THE TOURIST Review

What was it that made this production too big for its own britches? Too many people wanting control? Too many egos? Who knows, but whatever it was it is unfortunate. This film clearly has all the parts for a grade-A flick, two of the biggest stars in the world at their prettiest in a caper that desperately wants to come off as a throwback to a Hollywood classic where Depp is in a Carey Grant or Humphrey Bogart type role. I repeat: it tries, but Jolie's character is completely centered around how good she looks we can hardly feel like the film makers payed much attention to anything else. Seriously, every time she enters a room full of people there are what seem like obligatory shots of them turning their heads to stare at her. Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck captures his scenery wonderfully as well as his stars, but as this film is very pretty to look at, it never takes off, nothing ever seems to really get going and to say the least, that really sucks. This could have been such a fun film, while Jolie is completely bland here it is interesting to to see the normally odd Depp go for the everyman role. His quirkiness is hard to ignore and he is clearly the most charming thing about the entire film. From the first time we catch a glimpse of his natural face we are intrigued, we want to know this character rather than go with the focus of the film which lingers too long on Jolie's Elise. Depp's Frank Tupilo is bashful yet smooth, he is attractive yet general, he may or may not have the courage to go after what he wants. It is in that question that the film lures us in and it is with Depp's demeanor that we stick with this slow moving, uneventful flop. What is really wrong with 'The Tourist' though, is its pacing. It seems like it takes forever to actually reach the introduction of Depp's character and it feels like even longer before any action begins to take place. There is no building tension, no rising action, and no hope for what should have been a pure B-movie thrill ride with an A-list cast of talent by the time we're at the half hour point. Paul Bettany is completed wasted here on a character that doesn't even make sense and Rufus Sewell, while used as a nice distraction certainly could have been more integral to the plot. And yes, let's talk about the plot. Its pretty simple in terms of how everything goes down, but basically Elisa is being followed by the police because she is apparently involved with a thief they are trying to arrest. In this, Elisa chooses a man who looks similar to her secret lover (Depp) as a distraction for the coppers that are following her. Sound like a little too much to be logical already? It is, and that's not even the half of it. As the film drags along it only becomes more and more questionable. Resulting with an outcome that if you went back and watched it a second time I don't know that it would hold up. It might, but barely, my memory tells me that there were too many inconsistencies for this to have all added up and been as neatly wrapped up as it turned out to be. The film had such potential, a pairing of two big movie stars in an action/romance romp that should have cracked and sizzled with romance and style but instead fizzles and collapses under the weight of those big names and the expectations they bring. There is much to complain about in regards to 'The Tourist' but not much too like, it is pretty to look at, especially the two leads and Venice, but that's where it ends and that is where the film finally drags us to a conclusion that is neither climactic or satisfying. None of it is, it is like a great meal that wasn't cooked the right way. Too bad, it could have been something really special.

THE TOURIST Review

What was it that made this production too big for its own britches? Too many people wanting control? Too many egos? Who knows, but whatever it was it is unfortunate. This film clearly has all the parts for a grade-A flick, two of the biggest stars in the world at their prettiest in a caper that desperately wants to come off as a throwback to a Hollywood classic where Depp is in a Carey Grant or Humphrey Bogart type role. I repeat: it tries, but Jolie's character is completely centered around how good she looks we can hardly feel like the film makers payed much attention to anything else. Seriously, every time she enters a room full of people there are what seem like obligatory shots of them turning their heads to stare at her. Director Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck captures his scenery wonderfully as well as his stars, but as this film is very pretty to look at, it never takes off, nothing ever seems to really get going and to say the least, that really sucks. This could have been such a fun film, while Jolie is completely bland here it is interesting to to see the normally odd Depp go for the everyman role. His quirkiness is hard to ignore and he is clearly the most charming thing about the entire film. From the first time we catch a glimpse of his natural face we are intrigued, we want to know this character rather than go with the focus of the film which lingers too long on Jolie's Elise. Depp's Frank Tupilo is bashful yet smooth, he is attractive yet general, he may or may not have the courage to go after what he wants. It is in that question that the film lures us in and it is with Depp's demeanor that we stick with this slow moving, uneventful flop. What is really wrong with 'The Tourist' though, is its pacing. It seems like it takes forever to actually reach the introduction of Depp's character and it feels like even longer before any action begins to take place. There is no building tension, no rising action, and no hope for what should have been a pure B-movie thrill ride with an A-list cast of talent by the time we're at the half hour point. Paul Bettany is completed wasted here on a character that doesn't even make sense and Rufus Sewell, while used as a nice distraction certainly could have been more integral to the plot. And yes, let's talk about the plot. Its pretty simple in terms of how everything goes down, but basically Elisa is being followed by the police because she is apparently involved with a thief they are trying to arrest. In this, Elisa chooses a man who looks similar to her secret lover (Depp) as a distraction for the coppers that are following her. Sound like a little too much to be logical already? It is, and that's not even the half of it. As the film drags along it only becomes more and more questionable. Resulting with an outcome that if you went back and watched it a second time I don't know that it would hold up. It might, but barely, my memory tells me that there were too many inconsistencies for this to have all added up and been as neatly wrapped up as it turned out to be. The film had such potential, a pairing of two big movie stars in an action/romance romp that should have cracked and sizzled with romance and style but instead fizzles and collapses under the weight of those big names and the expectations they bring. There is much to complain about in regards to 'The Tourist' but not much too like, it is pretty to look at, especially the two leads and Venice, but that's where it ends and that is where the film finally drags us to a conclusion that is neither climactic or satisfying. None of it is, it is like a great meal that wasn't cooked the right way. Too bad, it could have been something really special.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER Review

Having been really excited for this third installment in the 'Narnia' series, I have to say I was a tad disappointed with the film. Maybe this is a result of going in with high hopes and expectations, but I really enjoyed the first two and so I expected just as much from this one. After Prince Caspian though, my familiarity with the stories go way down and so I was completely unsure of what to expect from the plot in 'Dawn Treader'. We are served up just as much breathtaking scenery, talking creatures with worlds full of fantasy and myth, but it all seems to take itself a little too lightly. The atmosphere always a little too bright for such a tale. Beginning at the house of some Pevensie relatives where the two youngest, Lucy and Edmund, have been staying and putting up with their cousin Eustace while the two elder children have traveled to America and their time as rulers of Narnia has passed. Edmund still longs for the fulfillment of being acknowledged as a king and Lucy is wanting more than anything to feel she is as beautiful as her sister. While addressing these growing pains the three young British children are thrust through a painting and back into Narnia where they join Prince Caspian on the Dawn Treader. At first, all is well, but we know that will soon change and the adventure the king and queen of old are taken on is one of exciting fights and tension with a globetrotting tinge to it. Traveling from island to island looking for seven old dudes and their swords so as to stop this green mist that is causing people to disappear into the unknown and bringing out the deepest fears and desires in those who attempt to stop it is what I seemed to gather as the main plot, but the movie seemed more focused on the development of its characters and where they would be going from here once this adventure concluded. 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' overall felt like more of a segway than anything, concluding the trilogy of the Pevensie children and beginning anew with the story of Eustace and how he will no doubt return to Narnia and help protect it in some way. Will Poulter is to be commended though for his snarky little performance that slowly develops from harsh critic into full believer. He is an interesting character, well written, all thanks going to C.S. Lewis on that one no doubt and Ben Barnes was a wonderful choice for Caspian, if not for him this movie might have suffered even more. We only hear Liam Neeson for a total of five minutes and Tilda Swinton shows up as the white witch for a total of five seconds, and so the heavy lifting is left on Georgie Henley and Skander Keynes, who know by this point how to react to the world of Narnia but have yet to develop as more mature actors. At points it simply feels cheesy, but at least this one spared us the ever arrogant Peter who always was played as a bit of a wanker. Edmund and Lucy though, we like, we see them as our own brothers and sisters and though Director Michael Apted (taking over for Andrew Adamson who is listed as a producer) aims this entry more towards the kiddy crowd, those of us who read 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' in the fifth grade can still appreciate the fantasy of the world and the life lessons we can all learn, especially from charming little Reepicheep, who is the only character in the entire film who really draws us in and makes us feel real sympathy for the trials they have faced and in the conclusion, the one we hate to see go the most. What this story lacks in epic battles and force of a driving plot it makes up for with a few stunning visuals, especially in the well done 3-D, but it just isn't enough to warrant me suggesting the film to friends. I liked it, but not as much as the others, I wanted to, but couldn't. I do hope to see the story continue on screen, for now though, I need to read up on my Lewis and educate myself further on what to expect when Eustace returns.

CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: THE VOYAGE OF THE DAWN TREADER Review

Having been really excited for this third installment in the 'Narnia' series, I have to say I was a tad disappointed with the film. Maybe this is a result of going in with high hopes and expectations, but I really enjoyed the first two and so I expected just as much from this one. After Prince Caspian though, my familiarity with the stories go way down and so I was completely unsure of what to expect from the plot in 'Dawn Treader'. We are served up just as much breathtaking scenery, talking creatures with worlds full of fantasy and myth, but it all seems to take itself a little too lightly. The atmosphere always a little too bright for such a tale. Beginning at the house of some Pevensie relatives where the two youngest, Lucy and Edmund, have been staying and putting up with their cousin Eustace while the two elder children have traveled to America and their time as rulers of Narnia has passed. Edmund still longs for the fulfillment of being acknowledged as a king and Lucy is wanting more than anything to feel she is as beautiful as her sister. While addressing these growing pains the three young British children are thrust through a painting and back into Narnia where they join Prince Caspian on the Dawn Treader. At first, all is well, but we know that will soon change and the adventure the king and queen of old are taken on is one of exciting fights and tension with a globetrotting tinge to it. Traveling from island to island looking for seven old dudes and their swords so as to stop this green mist that is causing people to disappear into the unknown and bringing out the deepest fears and desires in those who attempt to stop it is what I seemed to gather as the main plot, but the movie seemed more focused on the development of its characters and where they would be going from here once this adventure concluded. 'The Voyage of the Dawn Treader' overall felt like more of a segway than anything, concluding the trilogy of the Pevensie children and beginning anew with the story of Eustace and how he will no doubt return to Narnia and help protect it in some way. Will Poulter is to be commended though for his snarky little performance that slowly develops from harsh critic into full believer. He is an interesting character, well written, all thanks going to C.S. Lewis on that one no doubt and Ben Barnes was a wonderful choice for Caspian, if not for him this movie might have suffered even more. We only hear Liam Neeson for a total of five minutes and Tilda Swinton shows up as the white witch for a total of five seconds, and so the heavy lifting is left on Georgie Henley and Skander Keynes, who know by this point how to react to the world of Narnia but have yet to develop as more mature actors. At points it simply feels cheesy, but at least this one spared us the ever arrogant Peter who always was played as a bit of a wanker. Edmund and Lucy though, we like, we see them as our own brothers and sisters and though Director Michael Apted (taking over for Andrew Adamson who is listed as a producer) aims this entry more towards the kiddy crowd, those of us who read 'The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe' in the fifth grade can still appreciate the fantasy of the world and the life lessons we can all learn, especially from charming little Reepicheep, who is the only character in the entire film who really draws us in and makes us feel real sympathy for the trials they have faced and in the conclusion, the one we hate to see go the most. What this story lacks in epic battles and force of a driving plot it makes up for with a few stunning visuals, especially in the well done 3-D, but it just isn't enough to warrant me suggesting the film to friends. I liked it, but not as much as the others, I wanted to, but couldn't. I do hope to see the story continue on screen, for now though, I need to read up on my Lewis and educate myself further on what to expect when Eustace returns.

THE NEXT THREE DAYS Review

I can see why critics have not been too kind to 'The Next Three Days'. It is a long and tedious film, one that takes its simmer a little too seriously and a little too far. What I don't understand is the complaint that not all of this is possible, that in fact some of it seems downright ridiculous. Because, for me, it wasn't the great lengths or the people or the devices Russell Crowe's character went through in trying to free his wife from prison, no, what I found hardest to believe is that the beautiful Elizabeth Banks would even be married to the pudgy Crowe in the first place. It is an odd match to say the least and when such a casting error is made it can greatly affect factors that play into the plot. As this is my main complaint though, I am able to get past it as Banks appears only in a few scenes until the final segment (which is the best in the film). And so, with Mr. Crowe in the lead and my distraction out of the way, I found this to be a rather gripping film. Paul Haggis who shot to fame with 'Crash', but since has not been able to create another film garnering nearly as much praise. That is not to say I didn't enjoy 'In the Valley of Elah' in fact i thought it played on many of the same levels as this one does. They are tense dramas, and as written by Haggis they play out with a little extra length than might be necessary but I was never bored while watching the film and I was looking for it to drag seeing as it was all the reviews were saying about it. What I enjoyed most about the movie is how small and quaint it began and even through the arrest scene it keeps a quiet tone, and we see such an evolution in Crowe's character John, we see his anger grow larger, but in a quiet, solemn way. We are three years into his wife's jail time and he has become an only parent, a working class stiff and a silent fighter. He still sits every night going over documents from his wife's trial, trying to figure out a way to get her out of there. After all roads seem to go nowhere though John is forced to the thought of spending the rest of his life without his love, without her there to see the growth of their son and it pushes him. I believe it would any person in that situation, it just takes the one with enough guts to go through with it and as John demonstrates in grand fashion, he has what it takes. Crowe owns the film, and while it feels like one of those 90's action dramas that we will no doubt watch on TV one day on a Sunday afternoon, taking it all in for the first time with all of its mystery, I at least, thought is was very intriguing. From the opening scene, which I'm still not sure why we were shown that particular clip first, but still, from that point on I was pretty much hooked. The publicity for the film doesn't lend itself well, I saw a preview for this only one time in front of another film before its release. It is needless to say a Crowe vehicle deserves a little more. What truly bothers me though is how much bad press this one is getting and I don't mean to focus on that, but when I go into a movie that has received a pretty average 45% rating on rotten tomatoes I expect it to be a little worse than this. What I am saying is that this film was a pleasant surprise. It is a tense drama with a butt load of action packed into the last half hour. If that sounds like too little too late, by all means, but you should be warned that the first hour and a half has its own small moments of great tension and without everything it offers the culmination of these events wouldn't be nearly as rewarding. I think Haggis is a talented screenwriter and certainly a competent director and I hope he is given the opportunity by his distributors and the critics to show how solid his films are. They may not all be 'Crash' but you could do much worse. 'The Next Three Days' is a middle of the road film, it is good, nothing you will think about the next day, but nothing you will regret wasting two hours on. All I'm saying is, don't always trust what you hear, they could be wrong. I think they were on this one.