if they can outweigh that bond with Gale. Thank God director Ross didn't feel the need to force this triangle to the front just for the sake of competing with "Twilight" but instead goes for the more subtle route of simply cutting to a shot of Gale when Katniss and Peeta have their first onscreen kiss. Now that's drama.

From left: Cinna (Lenny Kravitz) Haymitch (Woody Harrelson)
and Peeta (Josh Hutcherson) discuss the games.

The remainder of the cast is sprinkled with pros who, as in any good franchise, support the more unknown leads with a stable backdrop to handle such massive movies. Whether it be the perfectly cast Elizabeth Banks as the love to hate her Effie Trinket, an intimidating Donald Sutherland as President Snow, or the great Stanley Tucci showing off his charisma as the hunger games emcee Caeser Flickerman. It only gets better when we are introduced to Lenny Kravitz as Cinna. Cinna is a beloved character in the books, a rock for our protagonist and in the most unexpected of choices with Kravitz he proves to be a rather inspired, soft-spoken mentor that truly understands the horrifying truth of the games. The man who steals the show though is Woody Harrelson as the drunken mentor to our two tributes, Haymitch Abernathy. Haymitch is the only tribute for district 12 to have ever won the hunger games and Harrelson easily transitions him from the alcoholic we first meet who could care less whether his district wins or loses to a mentor that not only knows the best ways to survive in the arena but the best tactics to win over the sponsors outside of it. There is obviously going to be much more of the page dedicated to these characters then there will be available screen time and so to have actors inhabit these roles that can bring out the defining characteristics in such short amount of time is a real credit to not only their talent but to Ross and his skills not only as a director but as a writer on the script.

Peeta runs into some tough times in the arena.

Early on, to capture the tone and desperation of district 12 director Ross uses a lot (maybe a little too much) of the handheld camera and stages the reaping (the lottery-like picking of the two tributes) to almost resemble a World War II Nazi concentration camp. The color palette is filled with faded grays and blues while the capitol guards stand in attention in pure white in case anything decides to disrupt the ceremony. Ross has said repeatedly how he did not intend to give the production a glossy, over-stylized feel in that this would almost be a way of conforming to what the capitol would want the movie to be. His intentions were brave and he has succeeded in making a film that stays absolutely true to the spirit of the book while only managing to lose a small amount of the social commentary that is contained within them. The stories have also been accused of being taken from a 2000 Japanese film "Battle Royale" about a class of 9th graders being dropped on a deserted island and forced to kill one another. That film though does not feature the lush back story or government force that is the foundation of conflict in "The Hunger Games". That film is more a commentary on the moral flexibility and impressionable minds of the youth while Collins stories seem to be more of a social commentary on the entertainment industry and how we as a society eat it up.

Katniss practices her bow & arrow skills by hunting in the
woods outside of district 12.

Collins said her inspiration for the books came from channel surfing one night and coming across a reality show where contestants were competing for a prize and then seeing footage of the war in Iraq. The meshing of these two can certainly form an unsettling idea, but even more so the world that Collins has since conceived from this idea is something of a canvas for people with different sets of ideas to see the story as they want to see it. Whether it be a political message where the government flourishes off the day to day work of the less important population or that the elite in the capitol are the 1% forcing those from different economic standings to fight for their own amusement. The reason for this is simple in that both Collins in her books and Ross with his film have left a lot of things open for our own conclusions. Whatever conclusions may be drawn it is certainly a mirror for its audience (us) to take a good hard look at ourselves. Does it make you feel bad about the obsession you have with reality TV? That what we see as entertainment really might be a tragedy for that person on screen who has to deal with it and go through that? No matter the point of view or interpretation you might perceive from the series it is clear that at least it is making its audience think, something not found to often in blockbuster movies.

Effie, Haymitch, and Katniss watch the results of the
gamemaker's judgements on each contestant.

"The Hunger Games" is a film that while provoking a variety of reactions from its audience is also an entertaining thriller that introduces us to a cast of characters and a world that leaves us wanting more. The one drawback to the film is that for all of the implications this story makes the film version does not make those strong impressions that Katniss feels alone in this world. The actual games, which don't start until an hour into the film feel rushed and too easily dealt with whereas in the book the games showed a character simply trying to survive with no other worries on her mind. Ross in his film has already began to imply where the outside world is going and that is fine seeing as this truly is an origin story, but to do this also means the film needs to capture the heart of why those in the outer districts feel the strong courage to rebel. It needs to not just paint President Snow as the villain but everyone who is not with Katniss in her quest to save and protect the ones she loves. That it looks over the implications of what Katniss is actually going through when she is primped and made-up to put on a performance for the camera is glassed over as if the story was being told from Effie's point of view rather than Katniss's. We need to know that Katniss is not enjoying herself, that in all reality she is conflicted about how she is acting versus what her gut is telling her to do. This will of course come to more fruition in the second and third installment of the series, but I can only hope this aspect of the story was slighted from the first film because of its need to introduce the world to Panem and its population. From this point on there is no need for pleasantries but instead we can immediately get down to business. "The Hunger Games" is nothing short of an entertaining film and is a fine adaptation but for the films to really go somewhere they will have to dig deeper into the psychology of our heroine in "Catching Fire".

  

THE HUNGER GAMES Review

For most fans of "The Hunger Games" series the film adaptation has been a long time coming. Since it was first announced a year ago who would be directing and starring in the film a slew of other news and information, photos and trailers have come out prepping everyone for the next huge series based on a young adult book series. I think it is important to note that this reviewer has read all three books and loved them. Since seeing the movie I have spoken with others who have also read the books and heard their thoughts on it as well as with those who went in without knowing anything more than a plot synopsis. Both have had equally interesting things to say ranging from it being the best adaptation that could have possibly been made from the book to those who were a little confused as to what all of this meant but at least engaged with where all of this might be going. I tend to agree that director Gary Ross and his team have constructed what is probably the best visual representation of Suzanne Collins imagination as they could. The dystopian world in which 12 districts remain in the ruins of North America is delivered in the opening moments of the film with that outermost district of 12 being a place of hardship and citizens barely making it by in their day to day lives. On the other end of the spectrum is the capitol, a place that visually is like a technologically advanced Oz with crowds of large wigs and ridiculous face paint. The books are of a certain commentary on the world today and the type of entertainment we can find enjoyable. Will fans of the book think the movie is better? Probably not, but that has never been a fair judgement. Where the book gave us the internal thoughts and reasoning's of our characters the movies give us the how. What is so appealing about "The Hunger Games" film is that while it certainly delivers the "how" of Suzanne Collins world it is able to tap into the "why" as well and give us hints of what is to come while setting everything up in this first chapter with satisfying results.