The Donz Knows

Let me begin this post saying that I have seen a few episodes of the Nickelodeon animated series, but I don’t consider myself a ‘fan’. I think the animated show is mildly entertaining, and well animated with some great philosophical content to boot. That’s the end of that, now on to the movie.

The short review is this: the movie is nowhere near as bad as the critics have called it out to be. Could it have been better? Absolutely. And what ‘angers’ me is the fact that more time wasn’t devoted to the one element that we all know now as fact can make movies better: story. I understand that this movie is meant to be only Part 1 of this story, but not enough time was spent developing the characters and underlining the motivations as to why they do what they do. Then again, that is the danger of adapting TV shows into movies. The shows have the luxury of unraveling the story chapter-by-chapter over many episodes, giving you a lot of background story to appreciate the characters thoroughly. In movies, you have a limited span of time to explain to the audience the nuances of your story. Things that worked well, however, were the faithful representation of the characters with their animated counterparts. Here’s where there have been a lot of criticisms from the press involving “racism” issues.

Dev Patel as Prince Zuko

The simple answer is that the people who pull the racism card are people who haven’t seen the TV show and don’t know where the story is going. (Although part of this blame does go to M. Night Shyamalan for not taking the time in the movie to explain the motives clearly.) Firstly, if you scrutinize the movie well, you’ll notice that the entire cast is EXTREMELY diverse. There are whites, blacks, asians, indians and persians. If you listen to story closely, they speak of NATIONS. Just like in the real world, there are different ethnicities in different nations. Some prevail more than in others. Ang (whose proper asian pronunciation is “Ahng”–the movie got that right) is WHITE in the show. The reason why they picked the kid in the movie is because he’s a DAMN GOOD martial artist. Prince Zuko? Also white. I’m not entirely sure the reasons behind picking Dev Patel to play Zuko, but the main argument that critics have is that white casting was done for the “good roles” and dark-skinned toned casting was done for the “bad characters”. This is completely stupid because a). Zuko isn’t “bad” and b.) If they cast Patel as Zuko, then his entire family must also follow a particular ethnicity for it to be proper casting. (Also, if you look closely, the fire nation has a LOT of mixed races. Not to mention, Ang’s master was BLACK.) I don’t know what would motivate people to call this movie out on racism (perhaps something happened behind-the-scenes that I’m not aware of), but this movie is FAR from racist. In fact, it’s extremely well balanced.

Noah Ringer as Aang

The story, however, I’m not going to be so fair about. It needed to be ironed out a little more. Whether it’s the fault of the original show (which, again, isn’t anything to rave about) or poor adaptation, I can’t say for sure.

If you have kids, take ‘em to watch it. They’ll have fun. If you want to study what NOT to do on an action/summer flick, go watch it. Otherwise, rent the DVD.

3.5/5 ‘elements’

I haven’t written a review in quite a while, and as I’m writing this, frankly, I feel like no movie has deserved one up until now.

This review is going to be a little different. I’m not going to go into spoilers, so I’m not going to discuss plot details much. I would advise people who read this to not look at another trailer or commercial until after you see the movie, as enough is revealed in those already, and this movie is best enjoyed as ‘virgin’ as possible.

Love stories are as old as civilized humanity (and probably beyond that), and they are a tricky story subject to master. As evidenced by the bland selection of romantic movies (mainly in the form of ‘comedies’ and ‘chick flicks’) that we’ve seen recently, it seems that Hollywood has fallen into the all-too-familiar cookie-cutter-turn-profit movies when it comes to this genre. You know what I’m talking about, the whole “strong-willed-high-powered-woman-meets-quirky-sloppy-guy-who’s-still-kinda-funny-they-argue-then-make-up-then-discover-something-then-break-up-then-make-up-at-the-end movies. (You think that was exhausting, try watching Drew Barrymore, Lindsay Lohan and Anne Hathaway in the SAME CHARACTER EVERY TIME!)

Every once in a while, a fresh original story comes along that captivates all of the right elements of a good love story. If it’s lucky, it’ll find a talented producer who can pair it up with a talented screenwriter who can, in turn, make it into a decent film-able script, and so on and so forth.

In the Time Traveler’s Wife, a classic tale of love is given a terrific science-fiction spin and a great character development. The story, I would argue, is evenly divided between EricBana’s character, Henry and the absolutely gorgeous Rachel McAdams as Claire. (Wasn’t she a Claire in Wedding Crashers? Weird.)

The direction is very fresh, as the director, editor and cinematographer work to capture the moods of a heart-felt story, and the erratic disappearing act of the character as he travels through time.

The acting is absolutely phenomenal. Eric Bana is normally pretty bland as far as acting is concerned in most of his movies, but he really does a great job in this one. He captures the frustration of his condition, and you really feel it because he portrays himself as someone who is living on a constant edge and is expecting to be startled at any minute.

Rachel McAdams is a little more difficult to assess, mainly because she is so exquisitely beautiful that it kind of captures you for a minute before you are allowed to enjoy her well developed and amazing talent. She does a great job of covering the emotional range of someone who is caught in a situation where she is not in control of how her life is going (yet acknowledges that there is very little she can do about it).

The supporting cast is virtually non-existent, and they serve more as a frame for the story between Claire and Henry, (although some people may recognize a chubbier ‘Peter Gibbons’ from Office Space as Gomez). There is a surprising notable exception to the supporting cast, which I will remain quiet about, as the performance is quite good.

The score is very fitting, as it has a very spacey feel to it, kind of delving into the realm of mystical and distant. It does have some great themes that cover the emotions of the story, and enhance them without being too aggressive.

Overall, the story is superb with a satisfying conclusion, the performances are genuine and emotional not being trite, or canned for this type of movie, the direction and cinematography are very good, setting the right mood for a love story with sci-fi sprinkled about, and the score is subtle, recognizable but not overbearing.

Definitely go watch it.

4.5/5

P.S.: As a bonus, watch a couple of episodes of “The Big Bang Theory” before watching this and I challenge you to not hear Dr. Sheldon Cooper in your head arguing about string theory and how it’s impossible for Time Travel to exist.

I had the privilege of watching an early screening of JJ Abrams’ STAR TREK this week. (Courtesy of the fine folks at www.golivemiami.com, thanks Richard & Jeile!)

JJ Abrams

I’ve been of fan of “some” of JJ Abrams work in the past. (Loved Alias, thought Cloverfield was a great monster movie; haven’t caught on the LOST train. *long story*).

I’m just going to say that STAR TREK is in my top 3 favorite Sci-Fi movies of all time. It’s an amazing revival of the series, (whose last good movie for me was First Contact) and a fantastic treat for moviegoers this summer.

The crew of the USS Enterprise.

In short, the movie has a near-perfect mix of character development, plot, cinematography, writing, and performances. The ensemble cast that Abrams’ team put together, (almost) perfectly re-introduces the series to the new generation. Headstrong Chris Pine as James Kirk captures the gusto and bravado of the persona established by Shatner in the 60’s. Karl Urban is the PERFECT McCoy, and is easily for me the most entertaining character in the movie. Anton Yelchin has a small but entertaining role as Pavel Chekov, and John Cho from Harold & Kumar plays a minor role as Sulu. Zachary Quinto, known to many as the evil Sylar from NBC’s Heroes, is assuming the role of Spock in the re-imagining, and is the hardest actor for me to accept into the new cast. I’m not sure if it’s because I’m so used to seeing him as Sylar, or the fact that he plays a colder, more detached (if possible for a Vulcan) version of Spock. For some reason, even though the the species is supposed to be dictated by logic, I remember a profound warmness to Leonard Nimoy’s interpretation of Spock, (which I believe is very noticeable in his minor role in the new movie). Zoe Saldaña gives Uhura a modern sexiness and intelligence as the communications officer aboard the Enterprise, and is very likable. Finally, British comic star, Simon Pegg plays the always lovable Montgomery Scott in what are definitely some of the more hilarious scenes in the film.

I’m going to skip details of the story, since it’s pretty broad and is bound to satisfy fans of the series/movies. I will suggest, however, reading the excellent prequel comic book, STAR TREK: COUNTDOWN, since it explains the back story regarding the movie’s villain, Captain Nero (played by Eric Bana).

The movie has some excellent sequences, both visually and thematically, that will leave you very satisfied and in my opinion, showcase the ability of an able-minded team to breathe life back into series of old. The last sci-fi movie that gave me this amount of satisfaction when coming out of a theater was Joss Whedon’s masterpiece, Serenity. When wondering what to watch this weekend on your trip to the local cineplex, let yourself beam aboard with the crew of the Enterpise. They’ll boldly take you where where no movie experience has taken you before.

FINAL VERDICT:

5 out of 5 Vulcan Ears

This movie is the perfect example of where the future of cinema is headed. I was reading an article earlier this month on CGW about how the producers of this movie see 3D as the next great step in movies, following color and the widescreen format. Now my only hope, is that filmmaker’s don’t forget the most crucial aspect of the artform: story. Story has been (and will always be) the single most immutable (and important) component of films. And just as when Jurassic Park ushered in the era of modern CG visual effects, there came a slew of mediocre films with high fx budgets, so I fear that 3D will repeat that.

Not that Monsters vs. Aliens had a bad story, I just think that if you look at the film without the 3D aspect of it, you won’t find it as entertaining.

Quirky Reese Witherspoon is spot-on as Ginormica

The movie opens with young Susan Murphy (voiced by Reese Witherspoon), who is about to get married to the local TV Weatherman Derek Dietl (voiced by Paul Rudd). It becomes apparent very quickly, that Derek’s career is the focus of their relationship, much to Susan’s dismay. While pondering what seems to be a future full of doubt for Susan, a meteorite lands on her, unwittingly transforming her into a giant with great strength. She gets captured by the military and locked up in a facility where monsters have been imprisoned by the government for decades.

It’s here where she meets up with the rest of the quirky cast of Monsters. There’s the tiny mastermind-like coackroach, Dr. Cockroach, P.h.D (voiced perfectly by House’s Hugh Laurie), the amphibious 50′s-looking water monster, The Missing Link (voiced by the awesome Will Arnett from Arrested Development) and B.O.B., the walking one-eyed Jell-O mold (voiced by Seth Rogen, and probably the funniest character in the movie).

Seth Rogen's funny laugh suits B.O.B. perfectly!

We also get introduced to the other part in the equation in the movie’s title: the Alien villain, Gallaxhar (voiced by the always entertaining Rainn Wilson; Dwight from The Office). His obvious plan of doom-and-gloom is revealed and he sends out a singular probe (granted, the size of Godzilla), to find the source of Susan’s (now dubbed Ginormica) inexplicable growth: Quantonium!

The only other "alien" in the movie.

Progressing through a pretty awesome bridge-rescue scene, we finally see Susan accepting that she is now Ginormica, and that she needs to stop worrying about herself, and concentrate on the task at hand: stopping Gallaxhar.

One of the problems I had with the movie’s story is that it says “Aliens” in the title, yet throughout the whole movie, the only alien is Gallaxhar! The filmmakers focused too much on the cast of Monsters, that I guess they forgot their title was filled with plurals! (And no, multiple Gallaxhar clones don’t count!!!)

Either way, this movie is a great step forward for 3D technology, but not something that will thrill you out of  your seat. Watch it if you’re a fan of animation, or if you have kids.

P.S.: Stephen Colbert was HILARIOUS as the President of the United States!

President Colbert

–The Donz

FINAL RATING:

3.5/5 Eyeballs

SPOILER-FREE! (For the most part, I’ll only talk about things that have been shown on the trailer.)

I’ve been interested in Knowing since seeing the previews over the last few weeks, and like most people, I was drawn into it by the promise of some end-of-the-world awesomeness. In that aspect, Knowing delivers to steam-broiled goodness.

The premise for “Knowing” begins in 1959 with grade-schooler, Lucinda Embry. An odd little girl to begin with, she starts hearing people whispering in her mind, and during a class project she begins writing what seems to be random numbers on the page. Her page is put in along with everyone else’s into a time capsule, not to be opened until 50 years later. Creepiness ensues, after she continues to hear the voices.

Fast forward to 2009, and we are introduced to John Koestler, played in his usual deadpan best by Nicolas Cage. Koestler is an astrophysicist from M.I.T., and has a son named Caleb. It is during the ceremony to open the time capsule, that Caleb receives the envelope containing the number sequence from Lucinda’s paper. At this point Caleb, not surprisingly, begins to hear the voices of what he calls “Whisper People”. These dudes are freaky! They look like they came out straight from the Matrix/Twilight and all they do is just stand there. Staring. Creepy.

So John starts realizing that the numbers actually mean something: they’ve predicted every major disaster in the last fifty years, along with what’s to come. The rest is his race to try and solve what’s about to happen.

I liked the movie in the sense that it presents some very real situations, that can very well happen in our lifetimes. Some people may be turned off by some of the ‘twists’, others (like myself) may find them rather intriguing and will dwell upon them for days.

Overall, I think it’s a good movie, and I recommend you go out and see it!

–The Donz

FINAL RATING: 3.5 (out of 5 Life Savers)