Thoughts on Star Wars: The Phantom Menace in 3-D

      May 19, 1999 is a day that I will always remember. It's the day that a new Star Wars film returned to the big screen for the first time since 1983's Return of the Jedi. The Phantom Menace was arguably the most anticipated film in cinema history. Star Wars fans had been clamoring for years for George Lucas to make more films since there was rumors for many years that nine films were originally planned. When word finally arrived that a prequel trilogy was coming, Star Wars fans celebrated and began a wait that seemed like it was an eternity. It seemed like that fateful day would never arrive...and then it did.

     Initial reviews for The Phantom Menace were actually positive. One of the first I remember seeing was Roger Ebert's, who gave it 3 stars out of 4. Others followed with similar praise, with the early consensus being that it was a fun movie, gorgeous to look at with amazing effects, but not as good as the original films. I saw the movie three times on opening day and five times total the opening weekend, after each one of those showings the crowd gave the movie a standing ovation. I had never witnessed anything like it. I loved the movie, especially the podracing sequence and the lightsaber duel at the end. Those two scenes to this day are still some of my favorite in the Star Wars saga. The word of mouth that I heard outside of theaters is that people seemed to really enjoy the movie for the most part. People seemed generally excited that Star Wars was back on the big screen.

     Then something funny happened. After that first weekend, I started hearing some negative things about the movie, most of them centered around the Jar Jar Binks character. While Jar Jar was not my favorite character by any means, I could tell he was put there for the kids and he didn't bother me as much as some people did. Oddly out of all the chatter I heard personally outside of the theaters that first couple of days, I never heard someone say they disliked Jar Jar. I believe it was Jay Leno on the Tonight Show was the first person I heard making fun of Jar Jar and bashing him (this is not a statement against Jay Leno by the way, I'm just stating where I remember seeing the negativity first). After that, it seemed the negative press towards Jar Jar, and the movie itself, really started to take off and it wasn't long after that when it seemed you couldn't hear anything positive about the movie. Over time the negativity spread to the point where it seemed you were an outcast if you liked the movie. Even many die hard Star Wars fans fail to recognize it as a movie in the series they will ever watch again, they are that disgusted by it. In my opinion, it became the cool thing to dislike The Phantom Menace and that attitude would haunt George Lucas as he made the next two installments in the franchise.

     I do not agree with the negativity. While I agree The Phantom Menace is not as good as most of the other films, I still love it and am happy with its place in the Star Wars saga. So when I heard a couple of years ago that they were going to be converting the films to 3-D and re-releasing them in the theaters, I was stoked. I didn't know what to expect as I've never been a huge fan of 3-D but then I saw what the medium was capable of when Avatar was released. I was completely blown away by that movie, most notably in its 3D form. I have seen it on a regular screen, and while I still liked it, it just wasn't the same. That movie was made to be seen on the big screen and in 3D. So that movie really got me excited for what the Star Wars films could be like in that form. Which leads us to present day and the screening I had of The Phantom Menace in 3D this weekend.

      Unfortunately, all that being said, I was not a fan of the 3-D. I just didn't feel it added anything to the movie. It certainly didn't hurt it in any way so I was still excited to see a Star Wars film on the big screen, but I didn't get that Avatar experience I was hoping for. Perhaps if the film had been filmed in 3D instead of post-converted it would be different, but it is what it is. There are definitely scenes here and there where it works and I got an idea of what it could possibly be like. Those scenes were few and far between, but they were there. A lot of the stuff on Tatooine, especially the scenes with Watto, worked. You could see the depth and you felt immersed in the atmosphere, which is what it was supposed to accomplish. Because of that, I do want them to make all of the films on 3D. They will have more time to work on each one so hopefully they can perfect the technique and get it right as we go along. The movie looks like it is going to pull in about $24 million on opening weekend which seems to be pretty good. That should be good enough to green light the rest of the films I would hope. So while I would recommend going to the theater and catching The Phantom Menace on the big screen, do it for the love of Star Wars, not for the 3D.

Movie Review - "Rango" (2011) **

     When it comes to things you can count on in life, we always hear about death and taxes. A third item you could add to that list is that a Pixar film would win the Best Animated Feature award at the annual Oscars. Pixar films have claimed the last four Oscars in the category and six of the last seven (all brilliant movies and well-deserved by the way). Then something happened this past year, Pixar bombed. Cars 2 is considered the studios first mistake, despite making over $190 million at the box office. It was greeted to generally negative reviews, including a 1-star result for me. Because of this, Cars 2 did not earn a nomination this year in the category which guarantees another studio will take home the statue on Oscar night. The movie that is considered the front-runner to benefit from Pixar's misstep is Rango. Directed by Gore Verbinski and starring Johnny Depp as the voice of Rango, the film has received lots of positive press and is the movie to beat on Oscar night.

      Rango is the story of a pet chameleon who finds himself accidentally stranded in the desert. He comes upon the town of Dirt, a lawless Wild West town where water is a rare commodity and what the community needs most. The courage needy Rango uses some false bravado to fool the locals and a lucky series of events sees him fell a dangerous hawk that scares off the locals. Because of his actions, Rango is made sheriff of the town by the Mayor, a tortoise voiced by Ned Beatty. As the new sheriff, it is suggested to Rango that he solves the towns water problem. Rango assembles a posse and heads out searching for answers, which leads to several action-packed scenarios involving Rango's team taking on a group of nasties. During his adventure, Rango learns that the water mystery may involve a cover-up and it is up to him to solve the crisis and save the town.

     While Rango may be the odds-on-favorite to win Best Animated Feature on Oscar night, I was not that impressed. The movie sort of falls into three distinct sections and the middle of the three I think is pretty good. When Rango makes his way to Dirt and starts mixing in with the locals, I feel the movie really works here. It's funny seeing him use this false bravado to make himself seem like more of a hero than he actually is. Depp's voice work is at its strongest here and these scenes work. Unfortunately, it is offset by the first and third segments of the film. I thought it started slow and I was a little bored until he gets to the town. The ending is okay, it just felt a bit empty to me. I think by then I was already partially checked out mentally and nothing could really save it. The movie clocks in at an hour and forty-five minutes. I think this would have worked better with about fifteen minutes cut somewhere. I just felt it dragged on a bit too much. The animation is perfectly fine, and the voice work is good for the most part, but the story drags things down a bit. I'd say give it a shot one day if you see it on cable but I can't recommend spending money on it. 

    

Movie Review - "Paul" (2011) *

    If anything looked like a sure thing for me, it was this movie. Strong reviews and word-of-mouth...Check. A comedy about sci-fi geeks on a road trip...Check. A smart aleck alien....Check. Lots of pop culture references...Check. Everything about this movie seemed to lead to a finished product that I would really enjoy. Unfortunately, this was a complete miss for me.

     The film stars Simon Pegg and Nick Frost as Graeme and Clive, two British sci-fi fans who have traveled to the states for the annual San Diego Comic Con. While here, they decide to take a road trip and visit the UFO heartland of America. On their travels they encounter the real thing, an alien named Paul who has escaped from government captivity and is on the run. The duo is amused by the wisecracking Paul and eventually they agree to help him get back to his mother ship. They are being pursued by government agents, most notably Agent Zoil who is portrayed by the always enjoyable Jason Bateman. Along the way, the trio accidentally ends up kidnapping Ruth (Kristen Wiig), the daughter of a fanatical man who also is in pursuit of the group. Can Graeme and Clive get Paul back home before the government catches them?

     I'm not really sure what to tell you about this movie. I was never pulled in at all and only Jason Bateman piqued my interest at all. I've read reviews and heard people say how funny this movie is, and I don't know if it's a British humor thing that I don't get or what, but I do not remember laughing during this movie. I may have smirked once or twice as I picked up on some of the pop culture references, but never once did I laugh out loud. If I did, I don't remember it. All I remember is being bored out of my mind and wanting the movie to end quickly. I cannot recommend this in any way.

Movie Review - "Man on a Ledge" (2012) **

     There are times when we are in a mood to watch a movie that we don't have to think about much. As much as I love to catch the small movies that make you think, I'm not opposed to throwing on a Weekend at Bernie's or Police Academy when I want to have something on that I don't have to think about. Then there are the movies that we "shouldn't" think about, because the more we think about them we realize how absurd they are. Looking for a perfect example of that? Check out Man on a Ledge.

      Man on a Ledge stars Sam Worthington as Nick Cassidy, a former cop who is now a wanted fugitive on the run. After escaping police, he checks into a local high-rise hotel, orders a meal from room service, is careful not to leave fingerprints anywhere...and then climbs out onto the ledge of the building. An onlooker notices him and it isn't long before cops, the media and hundreds of New Yorkers are watching him from the ground below. Jack Dougherty (Edward Burns) is the cop assigned to talk to Nick, but Nick has other ideas. He requests a different cop, specifically Lydia Mercer (Elizabeth Banks), who has an interesting past that we are not subject to at first. As Mercer tries to talk Cassidy in from the ledge, something else interesting is going on nearby. A jewel heist is taking place that may or may not be related to what is happening on the ledge. As Mercer, and the police force, start to learn more about Cassidy it becomes increasingly apparent that not only is everything not as it seems, but we start to question who is good and who may have a darker side.

      This isn't a terrible movie by any means. It is fast-paced and you certainly are never bored with it. While none of the acting is top notch, Banks turns in a decent performance as the negotiator and the wonderful Ed Harris has a supporting role that allows him to spew forth nastiness that we aren't accustomed to seeing from him. It's obvious he is having fun playing this type of role, one he isn't given often. The problem is the story and there are several times where the plot will have you rolling your eyes. At the start of the review, I stated there are movies we shouldn't think about too much. What I mean is that if you watch this movie and forget about it right away, it's an okay way to spend 100 minutes. But the more you think about it, the more you will realize how certain things don't make any sense and you will question it way too much. This is a movie you should just let play out and then go on to the next thing. If you do, you may find some enjoyment here.


     


      

Movie Review - "The Grey" (2012) ****1/2

     It's times like this that make me enjoy movies so much. I love going in to a movie with one set of expectations and then having those expectations blown out of the water. I've seen a few survival films over the years and while the stories tend be intriguing for the most part, often times the whole product is a bit of a letdown. Sometimes we know ahead of time what the outcome is, and then there are times where we don't know ahead of time but after a few minutes into the movie we can easily predict where things are heading. So I headed to an advanced showing of The Grey thinking this may be an okay movie but it looked like one where the previews gave away quite a lot of the story. What transpired instead over the next 2 hours was a film that was a lot more thought-provoking and dramatic than I had anticipated.

      The movie stars Liam Neeson as Ottway, a lonely man fighting depression who works with a group of roughnecks and ex-cons at an oil-drilling facility in Alaska. Ottway's job is as a sharpshooter killing wolves who have come on the property and threaten the workers. At the end of a work stint, all of the men are heading home for a long vacation. During the flight, the plane becomes damaged due to the harsh weather conditions and crash lands in the remote Alaskan wilderness. Only about 8 men survive the crash and Ottway is the only who seems to have any survival training so he immediately proves his worth to the team with the only real resistance of ideas coming from Diaz (Frank Grillo), who learns quickly that his ways are not best. It's one thing to face the harsh, cold weather of Alaska and try to survive, but the guys are about to learn that things are even worse than they initially appear when a group of wolves show up at their camp and threaten them, eventually killing one of the crew members. Ottway knows the wolves well and he fears that they have crashed near the wolves den so he advises the men they should head to a patch of woods nearby where it should be easier to defend themselves. The survivors make it to the woods following more attacks, but their nightmare is only beginning and it will require the men to band together to face the extraordinary circumstances they are confronted with. Along the way, each mans will and faith will be put to the ultimate test.

     I think The Grey is a really fantastic film. The movie is billed as an "action-packed adventure", and to a certain extent that is correct. There are some great action sequences here, the plane crash is one of the most frightening I have ever seen on film. It seemed very real for some reason; there's no way this movie will ever be shown as the movie on your next long-distance flight, just saying.  Other than the action though, this film has a few surprises up it's sleeve. There are times when it's a borderline horror movie. The wolf attacks often come out of nowhere and there was more than one occasion when the audience jumped at the shock. But outside of the action and the thrills, I was mostly surprised by the dramatic elements of the movie. Some of the best scenes in the movie occur as the guys are sitting around a campfire discussing faith and survival. It becomes very talky at points and that will scare some people off as talky often translates to boring. But that is not the case, at least it wasn't for me. I was happy to see this movie touching on elements like this because I think if we put ourselves in this situation, we would find times where we would question our faith and life. It's the Why Me? syndrome that is just natural for most humans. That is dealt with at length and not just simply glossed over. By the end of the movie, we feel like we are there with the guys and struggling through this with them. We connect to the characters. For that, the kudos go to director and screenwriter Joe Carnahan and co-screenwriter Ian Mackenzie Jeffers, who refuse to follow a specific formula for these types of movies and instead create something that is much more thought-provoking. I would also be at fault here if I didn't mention the cinematography of Masanobu Takayanagi. This is a beautiful film to look at, when it's not scaring you. Some of the shots that are captured are breathtaking with British Columbia, Canada standing in for Alaska.

      I would be remiss if I did not talk about Liam Neeson, the glue that holds this film together and really makes it work. I've always been a fan of Neeson's. His role as Oskar Schindler in Schindler's List is a performance that will stay with me forever, and I loved him as Qui-Gon Jinn in the Star Wars saga. Lately he has become a bit of an action star as evidenced by this movie and the terrific thriller Taken, but he pulls it off because he brings an instant credibility to every performance. I was reading on IMDB that Bradley Cooper was originally slated to play this role and I found that interesting because after the movie was over I was thinking about who else could have pulled off this role and I can't really think of anyone honestly. Someone like Cooper, or his like, could have done a decent job with the action in the scene but I don't think they could have pulled off the dramatic elements near as well. And it's those scenes that make this movie rise above the rest. This movie was released in the first month of the year, so come Oscar time next year I'm sure it will be forgotten, but that's unfortunate because Neeson should get serious consideration for Best Actor. He does that well. The rest of the cast including the previously mentioned Grillo, as well as an almost unrecognizable Dermot Mulroney (I had no idea it was him until I saw his name in the closing credits), all do admirable jobs here. We get to know each guy pretty well and while Neeson is clearly the highlight, the other actors deserve a job well-done salute. It's odd that this is just the second movie I have seen this year that was officially released in 2012, I have a feeling it will remain the best film I see this year for a good while.

     

   

2012 Oscar Nomination Predictions

     Being a big movie fan, the Oscars are always a big event for me. I will break out a scoresheet every year, make predictions and then pull for my picks, just like it was the March Madness basketball tournament. More times than not, my selections do not win but I still pull for them. The thing I love about the Oscars, and the awards season in general, most is they introduce me to movies I might not normally catch. Every theater will have the big-budget, special effects laden blockbuster when it comes out, but there is a whole slew of movies that are not seen by movie going audiences unless you live in one of the major metropolitan areas. The one exception for a lot of these films is if they get attention during awards season which will lead to most of these films being released to a broader audience, and that is a good thing. So I encourage people that if you have never heard of some of these movies, do some research on them and look deeper, you may just find something that knocks your socks off. That being said, a lot of these films I have not seen either. If I hear of a movie getting strong Oscar talk, I will usually hold off on seeing it, especially if it is getting Best Picture talk. The reason I do this is because of the AMC Best Picture Showcase, which has become a highlight of the movie year for me. AMC shows all of the nominations over the course of one or two weekends for one price. I have participated in this the last 3 years and I look forward to this year as well. Even though I haven't see a lot of them, I do intend to, and because I keep up with all the critics and guilds awards leading up to the Oscars, I think I can make some pretty decent predictions as to what will happen. So without further ado, let's break out our crystal ball and see what we think will happen tomorrow morning (Tuesday, the 24th) at 8:30 am.

BEST PICTURE:   This category is different than it has been in the past. For a long time, there were 5 nominations each year. Then the last two years, they went to 10 nominations. Well, this year, there can be anywhere between 5 and 10. A movie must receive a first place vote from 5% of the Academy voters to be nominated. The general consensus is that there will be 7 or 8 nominations. Due to the dominance so far of two movies during awards season, I'm going to predict there will be 7 nominations. The Artist and The Descendants are no-brainers. Both have cleaned up during awards season so far and are the odds on favorite heading into Oscar night. I also feel like The Help and Hugo are pretty safe as well. That gives us four. The Academy loves Woody Allen so I'm going to make Midnight in Paris my fifth choice. After that it gets tricky. One movie I have seen this year, and absolutely loved, was Moneyball.  It has lost some of its momentum but I still think it sneaks in there. That leaves one more film. I'm going to go out on a limb and say The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo gets the spot over War Horse, The Tree of Life and Bridesmaids.

BEST DIRECTOR:  The director nominations tend to fall hand-in-hand with the Picture nominees. Martin Scorsese (Hugo), Alexander Payne (The Descendants) and Michel Hazanavicius (The Artist) are locks. Once again, the Academy loves Woody Allen (Midnight in Paris) so I look for him to pick up the fourth spot. For the final nod, I'm going to go with David Fincher (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). A lot of people feel he was robbed last year for The Social Network (me included), so while he has no shot at winning, I think they will reward him with a nomination.


BEST ACTOR:    This is really a 3-man race for the prize, but four actors look to be locks for a spot. George Clooney (The Descendants) has been racking up most of the early awards. Brad Pitt (Moneyball), Jean Dujardin (The Artist), and Michael Fassbender (Shame) also appear to be set. The last spot is a toss-up. I think the Academy is finally going to reward Gary Oldman (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy). If it's not him, Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar) or Ryan Gosling (Drive) could benefit.

BEST ACTRESS:    This will be one of the real mysteries come Oscar night. Three ladies have split the victories in the early awards season. Meryl Streep (The Iron Lady), Michelle Williams (My Week with Marilyn) and Viola Davis (The Help) will battle it out on the big stage. This will be one of the toughest predictions of the night. Tilda Swinton (We Need to Talk About Kevin) should be rewarded with a nomination even though she has no chance. The final spot is a tough call. I'm going to go with Glenn Close (Albert Nobbs), but watch out for Charlize Theron (Young Adult) and Kristen Wiig (Bridesmaids) as possible spoilers.

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR:   This is one of the few awards that appears to be locked up already. Christopher Plummer (Beginners) has pretty well swept all the awards so far and an Oscar looks to be in his future. Jonah Hill (Moneyball), Kenneth Branagh (My Week with Marilyn) and Albert Brooks (Drive) seem like sure bets also. For the final spot, I'm going to say Nick Nolte (Warrior) over Viggo Mortensen (A Dangerous Method).

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS:  Octavia Spencer (The Help) has been on a role this awards season and should be the favorite on Oscar night. Melissa McCarthy (Bridesmaids), Shailene Woodley (The Descendants) and Jessica Chastain (The Help) will try to pull off the upset. For the last spot, I will go with Berenice Bejo (The Artist).

Movie Review - "Remember Me" (2010) **1/2

     Here's a movie that was never on my radar when it was released but at the request of a good friend, I decided to give it a shot. It's not the type of movie I typically enjoy but as I was watching it, I felt myself being pulled in every now and then. There are some good things here, unfortunately it ultimately falls apart and comes up just short of a recommendation for me.

     The movie stars Twilight heart throb Robert Pattinson and LOST alum Emilie de Ravin as Tyler and Ally, the two parts of a brooding romance that does not start out that way. Tyler is a rebellious New Yorker who spends his days mostly drinking and smoking. His parents have divorced following the suicide of his brother, the result of which has led to a strained relationship between Tyler and his father, played by Pierce Brosnan. The only member of his family that Tyler seems real close to is his younger sister, Caroline (the cute as a button Ruby Jerins), who pleads with her brother to clean up his act. We get the sense that Tyler loves her a lot and will do anything to protect her. Ally has a troubled past as well. She witnessed her mothers murder on a subway platform when she was young. Her father, Neil (Chris Cooper), is a police sergeant who was called to the scene the night his wife was murdered and spent his time since then being protective of his daughter. Neil ends up arresting Tyler one night when he gets in a fight outside a bar. Tyler's friend, Aidan (Tate Ellington), finds out that Ally is Neil's daughter and talks Tyler into taking her out and then dumping her to get back at Neil for arresting them. Tyler goes along with this plan but he eventually starts having feelings for Ally and decides not to go through with it. Over time, Tyler and Ally start sharing their deepest secrets with each other and both find a reason to change their outlooks on life.

     As I stated at the start, there are some things here I like. Don't even get me started on Twilight, but Pattinson is....ok here. Not great, but he's not terrible either. de Ravin is a delight on the screen and she is one of the main reasons I miss LOST so much. I loved her as Claire on that show, and she is good here as well. The out-of-nowhere acting highlight for me is this young Ruby Jerins, who plays Tyler's sister. I think this girl could be a young actress to watch over the years if this performance was any indication. When she was on the screen, I was hooked into this movie and I would have liked to of seen more with her and Pattinson. Now the bad...the pacing of this movie is glacial at times. I've always said that if I look at my watch during a movie it's an automatic half star deduction from my ratings. I was checking the time often, not a good thing. The biggest gripe I have with the movie though is the ending. Unfortunately, it's a bit of a twist ending so I don't want to spoil anything but I thought it was exploitative and a complete miss for me. It was just an easy way to get a cheap reaction from the audience and I didn't buy it at all and it ruined the movie for me. A stronger ending would have probably earned that extra half star and a mild recommend for me. But I can't overlook the faults of what is there and I had to knock it. I think there is a good movie here and in the hands of a strong writer it could have been a lot better. It can't overcome its faults though and that's unfortunate.