Fast Five (2011)

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return for this fifth installment of the explosive Fast and the Furious series. Brian (Walker) and Mia (Jordana Brewster) break Dom (Diesel) out of prison, and they head to Brazil to put together a racing team to take on a drug dealer who wants to kill them. At the same time, they have to elude the capture of uncompromising federal agent Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), who's been dispatched to Rio to take them down.

There is a thin line between a film that is absolute trash and one that is just one hell of a good time. Last year that film was The A-Team, and this year that film is called Fast Five, easily the best film in a terrible series that millions have a soft spot for, including myself. The series has never been about story or acting; it has always been about the stunts and the secretly gay testosterone you get while watching them.

Immediately, you are a witness to a shining example of what this series represents. Not only do they rob a train in the middle of a desert, they get the cars off the train with ease and no damage, then continue on to narrowly escape an explosion only to drive off a cliff and somehow survive the 300 foot drop because there is water down there. We know the water would present itself as cement at the type of drop, but we just choose to forget it because at least it looked bad fucking ass. These moments just pop up constantly and the stunts in Fast Five are just plain damn fun to watch. The epic finale has got to be one of the most ridiculous unrealistic complete shitty poorly written conclusions I have ever seen that I somehow ended up falling in love with. When you sit back and think of all the damage they should have caused and civilians that should have died; you cannot help but laugh at it.

The “plot” calls for one last job that will need plenty of man hours to pull off so they have a reason to bring back old faces to the franchise. I can honestly tell you Ludacris and Tyrese Gibson may be the two worst actors working today.  Even in a film like this where nothing really matters, there shit stinks so bad, you can’t help but notice it. The big addition to the film is the Rock. I am loving the roles he has chosen lately because they just allow him to be the action hero he is destined to be. Here he just plays an absolute meathead that just completely fucks anyone in his way. Good thing for us, Vin Deisel happens to be that guy. The two of them are just awesome together. Their fight scene is lengthy and a highlight in the film. The two also bring out the biggest laughs because there are moments went it honestly looks like they are about to strip down and fuck each other. Their bromance ends up providing so many unintentional laughs, that you’d think this was a comedy sometimes.

Fast Five is a good Michael Bay film without actually having Michael Bay. There are just stupidly yet awesome massive stunts and explosions, some of the worst dialogue you’ll ever hear, and some of the best comedy you will see all year. The Summer Season has begun and it couldn’t have started off with a bigger bang than Fast Five provided. Any action junkie will get a kick out of this; this can end up being an absolute blast if you walk into the film with the right mindset. The switch of genres from street racing to planning heist may be the best thing to happen to the series. I am confident in saying this is the best 5^th film in any series ever made.

Overall Score: 8/10

Blue Scores Add 3 Points to the actual Score for Being so awesome!!

Green Street Hooligans (2005)

 Drawn into a bogus drug scandal by his wealthy roommate, a high-achieving Harvard newspaper editor (Elijah Wood) is kicked out of school just a few months shy of getting his degree and flies to the United Kingdom to live with his sister (Claire Forlani) and her family. But his subsequent involvement with the local Green Street Elite -- a gang of violent soccer fans -- could change his life forever.

If only all of us could be a Green Street Hooligan. Then we would be living life to its fullest; drinking every night, no responsibilities, and getting into epic brawls with the other firms over something as silly as soccer. Only a film centered overseas could get pull something like this off yet still act completely serious the entire time.

 The fights were the draw to bring it an audience, it was the sole reason I wound up watching this in the first place, but when the film came to an end, I thought the brawls might have been the weakest parts of the film. Were they bad? No, but it just felt absurd they would fight over soccer. Sorry the American in me just will never understand the popularity of the sport. They were good to watch, but as soon as someone talked it killed the moment of the scene because these cheesy lines felt like a distraction to the brawl that was happening. How the hell does somebody have time for a speech in the middle of a street brawl? The film just could not hold back and ruined it with Hollywood –like additions.

The redeeming quality that could have saved the film from being miserable was its message of brotherhood. The bonds the members of the Green Street crew develop run much deeper than just soccer. It has become a way of life for them, specifically from the leader, Pete.  Charlie Hunnam as Pete is the entire film. His portrayal of the gang’s leader felt Oscar worthy standing next to everyone else. He just felt so natural in his part and turned himself into a character you come to enjoy. Everyone else seemed to force themselves into hardasses that either came off as stale or funny, either way it was hard to watch. Casting Elijah Wood as a badass was and still has got to be one of the worst castings I have seen that makes a movie instantly worse. Just didn’t gel with me.

Green Street Hooligans reminds me a lot of Boondock Saints. They have a cult following that claim the film is gold and you cannot convince them otherwise. I am not one of those fans. The fights were short and overhyped, and the story of an outsider turning into an insider just was not written in a way that makes it enjoyable. The sole reason to watch is to watch Charlie Hunnam kick ass in his natural accent. Cult fans enjoy!

Overall Score: 5/10

Hall Pass (2011)

Owen Wilson stars as a married man whose spouse (Jenna Fischer) grants him the right -- for just one week -- to pursue as many extramarital affairs as he can. His best buddy (Jason Sudeikis) receives an identical "hall pass" from his wife, and off the guys go. The hubbies soon discover, however, that picking up girls isn't as easy as they recall, while their better halves embark on their own erotic adventures.

Hall Pass is a funny movie any way you put it, but you will get the full experience if you have ever been married or in a long term relationship. Just about every joke relates back to that subject matter in some way. It can get repetitive but it will keep you laughing for a good portion of the film. At times though, the writing will be lazy and they just throw random things at the scene to force a laugh. It comes off as extremely cheap considering they have no problem at other parts to come up with something creative.

A lot of that comedy comes from the two leads.  This is a an adult comedy, so they can get away with practically anything they want, and boy do they use it. Much of the laughs don’t come from the absurd moments of the film, but rather from the simple bickering the two have back and forth about the ball and chain. Had the movie simply been Owen Wilson and Jason Sudeikis talking amongst each other, it would have been a hell of a comedy. It is not though and when these two are not on the screen, it feels bland and boring. They are the only reason the film works and trying focus on the wife’s point of view only dragged it into mediocrity. This is a guy’s film, so they make the mistake that we actual care what the wives are doing when we do not. It really dragged it down a notch.

This was a film that could be hilarious at times, but moments later having you roll your eyes a bit. When it flowed naturally with its leads, the movie works, but when it goes in a different direction, its borderline bad. As I said before experienced men will have a lot more fun with this film than others. If you are looking for a few hours to kill and a few laughs, look no further than this, it will accomplish just that but nothing more. Just remember to stay during the end credits; it is the best scene of the film.

Overall Score: 5/10

Water for Elephants (2011)

In this captivating Depression-era melodrama, impetuous veterinary student Jacob Jankowski (Robert Pattinson) joins a celebrated circus as an animal caretaker but faces a wrenching dilemma when he's transfixed by angelic married performer Marlena (Reese Witherspoon). An affinity for elephants brings together the young pair, but the warmth between them sends Marlena's cruel husband, animal trainer August (Christoph Waltz), into a frightening fury.

If I were to sit here and write solely on the plot of Water for Elephants, I would tell you how disappointing it turned out to be. The love triangle that is at the core of the story is rushed, underdeveloped, and has an anticlimactic farewell. It is far less interesting then it should be because they focus a good portion of the time on the circus itself. That is not a bad thing because the circus turns into a character of its own, but they should have either focused majority of its attention on one subject, rather than try to divide its focus between the two. The big disaster promised at the very start of the film may in fact be a major disaster but the short amount of time they spend with it makes it feel less dangerous than it was.  This bad taste may be left in your mouth, having the film leave less of an impact; harnessing your judgment on it more harshly than it should.

Thankfully the plot of the film takes a seat to the acting, characters, and the film’s universe. To say the acting was wonderful would be an understatement. Pattinson reveals that he can indeed succeed outside of those dreadful Twilight flicks. He throws his emotions out there and displays the loneliness his character has been thrown into. He develops chemistry with Witherspoon that helps show why they love each other despite the little development they get together. She continues to support the case that she needs to dramas over romantic comedies; she is wasting great talent on those shitty films; this role is where she belongs. The last of the triangle of characters is simply the best. Christoph Waltz may be a cast as a villain his entire career, but if he continues to excel at it, who honestly gives a fuck? Nobody can flip their intentions so effortlessly. He’ll hand you your dreams, then turn around destroy them without regret. Thank God Quentin Tarintino revealed this hidden talent to the world. We are better for it.

The circus itself ends up turning into a star of its own. Watching an empty field turn into a marvelous attraction is a sight to see. Finding out how a circus works and goes about its business keeps your focus. The amount of time spent with this setting helps you bond with everything that goes with it. Watching an animal you’ve spent time with being tortured and abused provide the highest moments of tension. It is good you feel something for them because that is exactly what they tried to do. The circus winds up being the very heart of the film.

Water for Elephants may not be the most exciting watch in the world, but it is a film that strives to be great at everything. A little better story and it would have accomplished that goal. This film should be added toy your list though for its great acting and the beautiful world it presents. It should leave feeling as if you have been welcomed into an entirely new experience.

Overall Score: 7.5/10

No Strings Attached (2011)

Emotionally unencumbered and sexually satisfied, friends with benefits Emma (Natalie Portman) and Adam (Ashton Kutcher) have an open relationship that suits them just fine. That is, until those pesky little things called feelings enter the picture.

I really did want to enjoy No Strings Attached. It had a good cast, a funny looking trailer, a nice role reversal going on, and it was R rated, the best rating a comedy can achieve. All it ended up turning itself into was a boring, generic film directed by the guy who made Ghostbusters.

The role reversal could have thrown a curve ball into the plot, but it still was something we have seen before. The difference obviously was it was the woman making all the wrong choices this time. That disguise does not hide the lazy writing and linear path the film took on. It has its moments where it makes you laugh or tugs at your heart a bit, but sitting through 120 minutes of footage just to see five of them just is not worth the time. I still cannot believe I expected something different to happen here; it sucks because the rare ones that end up good are great. This one rubbed off on me the wrong way.

These expectations came from its two leads. Portman, coming off her brilliant performance in Black Swan, gets to relax and turn in a casual performance. This film made me realize that she can be a funny gal, but only in small doses. Watching her try and pull a laugh out of you was dreadful to watch. She should keep to the dramatic roles and if she wants to be funny, stick to the skits and cameos. On the other hand, Ashton Kutcher has made his living off of these roles. I am not afraid to admit I have enjoyed a handful of his films, but this is not one of them. These two alone did not have enough chemistry to hold the film together from its terrible supporting cast. This is one of the rare occurrences when not even a single supporting character even came close to impacting the film. It was cringe-worthy watching them try and say one-liners.

All that needs to be said about No Strings Attached is that it's a romantic comedy that is neither romantic, nor funny. It is nothingness.

Overall Score: 3.5/10

Hanna (2011)

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a teenager raised in Finland and trained by her father (Eric Bana), an ex-CIA operative, to become a highly skilled assassin. But when she's sent on a deadly mission across Europe, Hanna takes to a French family and starts longing for a normal life. She must first solve the puzzle of her mysterious past, however.

Hanna is a great film that has a lot of things going for it.

Let’s start with its lead character, Hanna. She is electrifying to watch on screen. One minute she is a ruthless killer that scares the shit out of you, then the next she is a vulnerable child lost in a world that somehow scars her. There are moments of sheer brilliance in allowing you to see that the information she learned through books still wasn’t enough to prepare her from the new experiences this new world has thrown at her. There is one moment in particular, when she hears music for the first time, which puts her in a trance. Watching her become transfixed by simple tunes is fascinating because it is something that we hear every day. These moments are when the film is at its absolute best.

The action comes few and far between but when it is on screen, it’s hard not to lean up in your chair a bit. Whether it is Hanna taking out a group of armed guards in a matter of seconds, or the few fast paced chase scenes through a shipyard; you will find it very entertaining. They remind me of Jason Bourne style setups minus the shaky camera. These action scenes alone were good, but the score they mix into the scenes make them great. The beat was perfect with what they were going at; it got your blood pumping and held your attention. The Chemical Brothers just do a fantastic job in this department.

Despite everything that the film did well, it failed miserably in one of the most key spots; its villain. It is not that Cate Blanchet acted poorly, which she does not, but it simply falls into the matter of the character simply being boring. When her motives remained a mystery, she was intriguing to watch, but they reveal that mystery too early in the film. It is very cliché and makes the rest of her moves seem predetermined. Sometimes a villain can be a weak schmuck, it can add to the character. Here that simply does not work. Her Hanna’s father to train her for years to kill this character seemed far too much considering a simple walk into the apartment with a pistol would work just as well.

It is hard to believe that despite everything that was accomplished with this film can be so hampered because of one poorly written character, but sadly its falls true. What at times is a great action thriller ends up being just a decent flick with an interesting lead character. Watch the film if you would like, but don’t expect it to blow you away like I thought it would, it’ll only disappoint.

Overall Score: 6/10

Scream 4 (2011)

Perennial survivor Sidney Prescott, now a successful self-help author, returns to her home town of Woodsboro in the fourth act of director Wes Craven's Scream franchise. Sidney's homecoming, however, coincides with a slew of unsettling new murders.

After 10 years, a fourth installment in the Ghostface series has finally arrived to teach us what the horror genre has turned into today. The survivors of the originals are returning to pass the torch onto a newer generation of teenagers, and with all rules off the tables, nobody is safe……………unless you’re gay? Little movie humor there. While nothing will ever top the original in my eyes, this sequel hovers right below it, and at times reaches that same level of sheer genius-ness.  

The plot to Scream 4 is brutally fast paced. No time is wasted, as every chance to let you breathe seems like an opportunity to feature a kill shot of one of its many new characters. I will never say it’s a bad thing to witness a true scream death, but a little character development would have been nice to help you have someone to root for. Maybe it was a good thing this happened though? Instead of worrying about the fate of a certain character, you just got to sit back and relax and watch ghostface go to town on their asses. That isn’t to say the cast was bad by any means. In fact, they may even be the best of the series. I found myself enjoying nearly all of the new characters, specifically Kirby and Charlie. The Culkin family seems to be making a comeback with this performance and his gay brother lighting up the screen in Scott Pilgrim. It may also never be said ever again, but Hayden Panettiere was the stand out amongst her peers. It makes it more impressive when you consider I think she’s a terrible actress. I compare her character to Randy played by Jamie Kennedy in the first three films. Of the returning characters, only Gale seemed to be unenjoyable, with her character given too much screen time with the least interesting development.

The greatness of Scream though has come from its gritty kills and genre humor. While I was disappointed with the method of killing, generally a stab to the stomach, there was so much death, they still had a few kill shots that were just brutal, specifically towards the beginning. It may have hampered it a bit, but that same humor that made the first so great, is used effectively here. Here is where they poke fun at the shitty horror films today that are filled with meaningless deaths like Saw and the countless remakes that fuck with the original’s legacy. It’s ironic then that the film is at its best in the last act when it is paying major homage to the first. It really jump started your blood pressure and got the body flowing again.

Scream 4 is what slasher fans have been waiting for since Scream 2 released. It’s a shame it took so long for Hollywood to deliver, but the wait seemed to be worth it. Aside from everything mentioned above, the last truly great aspect of the film is its ability to surprise you. It’s very hard to do nowadays with the internet and all, but the film had me guessing all the way through. Not until the very end and the credits roll did I feel confident that the mystery has been solved. The revelation was fantastic to watch and while the absolute ending was over the top, it still left you stunned. Not too much more to ask of the film. Scream fans rejoice because the Ghostface has returned!

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Insidious (2011)

Insidious is classic horror. It features a haunted house, dead ghosts, and the forgotten use of light. It doesn’t rely on that CGI’d shit that has managed to kill the horror genre we watch today. One instance where this holds true tremendously is when the mother is doing chores around the house, if you pay attention, you can see a little boy in the room just watching her. He is not floating around, not screaming with a modified voice, nor does he have some fake looking feature. He is merely a boy just sitting there watching her. He may not be scary, but the fact that he is sitting there just watching her is. It’s in this department that Insidious thrives in.

The story itself is a tale of two halves. The first part is the best; it’s a classic haunted house tale that clicks in every way. It scares the shit out of you, features a well-paced plot, and has a path of unpredictability. At the midmarker, it was well on its way to being a truly classic horror film. Then the second half came and all originality went out the window. The haunted house and ghosts went away, and instead Freddy Kruger and his boiler room decided to make an appearance. Technically, they didn’t, but the demon behind everything is first seen sharpening the claws on his right hand while he essentially sits in what is a boiler room. It is hard to believe that this was the same movie as the first 60 minutes. Two complete opposite in tone and direction, which just did not go well together.

Horror films never ask much of their cast, but they were impressive hear. Patrick Wilson continues to impress me with yet another memorable performance. His wife Rose Byrne is more than just a pretty face. She sets herself up for the audience to be with her during all this mayhem, rather than watching her be tormented. The scene stealers though come from the extraction crew. Lin Shaye turns an extremely cheesy role into something that is serious and memorable. Her two employees provide the only laughs, which came at a much needed spot in the second half. It was a pleasant surprise to see the actors match the horror quality. It’s too bad the entire story didn’t follow suit.

Insidious is gold to fans of true horror. It uses classic tactics to get a jump out of you. Its tiny budget works out perfectly for this. That smaller budget made them be creative with the film and for the first 60 minutes it was fantastic. The second half may not be as bad as I claim it to be, but it just disgusted me how something so creative could fall off a cliff so fast. If you are looking for an entertaining horror flick, stop right here. You’ve found it, but if you look at the film in the same view I did, you will see it could have been an overall great movie, rather than just a solid horror film.   

Overall Score: 6/10

Your Highness (2011)

 

From some of the team responsible for Pineapple Express comes this ribald, over-the-top, medieval fantasy/comedy about a wayward prince (Danny McBride), his slightly less wayward brother (James Franco) and a warrior princess (Natalie Portman) out to save them from themselves. The blue-blooded slackers embark on a quest to save their father's kingdom from doom, encountering sorcerers, dragons and Zooey Deschanel along the way.

Your Highness will be a critically bashed by majority of its watchers aged over 21. It might be one of the most immature comedies I have seen. It is crude in every way possible and every joke practically revolves around that of a man’s penis or the loud shouts of profanity. All that in mind, the inner 19 year old in me could not stop laughing at it. What can I say? Penis jokes are all but guaranteed to have me laughing up a storm.

Here the strangest mash up of fantasy and comedy wouldn’t normally gel, but it only seems to add the absolute silliness of universe. These characters could be placed in a modern setting and you would not have to change a single thing about them. They do not belong in this time period, and that is sort of the appeal in all of this. I haven’t been so entertained by such historical inaccuracy since A Knights Tale.  

A lot of chatter erupted when people found out James Franco and Natalie Portman chose this project after their two Oscar performances, but quite honestly they did not really bring a whole lot to the table. James Franco as the beloved Prince Fabious creates a likeable character, but he never really brings any laughs to the table. He does seem to help provide some hilarious scenarios for his brother though. Concerning Portman, she barely gets any chance to do anything despite the trailers making it appear like she played a large role in the film. It practically showcased her entire performance in those tiny two minute trailers. So disappointing from these two because despite extraordinary talent, both come off far too forgettable. Just about all of the laughs come from Danny McBride and his foul mouthed dick jokes. He continues to be a one dimensional comedian but boy do I find his humor to be my humor. The scene stealing villain, Leezar, is great in the limited screen time he is given.

If you walk into Your Highness with high expectations prepare to be disappointed. It is funny, but not the type of humor most enjoy. I found myself comparing it to MacGruber. I fucking loved that movie but everyone else seemed to have the opposite opinion of it. That seems likely to happen with this film as I find the comedy to be of similar taste between the two, but maybe the presence of the cast will sway you more into this direction since everyone is so likeable. It is all boils down to one thing, do you or do you not enjoy penis jokes? See the movie if your answer is yes, pass if it is no.

Overall Score: 7/10

 Blue Score Adds 2 points to the overall score for being better than it should have been.

The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)

Matthew McConaughey stars in the big-screen adaptation of Michael Connelly's best-selling novel about struggling lawyer Mick Haller, who conducts business from his Lincoln Town Car. When Mick finally lands a big case, it has deadly consequences. Tasked with defending rich lothario Louis Roulet (Ryan Phillippe), who's been charged with assault, Mick finds himself and his family in danger when he deduces that the sinister Louis may be guilty.

The Lincoln Layer is a film that does not do anything wrong. It has a well-paced plot, an electric leading man, and a great play or morals of right and wrong, good vs. evil. It combines all of these things to form a film that comes away swinging for the knockout.

Mathew McConaughey is a brilliant actor, and I will argue with anyone who says otherwise. The problem with him lies with his commercial appeal. Women flock to see this gut for all the wrong reasons. So studios naturally see no risk in continuing to cast him in romantic comedies. When he steps outside that area of comfort, he can be a powerful leading man. This film allows him to do just that. Playing Mick Haller, he demands your attention to be focused on him during his scenes and has effortlessly perfected the cocky, yet intelligent lawman that we haven’t seen from him in a longtime. His performance makes you look past some of these minor holes in the plot and allows you to enjoy this entertaining flick. His supporting cast is wonderfully cast, but there was just nothing they could do to steal any spotlight away from the character of Mick. He felt like the whole film.

Onward to the actual case the film turns your attention; its focus could have been handled a little more delicately. The revelation that Mick’s client is guilty was revealed way too early. It never even got the chance to play on the ambiguity of his true intentions of that fateful night. Instead the film turns into a chess match between the two. It was very entertaining watching it unfold the way ti did, but I cannot help but feel cheated out what could have been a good mystery, it has always been my favorite genre.

This is the exact type of film that should not go unnoticed, both for McConaughey and Hollywood. Enough people flock to see this, the much higher percentage you have of them green lighting another film outside the comfort zone. The Lincoln Lawyer is one of the most compelling courtroom dramas I have seen on a long time and it would be a shame, considering the lackluster year we have been having, if you somehow shy away from this great piece of work.

Overall Score: 8.5/10

Sucker Punch (2011)

In this mind-warping action thriller, Baby Doll (Emily Browning), a girl slated for lobotomy in a 1950s-era asylum, leads a group of young female inmates in an attempt to escape both their mental fantasy worlds and the actual institution where they are prisoners. To accomplish her plan, Baby Doll must steal five objects -- but is the man who's trying to stop her real, or a figment of her imagination?

Sucker Punch had everything going for it. Hot woman dressed in slutty outfits kicking the ass of soldiers, demons, robots, and even dragons. All the while taking place in a fantasy dreamland where pure awesomeness was supposed to ooze off the screen. No doubt you should be pumped to watch the film. The first five minutes go by and you think this is going to be fucking awesome! Then the next 110 minutes go by and think to yourself, what the fuck did I just put myself through?

You see, in Sucker Punch, things don’t have any sort of plan. Things happen just to happen. It gets to be downright ridiculous. The plot, if you want to call it that, is literally written as a list of items needed to escape this world the woman of Sucker Punch are trapped in. They follow that list to a tee, throwing no surprises at you along the way, throwing any form of entertainment out the door.

The savior for the film could have been its fantasy worlds, but despite the constant action, three problems hamper it down. The first deals with the world itself. The visuals can be awesome, but for the most part the PG-13 Rating destroys any chance of it being great. There is no blood, no swearing, and no vulgarity. It is boring in every way.  The other problem is the world presented to the woman. At no point do the women look as if they are in danger. You know exactly how the scenarios will play out. It makes it a very frustrating watch. The last problem is the use of slow motion. Zack Snyder seems to love this feature, and with Sucker Punch he overkills it. I am certain if sped up all the slow-mo scenes into regular time, the film would be 30 minutes shorter. Whenever the film did one, I found myself rolling my eyes, knowing a boring scene is about to occur.

The woman themselves are nothing to speak highly of. All of them are about as stale as a three week old bag of open chips. They may look good, but none of them show anything special, they stare into the camera constantly unintentionally breaking the fourth wall, and feature some terrible dialogue. The only character to stand out was Jon Hamm playing the role of the High Roller, who had about two minutes on screen but played in the rare scene that created tension for the film.

It sucks that Sucker Punch was such an awful film. It took risks to be original, but not enough to make it stand out. I am positive a R rating would have been a much better fit for the film, but it was bumped down to meet its target audience and suffered greatly for it. This is the type of film that makes me doubt the new Superman film, but thankfully I know Zack Snyder can only go up from this.

Overall Score: 1/10

The Troll Hunter (2010)

Warning: This film is spoken in Norwegian.

The found footage trend is hitting an all-time high right now. It really seems as of late that there are at least two to three films out every year that try and use this tactic to create a unique perspective for their film. In 2010, it may have hit its peak; The Last Exorcism came first, then Paranormal Activity 2 after that, and then finished with this little gem. Out of the three, I enjoyed them all, but I can say confidently that I thought The Troll Hunter offers a lot more than the other two.

This films central subject matter is why it is such an intriguing watch in the first place. I have heard of trolls in stories and have seen pictures of them in books, but never have the ever been show in this light before. In this universe, they are shown as creatures roaming the mountains of Europe that range from tall human size to massive ones that could crush your vehicle with its foot. Surprisingly, they are shown quite often. Normally in these types of films, they are hidden and kept in the grey, keeping the big reveal towards the end in a massive Hollywood appearance, but almost from the start you are given sightings of these beasts. They all look different, but act the same. As the film moves forward, little bits of information are revealed about them; why they come out at night; what gets them salivating; how the government has kept them hidden all these years. It is all very fascinating to hear. The trolls themselves also looked fantastic. It always boggles my mind watching kick-ass CGI enhancements with the smaller budgeted films. How that get them to look so good on screen when blockbusters fail drastically in this department will always be a mystery.

The crew filming has an expected fate, but it does stray a little different than normal. Normally found footage ends with an unquestionable fate, but here the footage is abruptly ended. You can develop ideas that heavily support what may have happened to them, but you will never truly know. The fact that you are watching the film supports a whole nother theory in itself. One of the wrongs with the film is the troll secrecy itself. It seems very hard to believe that trolls have been hidden this entire time when there are some the size of tall buildings. Throw in that this Troll Hunter himself allowed them to film him at all, makes it all very film-like. If you can work yourself past that little discrepancy, you should found yourself very entertained.

The Troll Hunter will be a very popular film to those that do end up watching it. The foreign language and handheld camera style may cause you to be turned off by it, by as long as you know how to read, you should find yourself being entertained all the way through. It is an original film that strives to be great and accomplishes that. It comes to the states later in 2011, so when it finally hits, don’t forget about it because it will be worth your time.

Overall Score: 8/10

Rango (2011)

Johnny Depp lends his voice to the portrayal of the title character, an adventurous family pet who leaves home to learn more about himself, in this family-friendly animated adventure directed by Gore Verbinski.

Westerns seem to be a dying breed in films of today. It is rare then to sit down and actually watch a great one. So when I was introduced to Rango, I was cautiously curious about the film. On one hand, it looked unique and fun, but recent films about the Wild West have only seemed to disappoint me. Those doubts seemed to linger with me until I finally gave in and went to the theater to finally see it three weeks after its release. I walked into the theater with doubts, and came out knowing I had just seen what will be the best animated film of 2011.

The film is the ultimate tribute to the dying Western genre. Everything from the characters, the town, the situations both come to face, and even the themes all work its way back to the genre; they just felt so spot on, even shouting out heavily to the Man With No Name. The plot followed Rango as a pet lizard being thrown out into the “real” world. He stumbles upon a dying town in the Ole West and unknowingly gives it a second life when he becomes sheriff and the town’s hero. With the town having so many problems, it keeps the pace of the film moving well, placing Rango in a handful of situations that turn out to be hilarious, yet charming. You never have a dull moment with Rango the Lizard.

While the plot is rather enjoyable, it would not have been anything if it weren’t for its characters. With this being an animation, the general silliness of the Wild West works out perfectly offering a town full of unique and bizarre creatures. As I have said Rango is the heart of the film, but a few others stood out. Rattlesnake Jake as the other gunslinger makes for a brilliant tribute to the villains of the wicked west. Children will think he is scary, the adults will see everything he represents and appreciate it far more than the little ones. The mayor and the entire mole family leave their marks as well, standing out when called upon. The entire cast of characters just molded into one of the best spot on characters for an animated film. It ranks up there with the Toy Story cast.

Rango will be to Western fans, what The Dark Knight was for Batman fanatics. It is such a treat to sit down and watch something that is just plain great, turning a bunch of shout outs into something of its own creation. Kids will love it for the animations, but the elders will love it for everything else. This is one of the rare animated films that adults will love more than the children. As of right now, April 1st, it is the finest film of 2011, and I would be shocked if it doesn’t end up in my top 5 at the end of the year.

Overall Score: 9.5/10

The Adjustment Bureau (2011)

A congressman (Matt Damon) who's a rising star on the political scene finds himself entranced by a beautiful ballerina (Emily Blunt), but mysterious circumstances ensure that their love affair is predestined to be a non-starter.

The Adjustment Bureau starts off extremely well-paced. It introduces you to David Norris (Damon), a bad boy turned congressmen, who has just lost the race for Senate in the state of New York. According to the plan laid out for him, this wasn’t supposed to happen. So the men in “suits” need to fix this problem and set him back on the right path. Enter Elise, the young woman that mesmerizes David right before he gives his speech that makes him the front runner for the next state election. That sets up a ripple effect that changes both of their lives forever.

The next time they bump into each other should’ve been a forgettable moment but because they recognized each other, the plan was disrupted once again. This ends up exposing David to a world that was supposed to remain in the dark and not only changes his way of life, but ours as well. Has all of our choices been actually ours or have them been pre-determined all along. It can be very creative at times, but in its attempt to not be too daring, it reveals itself to have a definite answer that just feels boring, rather than leaving one that gets the audience pondering what exactly is the truth. The over-explaining slowed down an otherwise well-paced film that just took a tumble. 

The best parts of the film were the brief romance scenes between the wonderful Matt Damon and Emily Blunt, who had some very aware chemistry that clicked the moment the two converse with each other. It’s funny that had the movie ditched the science fiction aspect of the film and made it a full-on romance film, it more than likely would have turned out for the better but instead we get a small, yet good romance, in an otherwise average sci-fi flick. It wasn’t the sure fire hit that the trailers made it out to be, but it sure stands out in a so far dreadful 2011.

Overall Score: 7.5/10