Chronicle

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Seattle teenager Andrew Detmer (Dane DeHaan) starts videotaping his life. His mother Karen (Bo Petersen) is slowly dying from cancer and his alcoholic father Richard (Michael Kelly) verbally and physically abuses him. At school, Andrew is unpopular and frequently bullied.

Andrew’s cousin Matt (Alex Russell) invites him to a rave to help him meet people, but Andrew’s filming angers an attendee and Andrew leaves despondent. Approached outside by Steve (Michael B. Jordan), a popular student, Andrew is persuaded to join him and Matt to record something strange the pair of them have found in the woods: a hole in the ground that emits a loud strange noise. The three enter the hole and discover a large crystalline object glowing blue. As Andrew records, the object glows red and the group is stricken by nosebleeds and pain. The camera cuts out. Weeks later Andrew records himself, Matt, and Steve as they display telekinetic abilities, able to move objects with their minds, but bleeding from their noses when they overexert themselves. They return to the hole, but find that it has collapsed and that the sheriff’s department is sealing off the area for safety.

As their abilities grow more powerful, Matt theorizes that they function like a muscle, becoming stronger with use. The three boys develop a close friendship and begin employing their abilities to play pranks. However, after Andrew pushes a rude motorist off the road and into a river, Matt insists that they restrict the use of their powers, particularly against living creatures. The three later discover that they can use their powers to fly and revel in the experience. They agree to fly around the world together after graduation, with Andrew expressing an interest in visiting Tibet because of its peaceful nature. Steve encourages Andrew to enter the school talent show to gain popularity. Andrew amazes his fellow students by disguising his powers as an impressive display of tricks. That night, Andrew, Matt and Steve celebrate at a house party, where Andrew is the center of attention. After drinking with his classmate Monica (Anna Wood), she and Andrew go upstairs to have sex, but Andrew vomits on Monica, humiliating himself.

Andrew becomes increasingly withdrawn and hostile, culminating when his father attacks him and Andrew uses his power to overpower him. His outburst is so extreme that it inflicts psychically connected nosebleeds and pain on Steve and Matt. Steve is drawn to Andrew, who is floating in the middle of a storm. Steve tries to console him, but Andrew grows increasingly angry until Steve is suddenly struck by lightning and killed. At Steve’s funeral, Matt confronts Andrew about the suspicious circumstances of Steve’s death. Andrew denies knowledge or responsibility to Matt, but he privately begs forgiveness at Steve’s grave.

Andrew grows distant from Matt and again finds himself alone and unpopular at school. After being bullied, he uses his power to tear several teeth from the bully’s mouth. Andrew begins to identify himself as an apex predator, rationalizing that he should not feel guilt for using his power to hurt those weaker than himself. When his mother’s condition deteriorates, Andrew uses his powers to steal money for her medicine. After mugging some local thugs, he robs a gas station where he inadvertently causes an explosion that puts him in the hospital and under police investigation. At his bedside, his father informs the unconscious Andrew that his mother has died, and he angrily blames Andrew for her death. As his father is about to strike him, Andrew awakens and blows out the outer wall of the hospital room.

Elsewhere, Matt experiences a nosebleed and senses Andrew is in trouble. He sees a news report about the hospital explosion and travels there, finding Andrew floating outside the building. Andrew drops his father, who is saved by Matt, and proceeds to wreak havoc with his powers. Matt confronts Andrew at the Space Needle and tries to reason with him, but Andrew grows increasingly hostile and irrational at any attempt to control him. Andrew attacks Matt and the pair fight across the city, crashing through buildings and hurling vehicles. Injured and enraged, Andrew uses his power to destroy the buildings around him, threatening lives. Unable to get through to Andrew, Matt tears a spear from a nearby statue and impales Andrew, killing him. The police surround Matt, but he flies away.

Some time later, Matt lands in Tibet with Andrew’s camera. Speaking to the camera while addressing Andrew, Matt vows to use his powers for good and to find out what happened to them in the hole. Matt positions the camera to view a Tibetan monastery in the distance and says “You made it” before flying away, leaving the camera behind to continue recording the tranquil scene.

REVIEW:

When Chronicle was released earlier this year, everyone was raving about how great it was. I decided to pass on it and wait until it came out on DVD, though, knowing that I probably wasn’t going to be this film’s biggest fan. Sure enough, seeing it tonight did nothing for me. This film definitely falls into the category of overrated, in my opinion.

What did I like?

Idea. The idea of a group of guys who are just living their lives, having a good time, and all that jazz who suddenly find this supposed alien artifact that gives them powers is the film’s strongest point, of that there is no question. As a matter of fact, this plot may be the reason the director has been tapped to helm the (unnecessary) reboot of the Fantastic Four, due to the somewhat similar natures of the products. So often, though, we get these superpowered beings who seem to just be larger than life, totally forgetting that they do have lives before and around their powers.

Effects. Being a small budget film, there isn’t much in the way of financial backing behind this picture. With that said, the special effects here are not too shabby. The flying scenes, for instance are almost as good as what we see in the Iron Man movies. Imagine what these people could have done with some real money!

Spiral. I won’t spoil anything, but one of the characters goes on a journey through the film that leads to the film’s climax. The descent, if you will, from where he is at the film’s beginning to the place he is at the end of the flick and all point in-between is almost enough to pique the audience’s attention and hold it throughout.

What didn’t I like?

Found footage. I do not like this fad of filmmaking. It seems to be a pox on the existence of cinema in the same way that reality tv has been for tv. It would be one thing if this was actually footage that was found, but let’s be real, this crap wasn’t found, it was made up and filmed with a cheap camera in a sad attempt to make the audience believe it was found.

Acting. I’ve been privy to some horrible acting in my day. This isn’t it, but it is pretty bad. Granted, the case is relative unknowns, and the script didn’t help matters, but I’ve seen great things from Michael B. Jordan in the final two seasons of Friday Night Lights, so he has no excuse!

Chronicle is just one of those films that you’re either bound to love or hate. I happen to be more in the camp of the latter. There just seems to be that feeling that the filmmakers were trying to be cutting edge, only it didn’t work out the way they wanted it to. On the other hand, though, they did make some serious bank. Do I recommend this flick? No, because quite frankly, it isn’t worth your time.

2 out of 5 stars

New Year’s Eve

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

On New Year’s Eve, Vice-President of the Times Square Alliance Claire Morgan (Hilary Swank) is making the final arrangements for the ball drop with the help of her friend Brandon (Ludacris). Meanwhile, after being nearly run over by a car and denied a vacation, Ahern Records secretary Ingrid (Michelle Pfeiffer) quits her job and offers the deliveryman Paul (Zac Efron) tickets for the Ahern Records Masquerade Ball if Paul helps her complete a series of New Year’s resolutions before midnight, which he accepts.

Paul’s sister Kim (Sarah Jessica Parker) is having trouble with her teenage daughter Hailey (Abigail Breslin) who wants to spend New Year’s Eve with her friends and her boyfriend Seth (Jake T. Austin) in Times Square. Paul’s friend, comic book illustrator Randy (Ashton Kutcher), who hates New Year’s Eve after his girlfriend left him on a date, gets stuck in an elevator with Elise (Lea Michele), an aspiring singer who will be providing back-up for musician Jensen (Jon Bon Jovi) in his show at Times Square, he also performs at the Ahern Records ball, where he rekindles his feelings for his ex-girlfriend, Laura (Katherine Heigl).

At a nearby hospital, Stan Harris (Robert De Niro), a man in the final stages of cancer who refuses chemotherapy and who only wishes to see the ball drop one last time, is kept company by Nurse Aimee (Halle Berry) and Nurse Mindy (Alyssa Milano) after his doctor (Cary Elwes) reveals he will not last much longer. In the same hospital, a young couple, Griffin (Seth Meyers) and Tess (Jessica Biel), about to have their first child, competes with another couple, James (Til Schweiger) and Grace (Sarah Paulson), for a bonus offered for the family of the first child born in the new year. Elsewhere, Sam (Josh Duhamel), a businessman from Ahern Records, attempts to go to the Ahern Records Ball, where he is to deliver an important speech, after his car malfunctions on the other side of New York, all the while wondering if he should attend a meeting with a mysterious woman he met and fell in love with on the previous New Year’s Eve.

As midnight approaches, one of the billboard lights of the Times Square panel malfunctions, jamming the ball and forcing Claire to call Kominsky (Héctor Elizondo), an electrician, who the company had fired a few weeks prior. Kominsky repairs the ball before midnight, and, in gratitude, Claire leaves him in charge of the operation, and rushes to see the ball drop with her father, Stan. Meanwhile, Nurse Aimee has a video conference with her husband (Common), a soldier serving in Afghanistan.

Paul helps Ingrid complete all the items on her list, and she gives him the tickets. Meanwhile, Randy and Elise bond, and, as they are about to kiss, the elevator is repaired and Elise rushes to Jensen’s show. Randy notices she forgot her rubber band and rushes to give it to her. At the Ball, Jensen leaves midway during the show and apologizes to Laura, who accepts him back and leaves with the approval of her assistant, Sous Chef Ava (Sofia Vergara). With Jensen gone, Elise is called to replace him and attracts the attention of the crowd. She kisses Randy, and they start a romantic relationship.

Griffin and Tess have their baby and, although it is born first, they allow James and Grace to have the bonus after discovering they actually have three children. Meanwhile, after being forbidden from attending the celebration, Hailey runs away to Times Square, where she sees Seth being kissed by another girl. Heartbroken, she meets and is comforted by her mother. Seth finds them and apologizes, claiming the girl stole a kiss from him. Hailey forgives him and Seth kisses her. Her mother allows her to go to an after-party. Kim then goes to a restaurant to meet Sam, who had succeeded in delivering his speech. She is the mysterious woman he met one year prior, and they finally discover each other’s names

REVIEW:

I actually toyed around with the idea of waiting until it was actually December 31 to watch New Year’s Eve, but apparently Netflix had other plans for me. Oh well, it happens. After sitting through this knee jerk of  a film, though, I don’t think this is something I would like to have as one of the last memories of the year.

What did I like?

A for effort. I give them credit for making a sequel that isn’t a carbon copy of its predecessor, in this case, Valentine’s Day, While it wasn’t a carbon copy, there are elements that seep in. I still wonder why or who thought there needed to be a sequel. No way in the world did that first film make that much money, right?

Cohesiveness. Just like the last film, there are many major stars in this film, but none of them get anymore time than the others. Sure, if you were to actually time the amount of screentime we saw Sofia Vergara as opposed to Sarah Jessica Parker, there might be a bit of a time difference, but for the mos part, we’re taking equality here, which is really impressive, especially since one can only imagine how egos got in the way when it came to making this picture.

Variety. Another interesting aspect of the film that I liked is how it is not focused solely on the “good looking” adults. We also get some teenage hormonal stuff in there, as well as some old people melodrama. I thought that was a nice touch.

Globes. Any straight guy with a pulse is going to love seeing Sofia Vergara out of that chef’s jacket and into that blue dress. I’m going to leave it at that.

What didn’t I like?

Wrong holiday. At times, it seems as if this film really was trying to be Valentine’s Day II, as opposed to an entirely different entity (technically this isn’t a sequel). They kept pushing the matchmaking, lovey-dovey part so much, the New Year’s aspect got lost until they flashed back to downtown New York as we saw the big ball and all of its technical issues.

Random. So, while most people in this film are the beautiful, well-to-do sorts, we get this one family that picks up Josh Duhamel and they are about as normal as can be. In any other film, they’d be great, but here they seem a bit out of place, and maybe that was the idea. They did add a bit of charm and provided a nice little departure from the norm. Still, I wasn’t in love with them.

Bon Jovi. Nothing against the guy as an actor. I think, especially for musicians, he is pretty good. My issue is why he couldn’t sing his own songs. Don’t give me this crap about the sings and right and all that junk, because Jon, if I’m not mistaken, owns his entire library. It would’ve been nice to get at least a snippet of him singing one of his hits, such as “Blaze of Glory” “Livin’ on a Prayer”, etc.

Sara Jessica Parker. Worst actress of all time. Need I say more?

New Year’s Eve doesn’t stack up to its predecessor. As a matter of fact, the only thing it does manage to achieve is proof that just because you have big name actors in a film, doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll be a good one. This film has some moments that shine, but just as soon as those get settled into your brain, something goes wrong, and you remember that this isn’t that great of a film. Do I recommend this? Yes, but only for date night. I can’t see any other reason to willingly want to check this out.

3 out of 5 stars

The Dark Knight Rises

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

Eight years after the events of The Dark Knight, Gotham City is in a state of peace. Under powers granted by the Dent Act, Commissioner James Gordon has nearly eradicated violent and organized crime. However, he still feels guilty about the cover-up of Harvey Dent’s crimes. He plans to admit to the conspiracy at a function celebrating Dent, but decides that the city is not ready to hear the truth. While following a lead in the abduction of a congressman from the function, Gordon’s speech falls into the hands of Bane. Gordon is shot in the process, and he promotes patrol officer John Blake to detective, allowing Blake to report directly to him.

As Batman has disappeared from Gotham City, so too has Bruce Wayne, locking himself inside Wayne Manor. Wayne Enterprises is crumbling after he invested in a clean energy project designed to harness fusion power, but shut the project down after learning that the core could be modified to become a nuclear weapon. Both Blake — who has deduced Batman’s identity — and Gordon implore Bruce to return as Batman, but Alfred Pennyworth objects out of concern for Bruce’s future and resigns in a failed attempt to dissuade him.

Bane stages an attack on the stock exchange and uses a stolen set of Bruce’s fingerprints to place a number of risky investments in his name, bankrupting Bruce and forcing him to relinquish control of Wayne Enterprises. Correctly suspecting that his business rival, John Daggett, has employed Bane to aid in this aggressive take-over of his company, Bruce entrusts businesswoman Miranda Tate to keep full control out of Daggett’s hands. Bane, however, has other plans, and kills Daggett to take control of his infrastructure.

Following a trail left by cat burglar Selina Kyle, Batman confronts Bane, who says that he has assumed the leadership of the League of Shadows following the death of Ra’s al Ghul. Bane reveals that he was using Daggett’s construction firms to stage a heist on Wayne Enterprises’ Applied Science Division. He steals three Tumblers before crippling Batman and detaining him in a prison from which escape is virtually impossible. The other inmates relate the story of the only person to ever successfully escape from the prison: a child driven by necessity and the sheer force of will, said to be the child of Ra’s al Ghul, leading Batman to believe that this child became Bane.

Bane lures the vast majority of Gotham’s police force underground and sets off a chain of explosions across the city, trapping the officers and turning Gotham City into an isolated city-state. Any attempt to leave the city will result in the detonation of the Wayne Enterprises fusion core, which has been converted into a bomb. Bane publicly reveals the cover-up of Dent’s death, and releases the prisoners locked up under the Dent Act. The rich and powerful are dragged from their homes and put before a show trial presided over by Jonathan Crane. After an attempt to sneak Special Forces soldiers into the city fails, the government blockades Gotham and the city further regresses into a state of anarchy.

Meanwhile, Bruce recovers from his injuries and retrains himself to be Batman. He successfully escapes Bane’s prison to return to Gotham, enlisting Selina, Blake, Miranda, Gordon and Lucius Fox to help liberate the city and stop the fusion bomb before it grows too unstable and explodes. Batman confronts and subdues Bane, but is betrayed and stabbed by Miranda as she reveals herself to be Talia al Ghul. It was she who escaped the prison as a child, before returning with her father and the League of Shadows to rescue Bane, the one person who aided her escape. Talia plans to complete her father’s work in destroying Gotham, while exacting personal vengeance against Bruce for Ra’s death.

Gordon successfully cuts off the bomb’s ability to be remotely detonated while Selina kills Bane, allowing Batman to chase Talia. He tries to force her to take the bomb to the fusion chamber where it can be stabilized, but she remotely floods the chamber. Batman shoots her truck off the road and Talia dies in the resulting crash, confident that the bomb cannot be stopped. Using a helicopter developed by Fox, Batman hauls the bomb beyond the city limits, where it detonates over the ocean and presumably kills him.

In the aftermath of the explosion, Batman is praised as a sacrificial hero and Bruce is believed dead as a casualty of riots. As his estate is divided up, Lucius is shown completing work on the Bat, realizing that Batman may have escaped the detonation after all due to the fact the autopilot was fixed by Bruce many months before. Alfred is also shown holidaying in Italy, where he sees Bruce and Selina having coffee together at a nearby table. It is also revealed that Blake’s legal first name is Robin (comics), as he inherits the Batcave

REVIEW:

When The Dark Knight came out a few years back, everyone seemed to all but bow down and worship it because it was supposedly the best film ever made. I was one of the handful of people who didn’t seem to see it that way. A few friends have wondered if I am going into The Dark Knight Rises with similar disdain. The answer is no, but I do have my reservations.

Before I go any further, I feel I should make a statement about the tragedy that has befallen the small town of Aurora, CO, following the shooting. For those that don’t know, a gunman went in the theater to see this film, and opened fire, effectively killing and wounding quite a few people. I don’t know if this film had anything to do with this happening, but it truly is a shame that it happened. My heart is heavy and mourning for those affected by this tragedy.

So, what did I like?

3D. Or should I say lack of 3D? With seemingly every film released these days being released, made, and/or post converted to 3D, for the sole purpose of making more money, not a better film, mind you, I tip my hat to Christopher Nolan and his decision to not film this in 3D, nor did he cave in and convert it. There are plenty of scenes that may have looked great in 3D, but, at least for me, there hasn’t been anything to justify making that switch. I really can’t tell the difference, other than paying for some rented sunglasses!

Tone. I had one major complaint with the last film, and that it was a little too dark and serious for my taste, which is kind of ironic, since they used the Joker as the main villain. This film, though, lightens things up, and actually feels like a comic book film. Yes, it has moments that are dark, but as a whole, this is a more pleasant viewing experience.

Continuity. Film series these days seem to think about moving forward and making more and more money, but not many of them seem to remember things that went on in their universe. So, you can imagine my delight to see some moments from the previous films as the trilogy comes to climactic conclusion.

Cerebral. Christopher Nolan is no dummy, and neither are his films. He brings this level of cerebral thinking to a villain that, for the most part, isn’t really known for his brains, Bane. The complex plots he hatches are impressive, to say the least, just watch the opening scenes and you’ll be more than aware of what this guy can do.

Bane. Speaking of Bane,  I remember when he debuted in the comics and broke Batman’s back, which led to a replacement Batman for a while, but that’s neither here nor there. I was wondering if they were going to use that in the film, and they sort of did, but not to the full extent, I would have liked, but I guess I shouldn’t complain. At least it was in there, unlike the venom that pumps him up, for instance.

Catwoman. I love Anne Hathway. I have since the first time I saw her in The Princess Diaries. However, I”m not quite sure  she works as Catwoman. That being said, I give her all the credit in the world for making this her own character and not trying to be Julie Newmar, Halle Berry, Lee Meriwether Michelle Pfeiffer, or Eartha Kitt. While this may not be the most memorable Catwoman, she is the closest to the source material in the Nolan universe.

Talia. Marion Cotillard is a vision of loveliness and if you ever seen Talia al Ghul in the comics, then it isn’t very hard to see why she was chosen to play her. I’m not too crazy about how little she was used, but the misdirection was quite impressive. It sure had me fooled!

Action. The action in the flick is awesome, if I do say so myself. They really upped the ante. I literally got goosebumps when they are driving though the tunnel and all of a sudden the light go out and Batman takes out the crooks one by one. The fight with Bane, the chase scenes, oh…and the scene at the stadium. Awesometacular, but the final fight, that was a thing of beauty!

What didn’t I like?

Voices. First we have Christian Bale doing that raspy thing. It didn’t work in the last film, what the hell possessed him to think it would work this time? He really should have gotten the memo. Also in the category of bad voicing is Tom Hardy’s Bane. When the first trailer was released his voice was a raspy and a little hard to understand, but it worked. For some reason, someone decided to change it and give him this Sean Connery-type voice that doesn’t really work. It comes off as cartoonish as Batman’s voice did annoying.

Batsuit. We’re in the third film, you’d think by now the Batsuit would look like something more than some kind of exoskeleton by now. The part that sticks out to me the most, though, is the next. Something didn’t quite look right, I think it was something to do with the neck piece and the way the cowl is made. It gives the illusion that Batman is a sort of bobblehead.

Alfred. He’s only in about 10% of the film, but that whole time he’s bitching and moaning about how he doesn’t want Bruce to be Batman anymore, and then leaves. WTF?!? Why in tarnation did the decide to make Alfred such a whiny little bitch? He’s never been one of those characters that kicks some ass, obviously, but he’s loyal and unquestioning. This just goes against everything Alfred stands for!

Too much Wayne. So, it is eight years after the events of the last film, and Bruce Wayne has hung up the cape and cowl. That’s fine, he has to get back to being Batman. Bane breaks him…same kind of thing. Somewhere in there, though, shouldn’t someone have thought there was a little bit too much Bruce Wayne? No one is interested in Batman because of Bruce Wayne. We got his story in Batman Begins, and that was enough. While I’m thinking about it, how is it that he can grow a fully stylized beard in a desert prison, yet it wasn’t that long ago, when he was in Tibet, that he had a full on, scruffy, shaggy beard.

Villains. In all the Batman films, there has been at least one villain that is a strong presence, be it the Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Ra’s al Ghul, Mr. Freeze, etc. However, I found that Bane, while physically imposing and such, he just didn’t come off as strong enough to carry the film. Catwoman and Talia were nothing more than villainesses with a purpose, but nothing more. Considering how much they shoved Catwoman down our throats during the whole marketing campaign, I was expecting more.

Ending. I’m not going to spoil the ending, but there is a character reference that just makes you wonder, wouldn’t it have been better to have it happen earlier on in the film, or maybe even at the end of the last film, rather than the last thing you see before the credits roll.

The Dark Knight Rises has apparently pissed some people off that have said anything negative about it. Why else would Rotten Tomatoes have shut down the comment section of their review of this film. Luckily, I don’t have much negative to say about this film. All my complaints are minor. I really did enjoy this film and think it may very well be the best Batman film since Batman (1989). Definitely a fitting end to the trilogy. Sure, some people are going to be disappointed, but that’s because they hold the last film to such impossibly, unwarranted high standards. I highly recommend this film and think you should get off that couch right now and go see it!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars