THE COMPANY MEN Home Video Review

Why "The Company Men" didn't receive a wider theatrical release is beyond me. It certainly may not be the feel-good movie of the year, but it is poignant and relevant, a film that will represent a part of history. In twenty years, the financial disaster of 2008 will be encapsulated through the experiences and despair that is emulated through these characters writer/director John Wells has created. Not to mention the amount of star power this thing is punching. With Ben Affleck coming off his acting re-boot in his own incredible drama "The Town" he possesses the right amount of credibility and cockiness to pull of this character while at the same time somehow managing to make us fee sorry for this character. In the supporting stories we see Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, and Craig T. Nelson all dealing with the financial collapse in their own ways while two strong female performances from Maria Bello and Rosemarie DeWitt round out this complete story that may not offer escapism, but does teach us a lesson.

As Bobby Walker, Affleck plays a man who has become accustomed to excess in his life. When that is taken away from him because the company he works for is cutting jobs in order to placate their shareholders he is at first unsure what to do next. What is really interesting about the film is the way in which it shows the ripple effect this kind of loss has not only on the man that held the job, but his family, his friends, and everyone else that is able continue on with their day to day. To Affleck and his fellow employees that have been let-go it is almost an insult that others can go on so casually with their lives while they are suffering through this life-changing event. Internally, it demasculates a man, he is his job. It represents everything he is and all that he is capable of, for someone like Bobby who lives to brag about his golf score, this is a devastating blow. Even more so is the fact no one fought for him after he dedicated twelve years of his life to the company.

First and foremost is Gene McClary (Jones) the head of the division Bobby works for, and someone Bobby thought he could depend on. Gene himself is suffering with the ethical validity behind his best friend and current president of the company James T. Salinger's (Nelson) reasons for making the decision to cut so many people without any sign of guilt or second thought as to how it will effect those people. Gene has a loveless relationship with his wife as she seems present only for the benefits Gene's job allows her to take advantage of. This leads him to complicate things even more as he conducts an affair with Sally Wilcox (Bello) the woman assigned to composing the lists of those that are to be fired. Though more story than this may seem like one is asking for too much to cover in too little time. Even threatening to take away from the central story, but what Chris Cooper's Phil Woodward adds to the mix is the realization of just how far the feeling of disrespect resides in the human spirit. As Woodward, Cooper is at his best, digging into the viewers conscious with his desperate stares and depressingly hopeful pleads to employers. His realization his life was wasted on a company that valued him enough to let him go after thirty years is what validated this film as a strong, powerful piece of writing and acting that will resonate with so many people.

In the midst of all this Affleck discovers what it means to appreciate things again, even the value of hard work as he dips his toes into construction with his brother-in-law Jack. As Jack, Costner is the shining light of the film, offering the perspective of how kind of ridiculous this entire situation is. How messed up this world is when it comes to those who make what they really deserve and those who get paid because of the image they need to uphold. "Company Men" is a fascinating look inside the lives of a few men that go through a crucial yet somehow needed experience in their lives. It is a nicely paced drama that never really has the ability to drag and with enough talent on its roster to always keep the audience entertained and interested. It might have worked better and been given more room to expand on the stories of these men had it been set up in a different format, say a mini-series, but this is still a solid film and one that will require a peaked mind instead of the hope for escapism.

THE COMPANY MEN Home Video Review

Why "The Company Men" didn't receive a wider theatrical release is beyond me. It certainly may not be the feel-good movie of the year, but it is poignant and relevant, a film that will represent a part of history. In twenty years, the financial disaster of 2008 will be encapsulated through the experiences and despair that is emulated through these characters writer/director John Wells has created. Not to mention the amount of star power this thing is punching. With Ben Affleck coming off his acting re-boot in his own incredible drama "The Town" he possesses the right amount of credibility and cockiness to pull of this character while at the same time somehow managing to make us fee sorry for this character. In the supporting stories we see Tommy Lee Jones, Chris Cooper, Kevin Costner, and Craig T. Nelson all dealing with the financial collapse in their own ways while two strong female performances from Maria Bello and Rosemarie DeWitt round out this complete story that may not offer escapism, but does teach us a lesson.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Review

"X-Men: First Class" has a certain element of cheese to it, but in a weird kind of twist it completely works. Not in the way that it laughs at its own campiness but in a way that re-enforces the time period and the ideology of the characters in this world. It is one of many elements that give this re-boot of the X-Men franchise a fresh feel. I am by no means an expert on the X-Men mythology from the comic books, instead I first heard of the mutant team when I saw their Saturday morning cartoon in the early 90's. I welcomed their arrival to the big screen eleven years ago and it is to them we credit with the wave of superhero films that have graced our movie screens every summer since. I loved the first film and think "X2" is one of the better super hero films ever made, and while "The Last Stand" and Wolverine's origin tale tanked in terms of direction and storytelling, "First Class" is the re-boot this series needed. And what better way to go about this then give us an origin story? Answer those burning questions that have always loomed over this franchise. Director Matthew Vaughn delivers answers and much more.

The biggest thing Vaughn's film gets right is the casting. He nails the two key roles, that without credible, able actors would have caused this film to immediately fail. As a young Xavier, James McAvoy is smooth and spot-on. We would have never though of Professor X as a ladies man, but McAvoy makes it believable and he gives him grounding. We see a young man with huge aspirations and a level-headed, if not slightly cocky, leader. He takes on the task of aiding the American government in the midst of the Cuban missile crisis. In the process of this he comes across another young mutant, a tortured one who is out for revenge on the same man who is responsible for inciting this conflict between America and Russia. As a young Erik Lehnsherr aka Magneto, Michael Fassbender not only inhibits a young Ian McKellan, he exudes the tragically torn dilemma with which Magneto has always dealt. All over his face and in his every movement, Fassbender shows how bad he needs to kill the man that killed his family. After meeting Xavier and learning his ideas and vision we see Erick begin to feel more at war with himself. Both McAvoy and Fassbender command the screen every time they are on it, whether together or apart, they drive the movie and complete the grand idea of what this origin story could have been into a concrete reality.

Director Vaughn has also taken care of his supporting players by choosing a fine ensemble of young and experienced talent. We have the soon to be Katniss of the "Hunger Games" trilogy, Jennifer Lawrence as a young Mystique. Who would have guessed Professor X and Mystique were once like brother and sister? Nicholas Hoult who made his debut nearly nine years ago in "About A Boy" and resurfaced last year alongside Colin Firth in "A Single Man" is perfect as a young Hank McCoy/Beast as well as Lucas Till as Havok and possibly Cyclops dad? And an up-and-coming Caleb Landry Jones as the appealing Banshee. While the younger cast fills out the early X-Men team, what is even more surprising is the caliber at which the more seasoned talent takes this material. It was a pleasure to see Rose Byrne here even if she was given the least to do, though I hope her character is included in sequels (and is a possible cause for Xaviers more solemn mood later in life). Having January Jones in the cast just feels like an excuse to put her in skimpy outfits while Kevin Bacon makes a turn as one of the better screen villains this summer. As Sebastian Shaw this man isn't just responsible for almost causing nuclear war he is indeed the inspiration for what we see Magneto as in the first three X-Men films. He is the cause for the rift in Charles and Erik's relationship, he gives Erik the push to do what Xavier had begun to suppress within him and Bacon is absolutely devilish throughout all of it.

Setting this origin tale against real, historic events is another smart move by the makers. This, along with delivering the answers to many questions we may have never thought to ask and Vaughns knack for quick paced, fun and insightful storytelling combine to make his film two hours and ten minutes of pure fun. He manages the large cast well focusing in on the stories the audience would be most intrigued with while giving us excellent action sequence breaks at just the right time. It is the meaning behind these actions that make them all the more painful to watch and exhilarating at the same time. Vaughn flawlessly flows through connecting the dots and by the end of the final frame we are hoping there is more to come. Sadly, as we see the reasons for why things ended up the way they did fall into place we can only hope there are even more curtains to pull back and more mystery to the history of Charles Xavier and Erik Lehnsherr that can be unspoiled in the next chapter.

X-MEN: FIRST CLASS Review

"X-Men: First Class" has a certain element of cheese to it, but in a weird kind of twist it completely works. Not in the way that it laughs at its own campiness but in a way that re-enforces the time period and the ideology of the characters in this world. It is one of many elements that give this re-boot of the X-Men franchise a fresh feel. I am by no means an expert on the X-Men mythology from the comic books, instead I first heard of the mutant team when I saw their Saturday morning cartoon in the early 90's. I welcomed their arrival to the big screen eleven years ago and it is to them we credit with the wave of superhero films that have graced our movie screens every summer since. I loved the first film and think "X2" is one of the better super hero films ever made, and while "The Last Stand" and Wolverine's origin tale tanked in terms of direction and storytelling, "First Class" is the re-boot this series needed. And what better way to go about this then give us an origin story? Answer those burning questions that have always loomed over this franchise. Director Matthew Vaughn delivers answers and much more.

KUNG FU PANDA 2 Review

A few years ago when the first "Kung Fu Panda" was released I didn't expect much from it. Jack Black's complete personification of this kung fu fanboy in the form of a panda though, took the movie to a whole other level. It was funny, its story entertained both children and adults, and it had some pretty awesome animated action sequences. Those three things continue to be strong in this sequel simply titled "Kung Fu Panda 2" (I was a little upset they dropped the subtitle "The Kaboom of Doom", but oh well) and some of the things lacking in the first movie, mainly real characterization for the supporting players, are still a slightly absent here as well. It is hard to really talk bad about "Kung Fu Panda 2" though because it at least feels as if it is trying to surpass the first part in as many ways as it can and deliver a worthwhile continuance of the story to its fans. In a summer where the last two weekends major releases have only offered three sequels (two of which are much of the same) "Panda 2" gets props for rising to the occasion.

This time around Po has now become at least somewhat comfortable in his role as the Dragon Warrior and leader of the Furious Five. There is no hesitation when bad guys come a calling that Po and his teammates will rush to the rescue and defend whatever it might be that need defending with their awesome kung-fu skills. As an animated film it is hard to walk the line between a super cheesy message movie that teaches the kiddies in the audience a morally uplifting lesson while keeping their parents entertained with a dynamic storyline and some subliminal humor. While the first "Panda" seems to have succeeded more in the comedy department than this uneven second entry does, the real commitment here actually seems to be the story. It has been said that Dreamworks is planning a six-film stretch for Po and his gang so it is reassuring to see they might have already worked out the storyline for most of these sequels. Though the first half-hour or so is scarcely dry with laughs we are engaged by the mystery of what actually happened to Po's parents and how he came to call a noodle-making goose his father.

Adding to the tension that builds early on in the film and creates reason for Po, Master Shifu and his furious five to feel threatened is the addition of the evil peacock, Lord Shen (voiced by the wonderfully evil Gary Oldman). In an almost Oedipus like tale, a soothsayer foretells of Shen's defeat by a warrior of black and white, thus Shen goes out and kills the panda population. This kind of mythic origin story for Po creates serious re enforcement for the reasoning behind Po becoming the Dragon warrior in the first place. In the first film it was taken as more of a destiny -type deal, but in revealing Lord Shen's motivations we come to realize that Po is simply fulfilling his destiny. Within slowly piecing together his tragic beginnings Po is also trying to master the art of inner-peace. Having such an internal conflict distracting him from the mission at hand, Po has to come to terns with what he knows is true and in doing so he learns those life lessons every movie aimed toward children should have. These are deep themes for an animated film though and not only do these themes resonate with the younger viewers (it teaches being true to one's self and how in doing so how much one can really achieve) but they are so genuinely emotional (even through the eyes of cuddly animated creatures) that the adults in the audience will surely realize things about themselves as well.

As the film moves along at a brisk pace, it does begin to pick up the laughs, never afraid to poke fun at its own seriousness and give its protagonist the benefit of having a real dramatic moment, it is in these little spots of satire that "Kung Fu Panda" finds most of its humor. Blending that together with the truly beautiful visuals the film has to offer make for a movie that I thought actually improved upon the original in most aspects. Though I did say earlier it is hard to speak negatively of the picture it is true that this sequel, just like its predecessor, has a wide variety of voice talent going for it that it simply wastes. I mean, you can't have Angelina Jolie, Jackie Chan, and Seth Rogen playing supporting characters if they only get five lines a piece. What is worse is they are only ever identified as with their celebrity persona, the characters in the film are nothing more than faces. These characters really need more fleshing out, especially for being such critical pieces to Po's success. Whereas Jack Black is at the top of his game in making Po a fully realized character, the others suffer from too many characters to introduce and to keep relevant. I would like to see more Shifu in the next installment as Dustin Hoffman's performance in the first one matched Black's pound for pound (he is criminally underused here), as well as a more consistent comedy aspect. That combined with the great visuals and willingness to push the story to the forefront by the teams behind these films will only cause this series to grow better and better with each episode.