EXODUS: GODS AND KINGS Review

What can you say about a film that is fine for what it is and nothing more? Exodus: Gods and Kings is a movie, it has entertaining moments, looks fantastic and while I obviously didn't love it there is certainly no reason to hate it either. The real problem is the fact there's no vision or passion behind the project. Director Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) is nearing eighty and in his aging state seems intent on pumping out films at a quicker rate than ever before. Since the massive success of Gladiator at the dawn of the millennium the director has not gone more than two years without making a film and more times than not he delivers one on an annual basis. With a project on the scale of Exodus though, one might imagine he'd have to take more time for prep and the development of visual effects at the least, but moreso for the necessity of trying to really make something substantial. Scott hardly seems interested in making anything of note these days though and instead is a misguided storyteller somewhat fascinated by history, more interested in spectacle and with no sense of impassioned faith, not even in his own work. I can only imagine what might come of an elder Scott picture were he to really take the process step by step and first develop the script he is given, this one patched together by four different screenwriters, then move on to planning a visual representation of that story that might actually allow the audience to become invested or feel a part of the action that is unfolding in front of them. Scott clearly has no problem getting budgets to secure the epic scope of his films nor is there an issue with attracting top talent to headline his movies, but instead of using these advantages to his advantage they are wasted on mediocre products that have consistently ended up feeling more like cogs in the machine than any type of exception to the rule. One might expect a Biblical epic in the vein of Cecil B. DeMille with a more contemporary approach to serve as fascinating for the generations that find Charlton Heston's version dated, but instead we receive more of what we are conditioned to. Exodus: Gods and Kings is less an inspired retelling of a story we all know and more another attempt by Hollywood to cash in on a pre-established brand.

INHERENT VICE Review

They say the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If you agree with that line of thinking than you will likely be disappointed in the latest from director Paul Thomas Anderson. At nearly two and a half hours, it is a mess of a masterpiece that begs for you to dissect every scene and every line of dialogue as well as how the actor speaking a said line conveys the meaning of their dialogue. Do we place this kind of importance on the film because it does indeed come from a filmmaker with the unique status of Anderson? If it came from a lesser known director would the awaiting audience be as accepting? It's hard to say and it hardly matters because no one else would ever make films like the ones Anderson crafts. Like his other six features, Inherent Vice is wholly a concoction of the directors singular voice and style. From Boogie Nights to There Will Be Blood and Magnolia to The Master Anderson has demonstrated an eclectic range that gives each new film a dynamic all its own. It has always been clear his sentiment is slightly off-kilter, but he has never made anything as loopy or goofy as what we have here and somehow it seems as if this is the truest representation of the person Anderson actually is. As much as Inherent Vice fits perfectly into Anderson's diverse filmography it is the way he has approached the project that stands out more than anything, maybe even more than the finished product itself. Set in Gordita Beach, California in the summer of 1970 as Vietnam rages on and the sixties come to a screeching halt the director infuses his film with this aesthetic by consistently relying on the style of limited camera movement and the framing of shots to capture specific angles that immediately conjure up references to films of the time period in which his film is set. From the attention to detail to the technicolor texture of the images and more forward to the seemingly blind, but no doubt highly calculated preciseness of not seeming to give two shits Anderson delivers a film that, on the surface, seems to make little sense at all. And yet, as one begins to dig deeper and break down the whole of the film into single scenes, individual moments and certain pieces of dialogue it somehow makes more sense even if that bigger picture is all but lost. While Inherent Vice isn't and won't be hailed as Anderson's greatest work, it is easy to see it becoming the one his loyal fans end up returning to most often.

Full Trailer for Pixar's INSIDE OUT

It has been an off year for animation as nothing other than The LEGO Movie really became a hit and while that film was immensely fun, I'd still pick How To Train Your Dragon 2 as the best of the bunch this year. Besides the disappointing box office returns though a big hole was also left open by the absence of a new Disney/Pixar film. For the first time in nearly a decade we received no new movie from the once illustrious studio. It has been quite a while since we've seen an original film from Pixar as well (only one of the last four has not been a sequel), but next year we are headed for change as not only do we get one new Pixar film, but two; both of which will feature original stories. First up is director Pete Doctor's (Up) Inside Out. Telling the story of 11-year-old Riley Anderson (Kaitlyn Dias) the film goes inside her mind to explore the inner workings of her personality by creating personifications for her emotions including fear, sadness, anger, disgust and joy. As seen in this first full trailer for the film these emotions essentially run our brains in terms of reactions and how we function in response to the situations and circumstances around us. Not only do we get a peak inside Riley's mind, but her parents voiced by Diane Lane and Kyle MacLachlan as well. As exciting as it is that Pixar is delivering an original film rather than another sequel, it should be noted that this extremely inventive concept and entertaining and funny execution truly feels like it could be a return to form for the studio that has lost a bit of its steam over the years. I certainly hope this proves to be as good as the trailer promises as it is one of my most anticipated for 2015. The voice cast also includes Bill Hader, Phyllis Smith, Lewis Black, Mindy Kaling, Amy Poehler and opens in 3D on June 19, 2015.

First Trailer for SAN ANDERAS

Folks complain that super heroes and sequels have completely dominated the studio system to the point we rarely get anything else of value outside of awards season. Can't say that I disagree, but at least many of those super hero films we receive have some kind of ambition to them (even if that ambition is more in the world building than the individual films). Today, we have received the first trailer for the next would-be hit action movie from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson were super hero movies not the general rule for action movies these days. Outside of these guaranteed financial wins the action genre feels extremely flat and unfortunately San Andreas doesn't look like it's here to rescue anything other than the fictional victims of its own earthquake. At the beginning of last year The Rock rolled out four movies in the span of four months with Snitch, G.I. Joe, Pain & Gain and Fast & Furious 6 and while that may not again be the case in 2015 with only Furious 7 in April and this film in May I can't help but feel San Andreas will be more akin to the success levels of Snitch rather than any of his other efforts. The film does see him re-teaming with Journey 2 director Brad Peyton (who he will again work with on Journey 3: From the Earth to the Moon) though this looks more like something from Roland Emmerich than the guy who made Cats & Dogs: The Revenge of Kitty Galore. I can only hope this film contains the self-awareness and flat-out fun nature Emmerich usually includes in his action extravaganzas. Unfortunately, the first trailer makes it look as if this thing may take itself way too seriously. Decide for yourself after the jump. The film also stars Carla Gugino, Alexandra Daddario, Archie Panjabi, Ioan Gruffudd, Will Yun Lee, Colton Haynes, Kylie Minogue and opens in 3D on May 29, 2015.

On DVD & Blu-Ray: December 9, 2014