THE COMMUTER Review

In their fourth film together, director Jaume Collet-Serra and Liam Neeson have seemingly set the bar too high with their previous three efforts that include Unknown, Non-Stop, and Run All Night to make this as enjoyable as it probably is. You may also be familiar with Collet-Serra's style via last summer's sleeper hit The Shallows, but while the expert B-movie director and his late-in-life action star may have proved to be a collaborative dream team in the past when it came to crafting guilty pleasures the excitement within the relationship seems to have worn off a bit with their latest, The Commuter. It's funny because everything one could hope for from a Collet-Serra/Neeson collaboration is here in terms of the plotting, tension, and action spectacle, but while it is evident from the opening title sequence that Collet-Serra is going for something a little more nuanced than a movie like The Commuter might actually deserve the film ultimately falters in this ambition as it ends up feeling rather hastily put together via a rookie screenwriting duo (Byron Willinger and Philip de Blasi) that was then seemingly revised by Non-Stop screenwriter Ryan Engle. This makes sense given The Commuter is more or less Non-Stop on a train, but no matter how little or how much effort was initially put in by Willinger and Blasi and/or how much of an overhaul Engle ended up doing the biggest problems with The Commuter still boil down to the screenplay and its slight excuse of a story. One can feel Collet-Serra attempting to infuse this thing with style and nuance as well as Neeson giving everything he seemingly has left in his aging body that might inspire him to continue the fight. The veteran actor is frazzled though, and that mentality is kind of present from the get-go. At this point we know the routine and we understand the stakes-The Commuter needed to do something to break the monotony as Run All Night did exceptionally well as compared to this, but instead this latest in the long line of varied actioners that compose Neeson's career resurgence as an action star is a middle of the road effort; something that looks the part and acts the part, but doesn't feel authentic in its portrayal of what it's actually supposed to be.

THOR: RAGNAROK Review

You know those ideas that are better in conception that they ever turn out to be in actuality? The ones where the pairing of two things, like Vince Vaughn and True Detective, sound fantastic, but when the reality of it comes into being it only serves to prove that some mediums and personalities just weren't meant to be meshed? Well, for the first twenty or so minutes of the third solo Thor film I thought that might be what was happening. The idea of taking darling indie comedy director Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) and pairing him with the massive machine that is Marvel to bring their most self-serious and most dour hero into the new phase of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) that might bridge the Shakespearian those ideas that almost felt too good to be true, you know, like Edgar Wright making a Marvel Studios film (which, it turned out, was in fact just that). It was an idea that seemed it might produce something truly singular for the long-standing MCU, but would it be too weird for Kevin Feige and the gang to really let slide? Honestly, I was waiting for the moment over the last two years when the news would break that Marvel and Waititi had to break over "creative differences" but to my pleasant surprise that day never came and today we sit here with Thor: Ragnarok, the best solo Thor movie that has been made to date, the first Thor movie that truly seems to utilize the full spectrum of the character and the world he inhabits and the never ending reaches of the cosmos he can inhabit while also upending many of the story conventions we've come to expect from our super hero epics. That is all, of course, after the rather nerve-wracking twenty or so minutes at the beginning of the film where it looked as if Waititi had bitten off more than he could chew in terms of managing a production the size of Ragnarok while also in the simple splicing together of jokes and story, of tender moments and CGI-filled natural environments where it was apparent that maybe the best choices had not been made. It's a rough start, but this only makes all that follows that much more assuring in its competency. Thor: Ragnarok is slight to be sure, but it is a ton of fun and serves up just enough freshness for the title character and his present situations that it's impossible not to throw your hands in the air and just enjoy the cheeky ride this take on the super hero genre offers.

SDCC: New Trailer for THOR: RAGNAROK Starring Chris Hemsworth

I can't say that I've necessarily ever been excited for one of the Thor movies. Curious, sure, but more than anything I've always been a bit concerned that Thor is where the Marvel universe would surely lose its vanilla footing and their time-tested formula would finally fail them. And to a certain extent this is true; I don't know that I could find anyone who might not agree Thor: The Dark World is one of the lesser if not the least of the Marvel properties released thus far (though Doctor Strange and Iron Man 2 puts up a good fight). Thor has seemingly always received the short end of the hammer when it comes to either scope or director, but Ragnarok is making up for both as not only does the subtitle hint at the time in Norse mythology when the cosmos are destroyed, but Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have brought in filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who, given the previous teaser and now this fantastic trailer, has brought what seems to be a fresh start to the doomed Asgardian world. It may seem a little contradictory that the film dealing in the end of our titular characters world is also the one with the brightest color scheme and best sense of humor, but that's the main takeaway here. The trailer wastes no time in getting down to business and providing a quick synopsis of the story Ragnarok will offer as one of the first images we see is new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroying the all powerful Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, along with his home world-forcing the Avenger across the universe into unknown worlds and to be imprisoned by unspecified beings that force him to participate in gladiator matches where he comes up against none other than Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk. Needless to say, this things looks like it will easily take the cake for beingt he best Thor film we've ever seen as not only does the whole of the movie look good, but some of these visuals are genuinely stunning and I'm hoping that music is a sample from the score as it's not only unique, but pretty freakin' awesome. I was always slightly concerned we might get an Edgar Wright situation with Waititi, but it seems Marvel has learned a good lesson and I'm really excited and really hopeful that what we'll see on screen will be Waititi's unfiltered vision. Thor: Ragnarok also stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jef Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Sam Neill, and opens on November 3, 2017.

Teaser Trailer for THOR: RAGNAROK

I can't say that I've necessarily ever been excited for one of the Thor movies. Curious, sure, but more than anything I've always been a bit concerned that Thor is where the Marvel universe would surely lose its vanilla footing and their time-tested formula would finally fail them. And to a certain extent this is true; I don't know that I could find anyone who might not agree Thor: The Dark World is one of the lesser if not the least of the Marvel properties released thus far (though Iron Man 2 puts up a good fight). Thor has seemingly always received the short end of the hammer when it comes to either scope or director, but Ragnarok is seemingly making up for both as not only does the subtitle hint at the time in Norse mythology when the cosmos are destroyed, but Marvel Studios and Kevin Feige have brought in filmmaker Taika Waititi (What We Do in the Shadows, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) who, given the barrage of production stills we saw and now with this teaser, has brought what seems to be an air of fresh starts to the doomed Asgardian world. It may seem a little contradictory that the film dealing in the end of our titular characters world is also the one with the brightest color scheme and best sense of humor, but that's the main takeaway here. The trailer wastes no time in getting down to business and providing a quick synopsis of the story Ragnarok will offer as one of the first images we see is new villain Hela (Cate Blanchett) destroying the all powerful Mjölnir, Thor's hammer, along with his home world-forcing the Avenger across the universe into unknown worlds and to be imprisoned by unspecified beings that force him to participate in gladiator matches where he comes up against none other than Mark Ruffalo's Incredible Hulk. Needless to say, this is the first Thor film I've ever actively anticipated based on the credentials alone and this first look at actual footage does nothing but create more excitement and more hope that what we'll see on screen will be Waititi's unfiltered vision. Thor: Ragnarok also stars Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Jef Goldblum, Tessa Thompson, Anthony Hopkins, Jaimie Alexander, Karl Urban, Idris Elba, Ray Stevenson, Sam Neill, and opens on November 3, 2017.

ESCAPE PLAN Review

In the early months of 2013 audiences everywhere were overwhelmed with the amount of testosterone-filled action flicks that typically didn't see the light of day until the prime to late summer months, but this was different as each of these were more a solo effort from a band of well-tested performers that did well enough together, but couldn't pass up the temptation of breaking out on their own. Whether it be Arnold Schwarzenegger's fun and entertaining comeback flick The Last Stand, Sylvester Stallone's bleak and dreary Bullet to the Head or even Jason Statham's five-hundredth attempt at playing a hit man in Parker or Bruce Willis taking up the ole McClain name again for another Die Hard go around, the fact of the matter is that none of these performed all too well and left most of us simply yearning for a time when they all re-unite and turn out another Expendables movie (except for you Bruce Willis, you greedy bastard!). Needless to say, this didn't bode well for the other flick Stallone and Schwarzenegger teamed up to make this year; originally titled The Tomb and later changed to Escape Plan. But hey, at least they were pairing up for this one which had to mean some level of excitement would follow, right? While this could most definitely be debated and likely go either way with plenty of support on either side I was personally pretty excited to see what kind of over-the-top antics these guys could get into and put up on screen at their age. And while they may not be the marquee names or box office draws that they used to be on their own, Escape Plan is a more than competent action flick with such an outlandishly intriguing plot and strong sense of pacing that we never get bored, are never taken out of the plot turns and are right in the thick of the conflict with Stallone's Ray Breslin and Schwarzenegger's Emil Rottmayer that we don't care to step back and examine its shortcomings or bother to comment on the acting. Reality is checked at the door and despite the fact this will be one of those films that will play countless times on HBO and eventually FX where it will no doubt be easier to take it for what it is I can't say I didn't enjoy myself to the fullest as I experienced what is the pure definition of unabashed, unadulterated B-movie brilliance.  

First Trailer for ESCAPE PLAN

Once referred to as The Tomb, the first trailer has arrived for the latest collaboration between action juggernauts Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone. Now titled Escape Plan, the story is one of Stallone's character being the foremost authority on prison security who is backhanded into a prison of his own design where he makes friends with Schwarzenegger's Swan (yes, his name in this movie is Swan) and they naturally create a plan to break out and be seriously bad ass in the process. It seems, at least from the trailer, that both stars are plenty aware of their current public personas and somewhat have a sly way of letting us know they're smarter than this material, but they know this is the type of movie we like to see them make. Still, the enthusiasm for this team-up might be somewhat waning as Expendables 2 didn't fare as well as expected last summer and both of these guys solo January/February efforts were rather solid duds. That isn't to say the style and genre in which those films were made (as throwbacks to the kinds of films that made them household names in the first place) was the wrong place to go, but there was nothing there for anyone to get too excited about. Here, there looks to at least be somewhat of an engaging premise that goes past simply blowing things up and finding the bad guy. There is a mind game aspect to the whole thing that require brains and brawn and not just the latter. It isn't always bad to have some brainless fun and the "Expendable" series provides that is spades, so there needs to be some type of different flavor mixed in with these other projects. Escape Plan will of course have plenty of action going for it as well, but I'm comforted by the presence of a strong supporting cast that includes Jim Caviezel, Vinnie Jones, Vincent D’Onofrio, Sam Neill, Amy Ryan and hey, even Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson seems to be well-handled here. Escape Plan also opens in the doldrums between the summer and Oscar seasons on September 27th which should help it find a bigger audience longing to have just a few more of those long, hot days back.

JURASSIC PARK 3D: A Quick Review

In the summer of 1993 I was six years-old and unfortunately not old enough to convince my parents they should take me to see Jurassic Park when it opened on the big screen. While I was obviously in love with dinosaurs at the time ( I was six! C'mon mom and dad!) the most my parents could do to appease me was buy one of those National Geographic VHS tapes that was produced around the time of Jurassic Park's release so that they might make some extra dough considering the piqued interest in the subject. I can remember watching the documentary about the archaeologist's countless times and only imagining what the cinematic version of these kinds of stories might entail, but I was relegated to feeling left out when it came to that initial craze around Steven Spielberg's return to the Summer blockbuster. What made this opportunity to see the film on the big screen again all the more exciting is that even after twenty years of being available I never made it back around to sitting down and watching the film in its entirety. I'd certainly seen bits and pieces on TBS time and time again and even tried to sit down and watch the film several times after purchasing the trilogy on blu-ray last year, but despite seeing the third film upon its home video release in 2001 and never before touching The Lost World, I was anxious to sit down in a theater and for the first time watch the film all the way through and on the big screen no less. Suffice to say, it was completely thrilling to see the classic moments I'd always heard about come to life as well as coming to understand the mythology surrounding the film. Seeing these childhood aspirations brought to life on a scale I never thought I'd have the chance to experience it on was nothing short of magical. What was most surprising about the experience though was how little time seemed to have affected the final product. Sure, the technology was rather dated and the effects were spotty in some places, but never enough to take you out of the world and what a world it is to become so entranced with and to so easily want more from.

THE HUNTER Review

Willem Dafoe has always been one of the more out of place actors in the Hollywood pantheon. His filmography certainly allows him the rights to sit with the big dogs (Spider-Man, Platoon) yet Dafoe the man has always chosen to skew a little closer to the outskirts. Over the years he has made several, and I mean several, indie and art house films that few likely saw. He seems to always find solace in playing characters that possess darkly eccentric sides to them. It is not only a staple of the actors persona but it has infused every character he has taken on. This is certainly one way to become an engaging and in many instances, provocative actor that lets the audience know that if he chooses to play a role there will certainly be some kind of mysterious intrigue about it and hopefully about the film as well. That seemed to be the case with his latest titled The Hunter. Based on a 1999 book from author and filmmaker Julia Leigh (Sleeping Beauty) the film tells a very simple and straightforward story that keeps its own rhythm and minds its own beats that in the end comes up feeling more boring than insightful. It is one of those small films that pulls you in with its engaging premise in the trailer and then as you watch the film you begin to realize what you saw in the trailer was every moment that was engaging and has now been spread over the nearly two-hour run time. Despite another engaging and invested performance by Dafoe the film itself cannot escape from under the weight it is burdened with.

Martin (Willem Dafoe) doesn't take well to the locals
after arriving in town for work.

What might that engaging story be you ask? Well, this is how they get you, fair warning. We are introduced to Martin (Dafoe) a mercenary posing as a scientist who is sent to the Tasmanian wilderness on a hunt for a tiger believed to be extinct. So far so good? He is contracted by a mysterious company that is after the genetic material this animal produces (it has something to do with a toxin that can paralyze its prey). Mysterious and exciting right? When he arrives at his destination he becomes very well acquainted with the wife and two children of what seems to be his predecessor. The kids patiently wait on their father to return while their mother sleeps her life away knowing the truth. Are you completely sold? I was too. It has all the elements of a fantastic story, action, mystery, love, loss. How this ends up being one big borefest is beyond me but through thick or thin director Daniel Nettheim, known mainly for his TV work in his native Australia, prevails in focusing far too much on the dark brooding nature of the central character and his surroundings rather than squeezing every ounce of life out of the multiple plot lines he has going on. I am not saying a nice character study is a waste of time because it doesn't expose the action aspect of the title or flesh out the love story with steamy encounters. No, I want him to use his material wisely because it feels throughout he is actually trying too hard to hold back. He is trying to be too serious. The cinematography  is grand and the shots create a symbolic kind of pattern with a wonderful solemn score but all of this means nothing if the story doesn't keep us entranced.

"You said there weren't going to be any dinosaurs in
this movie Sam."

There are certainly moments in the film that keep us on the edge, hoping for more. Hoping that maybe this time the film might take off and really get going, but it never does. The Hunter just sits there and instead of developing into a narrative where we care what happens to Dafoe's Martin it instead follows the not too beaten path of not much happening. At all. I hate to come down on movies such as this because it is clear everyone involved was really trying to make a thought provoking piece of cinema that didn't fall into the traps of the predictable. I would like to have seen that movie had they not been afraid to tell this same story while not having to concern themselves about whether or not it would place the movie too far out of the genre, or the reputation it was trying to garner. It is as if the lines have been drawn so thick that to qualify as an indie/arthouse type film you can't have one too many bullets fired but you can certainly have an abundance of extended shots where the protagonist stares just off camera so long the audience should be able to read his thoughts. The tone I felt from the movie as the credits began to roll was one that was forced. It was as if I should like the movie, praise it even, simply because it didn't necessarily follow the pattern of a typical B-movie. The fact of the matter though is that I didn't really enjoy the film. I was bored the majority of the time, but I really wanted to like the movie. Besides Dafoe's committed performance there are a few surprises along the way in that Sam Neill shows up in a juicy little supporting role as does Frances O'Connor (A.I.) and it is a delight to see them take on such light parts in such a random film. In a weird way it compliments the tone just right. The performances are what hold this movie together. This is Dafoe's show though and no matter how many times I wanted to give up on Martin, I still had to see where this quest was taking him.

Lucy (Frances O'Connor) is trying to figure out her plac
in the world after the loss of her husband.

Where the story does end up going certainly isn't something you might see in one of those B-movie's but then again it isn't exactly revelatory to the point where we are truly surprised or taken aback either. Martin's quest for this elusive creature is certainly supposed to be some kind of metaphor for the relationships he begins to develop with the family and how they grow. That the companionship of those other human beings you care for and ultimately come to depend on in your life can sometimes be elusive as a...Tasmanian Tiger? I don't know. I'm not sure what exactly the film was trying to say, but I guarantee you that is the analysis someone who claims to have really dug the film will come out with. I guess I can be okay with that and I know it is not that animal specifically in terms of what it is but in terms of how it is believed to be extinct and that the writer at the time in her life when she wrote the book might have believed true love to be an extinct emotion. Something that people only make up to fool themselves into happiness. I get it and I'm certainly not going to criticize anyone who might be in a similar place and takes more away from the movie than I did. It's all relative as they say and no other cliched phrase could describe The Hunter better. A movie that is trying its darndest to escape every trace of those pesky little things. What the film can teach us though is that while it is always could to strive for originality and a new way of telling a story if the cliche applies that is probably because it's true. Embrace it for what it is because under all that brooding it might be what you truly are and there is nothing wrong with that.

THE HUNTER Review

Willem Dafoe has always been one of the more out of place actors in the Hollywood pantheon. His filmography certainly allows him the rights to sit with the big dogs (Spider-Man, Platoon) yet Dafoe the man has always chosen to skew a little closer to the outskirts. Over the years he has made several, and I mean several, indie and art house films that few likely saw. He seems to always find solace in playing characters that possess darkly eccentric sides to them. It is not only a staple of the actors persona but it has infused every character he has taken on. This is certainly one way to become an engaging and in many instances, provocative actor that lets the audience know that if he chooses to play a role there will certainly be some kind of mysterious intrigue about it and hopefully about the film as well. That seemed to be the case with his latest titled The Hunter. Based on a 1999 book from author and filmmaker Julia Leigh (Sleeping Beauty) the film tells a very simple and straightforward story that keeps its own rhythm and minds its own beats that in the end comes up feeling more boring than insightful. It is one of those small films that pulls you in with its engaging premise in the trailer and then as you watch the film you begin to realize what you saw in the trailer was every moment that was engaging and has now been spread over the nearly two-hour run time. Despite another engaging and invested performance by Dafoe the film itself cannot escape from under the weight it is burdened with.

THE VOW Review

There is a certain caution with which you have to approach "The Vow". We know that it is going to be a sappy love story and that it is meant to induce tears and appreciation for the one you love in your own life. It is manufactured for the masses and is no doubt the perfect Valentine's date movie as that is the reason I saw it and the packed theater was full of couples old and young. There is nothing wrong with mass appeal, I actually get excited when I am allowed the chance to watch a new release with a large audience so I can gauge their reaction as compared to my own. Even with a movie I wasn't overly excited to see like "The Vow" it was still an opportunity to see how mainstream movie-goers would react to the latest in romantic drama's, a genre that since Rachel McAdams breakout film "The Notebook" has dipped in quality. I'll start by saying that it certainly wasn't as bad as you might have heard. Yes, it is a love story, but the premise is a touching sentiment and despite the trailer being the epitome of every romantic cliche the film as a whole is not actually as romantic as one might expect. It is based more around the honest struggle a man and woman in such a predicament might feel. The film has dressed up the two main characters as young liberals who are all about their art and contributions to that community, but all the extra stuff is just fluff. The core story the film tells is a sad, horrible situation that truly did turn out okay in the end. in some ways it is refreshing while in other ways it is almost regressive. That is shows glimpses of genuine care and love though is an accomplishment and for that I can't bash "The Vow". I'd feel bad about it.

Leo (Channing Tatum) and Paige (Rachel McAdams)
become newlyweds in "The Vow". 

If you have seen the trailer for the film you essentially know what is going to happen, but that isn't to say the movie doesn't give you a few moments where you second guess the conclusion. There were a few times I actually thought it might go the way of no choice but to come to terms with the matter of fact circumstances that were the result of a car accident. It would have no doubt let the audience down and made them wonder whether the movie was even worth watching, but luckily for the makers of the film they can stick with their "inspired by true events" bit and rely on the fact that the couple this was based on are still together and happily married with two children. It at least gives it a little more credibility and lends a helping hand to the tone of the film. At first glance this feels as artificial as many other romantic comedies of late and on the surface, it is. We meet young college of the arts students Leo who is a guitar strumming, care free guy who wears a cool hat and Paige, the new girl at school who is looking to do what she always dreamed of. We aren't immediately given their history, rather we are shown how quickly and how deep they fall in love. It is charming and thanks to committed performances from both McAdams and Tatum this is more convincing than initially expected. It is quickly delved into where our two love birds are victims of weather and roads where they are rear-ended by a truck and sent to the hospital. In quick flashes we see highlights from the time they met to their impromptu wedding that you have to admit was pretty fun and original. Leo wakes up quick and doesn't have much to show for his injuries but Paige seems to have lost a portion of her memory, forgetting the last several years of her life and anything pertaining to Leo.

After Paige loses her memory she tries to put everything
back together by creating a timeline of pictures.

While this is all rather dramatic and more than a writer could hope for when it comes to desperately romantic situations, what the movie does that I can get behind, that I can really commend it for is that it takes out that cynical view of love. We forget that this is a story easily turned into a cash cow to profit from the completely commercial holiday that is Valentine's day. Instead, there is such a genuine heart to the film that we don't see these characters as contrived versions of ourselves (despite their artsy yet profitable jobs/hobbies). What we do see is the stripped down basics of the human person, that he is in love with her and we are delivered all the reasons and moments why. Not only though does he love her, but he appreciates her, he laughs at her and he can't imagine experiencing his life without having her to share it with. The fact that all of this is threatened by a chance accident that brings into the picture Paige's estranged family who has never met Leo and with this kind of second chance try to regain her into the family. Sam Neill plays the judgmental and typical high society father that wants his daughter to follow in his footsteps by forcing her into law school. Jessica Lange is the mother who clearly misses her daughter and can only hope her memory doesn't return as to why she left for the city and a new life in the first place. It is once Paige is re-introduced to her old life, the only life she remembers, that the manipulation begins with the return of an old flame (Scott Speedman) and a mystery woman who clearly has something to do with Paige's life decisions. It is at once frustrating and depressing to see Leo go through what he has to in order to gain what is rightfully his, but depressing in that the writers found it necessary to keep piling on complications to heighten the situation. Their is enough tragedy in the fact she doesn't have a single memory of her husband. There is no need to saturate that with other factors, just give us the bear, raw meaning of love prevailing.

Leo and Paige: it is love at first sight.

There is a mixed bag of a reaction to "The Vow" and I am probably making this more difficult than it has to be, but this is a genre of film that has seen some of its landmark productions. In the "heyday" of Hollywood it was all about big, sweeping, romantic tales and now they have been relegated to generic half comedies that hardly resemble anything anyone really goes through when dealing with that all too complex emotion. "The Vow" at least attempts an honest interpretation of what that emotion when felt between two equals can mean, and it also strives to show why, if you are lucky enough to find a partner that compliments you, that you should not take them for granted. It has hints of greatness in moments like Paige asking for things that run much deeper in Leo's mind than she could ever imagine and her, caring enough to want to try and give him what she knows once existed. It is billed as a story of making this married couple go through the process of falling in love again, but what this really ends up being is a man fighting for a woman that doesn't know him. There were times I would get annoyed with the characters, especially Paige and her apprehensions, but I can only imagine being in her position. I have to give it up to Channing as well, I have never thought of him as a good actor. He is wooden in most things and is only there as eye candy. We better get used to him though as he is set to be in everything this year. He gives one of his best performances as Leo though and gives us a real person to hang on to as we are guided through this mostly contrived set-up with a pure heart and determination. This isn't all bad and certainly isn't the worst romantic drama you could see, but I'd still rather watch "Crazy Stupid Love" for the fifth time than see this again.

THE VOW Review

There is a certain caution with which you have to approach "The Vow". We know that it is going to be a sappy love story and that it is meant to induce tears and appreciation for the one you love in your own life. It is manufactured for the masses and is no doubt the perfect Valentine's date movie as that is the reason I saw it and the packed theater was full of couples old and young. There is nothing wrong with mass appeal, I actually get excited when I am allowed the chance to watch a new release with a large audience so I can gauge their reaction as compared to my own. Even with a movie I wasn't overly excited to see like "The Vow" it was still an opportunity to see how mainstream movie-goers would react to the latest in romantic drama's, a genre that since Rachel McAdams breakout film "The Notebook" has dipped in quality. I'll start by saying that it certainly wasn't as bad as you might have heard. Yes, it is a love story, but the premise is a touching sentiment and despite the trailer being the epitome of every romantic cliche the film as a whole is not actually as romantic as one might expect. It is based more around the honest struggle a man and woman in such a predicament might feel. The film has dressed up the two main characters as young liberals who are all about their art and contributions to that community, but all the extra stuff is just fluff. The core story the film tells is a sad, horrible situation that truly did turn out okay in the end. in some ways it is refreshing while in other ways it is almost regressive. That is shows glimpses of genuine care and love though is an accomplishment and for that I can't bash "The Vow". I'd feel bad about it.