Cars 3

PLOT:

Blindsided by a new generation of blazing-fast racers, the legendary Lightning McQueen (voice of Owen Wilson) is suddenly pushed out of the sport he loves. To get back in the game, he will need the help of an eager young race technician, Cruz Ramirez (voice of Cristela Alonzo), with her own plan to win, plus inspiration from the late Fabulous Hudson Hornet and a few unexpected turns. Proving that #95 isn’t through yet will test the heart of a champion on Piston Cup Racing’s biggest stage!

What people are saying:

“There’s an emotional resonance to this story about growing old, chasing glory days and the joy of passing the baton that leaves the other two films choking on its digitally rendered dust. The end goal this time out isn’t just to sell a few more toys and Lightning McQueen lunchboxes. It’s actually tapping into something deeper than a corporate bottom line.” 4 stars

“The final chapter of the trilogy has saved the best for last and will at least deflect the most serious concerns of those who think this series has taken too many extra laps.” 4 stars

“Cars 3 is the sequel that Cars 2 should have been, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s good. It’s okay. The story is a retread of the first movie and some of the plot points seem forced. Plus, they cram so many characters into the movie that none of them can get any real traction. Pixar needs to stop focusing on merchandising and get back to creating quality animated films.” 3 stars

“Lightning McQueen is trying to beat a competitor, storm, who is a “rookie” so he trains his hardest but still cant beat him. i personally dont like the ending because we all like a hero but in this movie instead of the hero we all know and love(lightning McQueen) it turns out the hero is cruz. its like if harry potter wasnt the main character in the 4th movie even if the movie series was based on him. my last complaint is his color at the end. when he changes from red to blue it was cringy. i barely even recognized him. red is his signature color. now sometimes change is good. but was it really worth the risk this time? but i digress.” 2 stars

“What probably should have been Cars 2. Like those cinematic shorts featuring Mater, Cars 2 felt like a gigantic one. This one alone maybe doesn’t quite hit the traditional creative Pixar charm in ways, but obviously it’s more thought provoking and emotional then the previous. I felt a tad disappointed that Mater didn’t have a bigger role in this film, but then again he had enough of a roll in 2. Cruz was an engaging and fun new character to the franchise and the ending of the film I don’t think could have been more satisfying. You’re never too old to be involved with what you love, even if that doesn’t mean actually doing it” 4 stars

The Man from U.N.C.L.E.

PLOT:

In 1963 East Berlin, Napoleon Solo tracks down Gabby Teller, a woman working in an auto shop. Solo tells her that he is with the American government and knows that Gabby’s father is a Nazi scientist who had worked for the U.S. government but went missing. He needs Gabby to set up a meeting with her uncle, Rudi, to find her father. They leave and are quickly chased by Illya Kuryakin, a top KGB agent who impresses Solo by his dogged pursuit and nearly stopping their car by hand. In the end, Solo manages to whisk Gabby over the Berlin Wall into West Berlin, with Illya left behind.

The following day, Solo meets his handler, Sanders, in a park’s men’s room where Kuryakin is waiting. The two fight it out before Sanders and his KGB counterpart Oleg stop them to announce the two are now partners. It appears that Rudi works for an Italian shipping company owned by Alexander and Victoria Vinciguerra, the latter the true brains of the operation, whose father was suspected of smuggling Nazi gold out of Europe to Argentina after WWII ended. The two are planning to use Gabby’s father to create their own private nuclear weapon. The KGB and CIA insist the two agents work together although each man is under private orders to steal the important computer data for their respective governments. In a private talk, the two men detail what they know of each other. Solo was a former U.S. soldier who turned to art theft, stealing and selling antiques and artwork across Europe. Finally captured, the CIA felt he was too valuable to waste in prison and offered him to work off his sentence for them. Kuryakin’s father was a former high-ranking aide for Stalin but convicted of embezzling funds and sent to Siberia, with Illya prone to streaks of violent behavior because of that.

Gabby is not happy to learn that her cover is to introduce Kuryakin as her architect fiancé but Solo insists they go on. In Rome, Kuryakin is tested by a pair of goons who steal his father’s watch and he forces himself not to fight them. Solo hooks up with the hotel desk clerk while Gabby tempts Kuryakin with drinking, dancing and some wrestling but passes out before they can go any further. The next morning, both men confront one other with how each had planted listening devices in the other’s room. At a race track party, Solo steals an invitation off of a man called Waverly and impresses Victoria with his skills as a thief by stealing her own jewelry. He offers her help in “filling the gaps” in her art collection. Kuryakin is offended by Rudi putting down Russians and takes out his anger by beating up a trio of men in a bathroom. Gabby flirts with Alexander before the group leaves. Checking secret photos he took, Kuryakin finds evidence Victoria and Alexander were by radiation and theorizes the bomb must be close.

That night, both men find each other breaking into the shipping yard and reluctantly work together. They discover a safe which Solo opens but the uranium is already gone. They are chased by guards into the nearby bay, Kuryakin leading the enemy boat while Solo ends up on shore to have a quiet dinner in a truck. He then drives the truck to crush the enemy boat and helps save Illya. Hearing of the break-in, Victoria goes to the hotel but Solo manages to return to his room before she does, and seduces her into sex. The next day, Solo meets with Victoria as Gabby meets with Rudi and Alexander at their mansion with Kuryakin following. He overhears Gabby tell the two men of the real mission and barely escapes. Alerted, Victoria drugs Solo and he wakes up in a private room with Rudi who turns out to be an infamous Nazi torturer. Rudi uses an electric chair to torture Solo but Kuryakin arrives to rescue him. Tied to the chair, Rudi tells them the bomb is being kept at an island fortress. The two men argue over what to do with Rudi but a short-circuit causes the chair to electrocute the Nazi so badly that he bursts into flames. At the island, Gabby meets her father and they attempt to sabotage the bomb but are caught by Victoria. Victoria forces Gabby’s father to complete the bomb, hand over both copies of the data, and then kills him.

Solo and Kuryakin meet with Waverly, who turns out to be a British agent, revealing that Gabby has been working for British intelligence for two years and the CIA and KGB nearly ruined the operation to find her father. The two men lead an attack on the island as Alexander drives the bomb and Gabby away on a jeep. Solo follows in a dune buggy while Kuryakin chases on a motorcycle, both men managing to crash the jeep. Alexander nearly kills Solo but is stabbed to death by Kuryakin. It turns out the missile is not the nuclear one and they worry Victoria will get away. However, Solo figures out she is using her father’s old fishing boat to smuggle the nuke to a sub where her Nazi allies are waiting. Solo tricks Victoria into issuing threats to him and uses the radio signal to have the missile they possess to be fired from an aircraft carrier and destroy the boat.

In Rome, Kuryakin reluctantly says goodbye to Gabby. He hears from Oleg on how Solo still has a copy of the data disc and, enraged, goes to kill Solo and get it. Solo responds by throwing back Kuryakin’s watch, which he took off a guard at the island. The two men decide to destroy the disc rather than let either of their countries get a major advantage. Waverly and Gabby find them as they were about to leave, informing them that they are now working for him and his new organization: U.N.C.L.E

REVIEW:

What better way to end the summer movie season than with an action filled spy comedy? Ok, there are other alternatives. One could go see that abomination that masquerades itself as the Fantastic Four, but I hear it isn’t that good. I chose to have fun at the movies and check out The Man from U.N.C.L.E. Having never seen the original TV show, I have nothing to compare it to, so no bias here.

What is this about?

Set against the backdrop of the early 1960s period of the Cold War, the film centers on U.N.C.L.E. (United Network Command for Law and Enforcement) agents Napoleon Solo and Illya Kuryakin. The two team up on a joint mission to stop a mysterious international criminal organization led by Victoria Vinciguerra, which is bent on destabilizing the fragile balance of power through the proliferation of nuclear weapons and technology. The duo’s only lead is Gaby Teller, the daughter of a vanished German scientist, who is the key to infiltrating the criminal organization, and they must race against time utilizing her connections and prevent a worldwide catastrophe.

What did I like?

Swinging 60s. I’ve come to realize that I am a sucker for period pieces. Well, period pieces set in eras that I actually care about. When I heard they were making this, the first thing that popped in my head was the fear it would be set in modern times which, obviously, would have been a big mistake. The film takes joy in its 60s setting, capitalizing on the clothes, cars, and music available at the time, as well as the, shall we say, simplistic technology of the time. All of this comes together in glorious package that I doubt would have worked so well in today’s world.

Heroic team up. Superman and the Lone Ranger fighting crime together. Doesn’t that sound like it would be awesome? I’m sure someone somewhere has thought of it, especially since I think those shows were on around the same time. We may not get the epic team up on screen, but we do get the actors together and, surprisingly, they have some great chemistry. Henry Cavill’s Napoleon Solo is, for all intents and purposes, a poor man’s James Bond. I feel Cavill watched a lot of John Wayne, Humphrey Bogart, Jimmy Stewart, Cary Grant, and maybe a bit of Adam West for this character. Why? Well, he has this way of speaking which is unnatural for modern ears, but if you listen to people talk from this era, it fits. Some may not like it, but they can get over it. Armie Hammer appears to have bulked up some since we last saw him on screen. Taking a Russian accent and basically being a super soldier he seems to be the emotional one of the team, whether it is his connection to his father’s watch, falling for the girl, or just controlling his temper. These are two guys that have that dapper 60s look naturally, which is probably why they were cast. The fact that they have such great chemistry is a bonus that we all can savor as we sit back and enjoy the ride.

No point. I think it was about half way through the film when I realized that there hadn’t been any references to anything in the 60s. What makes me bring that up? Well, usually in films based on TV shows, especially the ones set in a different era, they go out of their way to point out something that relates to that period. I don’t think that is done once in the picture and I, for one, am so glad for it. It is obvious this is the 60s, no need to bring everything to a halt just to bring up Woodstock, the Kennedy assassination, Martin Luther King, Jr., the Moon landing, etc.

What didn’t I like?

Plot. This is not a film that is meant to make you use your brain, let’s get that straight. It is, however, a film that could have used a couple of twists and turns. As it is the plot, two spies on opposites sides team up to stop a nuclear bomb, is very predictable. The one swerve turned out to be a non-swerve, and every time it seemed like something happened to spice things up, we would get a flashback that showed parts of the scene we didn’t see. Guy Ritchie is well-known for his stylistic vision, but once again, his writing flaws are the downfall.

Big dudes. Have you ever seen a big, athletic guy from the 60s? They really aren’t that big, honestly. Why do I bring this up? Well, looking at Hammer and Cavill, and spurred on by a comment in a review I listened to earlier this week, I noticed they are rather big for the time. Now, Cavill, obviously gets some slack because he’s Superman. I think this might have been right after or before filming for Batman vs. Superman, so his physique couldn’t change too much. Hammer, doesn’t have that luxury. I’m still trying to figure out why he suddenly looked so buff. He needed to look like the guys on Mad Men (probably the best example today of what the 60s were like), specifically Jon Hamm. He’s a somewhat bigger guy, but not huge.

Villainess. I wasn’t sold on Elizabeth Debicki as the villain. To me, she came off as a pissed off Paris Hilton. It wasn’t until Cavill told her that he had killed her husband that she seemed to be the villain this film deserves, but by then it was too late. Maybe if she would have had some motivation, the audience could buy into her. As it is, she’s just the token antagonist.

I feel like The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is going to be forgotten quickly. Not because it is bad, but because it was released at a bad time. The theater I was in had maybe 10 people in it, and most of them straggled in late. Everyone seemed to be going to see Straight Outta Compton. The fact that this was only playing on 2 screens compared to the 8 for the other one is quite telling, as well. Still, this is a quality, enjoyable film that will probably (hopefully) go on to a long life on DVD/Blu-ray. Maybe it will become a cult classic. The music, action, style, look, everything makes this a film that cannot be missed. I highly recommend it!

4 1/2 out of 5 stars

The Lone Ranger (2013)

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

At a sideshow in a San Francisco fair in 1933, a boy, Will, who idolizes a legend known as the Lone Ranger, encounters Tonto, an elderly Comanche Native American, who proceeds to recount his experiences with that Old West adventurer.

In 1869 Colby, Texas, lawyer John Reid returns home via the uncompleted Transcontinental Railroad, managed by railroad tycoon Latham Cole. Unknown to Reid, the train is also carrying Tonto and outlaw Butch Cavendish, who is being transported for his hanging after being captured by Dan Reid, John’s Texas Ranger brother. Cavendish’s gang rescues Butch and derails the train. Tonto is subsequently jailed. Dan deputizes John as a Texas Ranger, and with six others they go after the Cavendish gang.

Cavendish’s men ambush and kill their pursuers in a canyon and Cavendish cuts out and eats Dan’s heart. Tonto, who has escaped from jail, comes across the dead men and buries them. However, a white spirit horse awakens John as a “spirit walker,” and Tonto explains John cannot be killed in battle. Tonto also tells him Collins, one of the Rangers, betrayed Dan and is working with Cavendish, whom Tonto believes is a “wendigo.” As John is thought to be dead, he wears a mask to protect his identity from enemies. Tonto gives John a silver bullet made from the fallen Rangers’ badges and tells him to use it on Cavendish.

At a brothel Collins recently visited, Red Harrington informs them about Dan and Collins’ fight over a cursed silver rock. Meanwhile, Cavendish’s men, disguised as Comanches, raid frontier settlements. John and Tonto arrive after raiders abduct Dan’s widow and son, Rebecca and Danny. Regretting his earlier actions, Collins attempts to help Rebecca and Danny escape but is shot dead by Cole, who rescues them. Claiming the raiders are hostile Comanches, Cole announces the continued construction of the railroad and dispatches United States Cavalry Captain Jay Fuller to exterminate the Comanche.

A Comanche tribe captures John and Tonto soon after the pair finds railroad tracks in Indian territory. The tribe leader tells John of Tonto’s past: As a boy, Tonto had rescued Cavendish and another man from near-death and showed them the location of a silver mine, in exchange for a pocket watch. The men murdered the tribe to keep the mine a secret, leaving Tonto with great guilt.

Tonto and John escape as the cavalry attack the Comanche. At the silver mine, they capture Cavendish. Tonto demands that John use the silver bullet to kill Cavendish, but John refuses. Tonto attempts to kill Cavendish, but John knocks him unconscious and brings in Cavendish alive. Upon returning Cavendish to Cole and Fuller’s custody, Cole is revealed to be Cavendish’s partner. Fearing that if his actions are publicly revealed he’ll be charged as a war criminal, Fuller sides with Cole. Rebecca is held hostage, and John is taken back to the silver mine to be executed. However, Tonto rescues him and the two flee as the Comanche attack and are massacred by the cavalry. Realizing that Cole is too powerful to be taken down lawfully, John dons the mask again.

At the site of the union of the Transcontinental Railroad with two trains, Cole reveals his true plan: to take complete control of the railroad company and use the mined silver to gain more power. John and Tonto steal nitroglycerin and use it to destroy a railroad bridge. With Red’s help, Tonto steals the train with the silver and speeds it in reverse, and Cole, Cavendish, and Fuller pursue him in the second train on which Rebecca and Dan Jr. are being held captive. Riding Silver, John pursues both trains. After a furious chase and fights on both trains, both Cavendish and Fuller are killed, Rebecca and Dan Jr. are rescued and Cole dies buried beneath the silver ore after the train plunges off the severed bridge and into the river below.

The town and railroad enterprise recognize John (whose identity is still unknown to them) as a hero and offer him a law-enforcement position. John declines and accepts his new life as the Lone Ranger, and he and Tonto ride off. Back in 1933, Will questions the truth of the tale. Tonto gives him a silver bullet and tells him to decide for himself.

REVIEW:

A few years ago, I reviewed The Lone Ranger, a film that was a continuation of the TV series. Today, we see how well that character has withstood the test of time with the 2013 version of The Lone Ranger. Let’s not beat around the bush. This film had its fair share of setback before it even made it into production and then it got blasted by fans and critics, but was their vitriol warranted?

What is this about?

In this reboot of the 1950s television series, Native American warrior Tonto rescues wounded lawman John Reid and restores him to health, thus creating an often-contentious but effective partnership as they attempt to rid the Old West of corruption.

What did I like?

Origin. Unlike superhero films where the origin takes forever to be told, this film manages to basically inform us in the span of maybe 5-10 minutes. Granted, if there was a sequel, I’m sure Armie Hammer would be more comfortable in his role as the masked man, but for what its worth, he does a really good job with filling his predecessors shoes. Being only vaguely familiar with the classic TV series, I can’t tell you if any liberties were taken, but I can say that the spirit walker angle they took was a nice touch.

Villains. The villains are not only believable, but the one played by William Fichtner is almost scary, especially with the whole heart eating angle. On the one hand we have the corporate face of the railroad, who we don’t find out it a villain until a little bit later in the film. You know the type, he has everyone fooled until the truth is brought to light. Then, we have Fichtner’s character who is the most dirty, vile and evil being in the film. He has the look of an old west villain and his mannerisms fit perfectly into the setting. As far as his actions go, well, he eats hearts. Need I say more?

Catch that train! The train sequence that serves as this film’s climax is the best scene in the film. With the nonstop action, gunplay, explosion, and stunts, this scene manages to bring together. I was taken back to those old train robbery westerns watching this scene and wondered why most of the film wasn’t more of this instead of trying to tell some dramatic story.

What didn’t I like?

Length. It is well documented for disdain for lengthy films, especially when they make you feel like they are long. This is one of those that was pretty long and I’m not really sure why. The middle section really could have been taken out, if you ask me. The reason they decided to bring in a rather lengthy section that tore down Tonto and, as is commonplace in today’s films, left our hero doubting himself. Outside of the Tonto origin, there was really no reason for this and probably about another 30-45 minutes.

Depp. I have two complaints about Johnny Depp. First, the guy is very talented. We all can agree on that, but 1/16 Cherokee or whatever percentage of Native American he is doesn’t make up for the fact that Tonto should have been played by a Native American actor.  Also, what was up with the white face paint? Realizing that Depp is the name is fine, but come on, they could have cast him as another character and used an actual Native American to play Tonto. Speaking of him playing other roles, perhaps he should have been cast as the Lone Ranger because he was more the star than Armie Hammer was. It was so much that it made you wonder why this wasn’t just called Tonto.

Tone. This film has issues with the tone it wants to keep. In one scene there is a shootout that results in a guy eating a heart and then a little later we have a horse in a tree. It leaves the audience confused as to what they’re watching. Personally, I think the lighter tone works as the Lone Ranger is not a dark character, but the violent stuff works for the western aspect of this character. I just with the filmmakers would have taken the time to find a better balance with the tone, rather than making random shifts.

When you hear Rossini’s “William Tell Overture”, then you pretty much can be assured that there is a masked man coming to save the day, you’re watching “The Band Concert” with Mickey Mouse and Donald Duck, or you’re attending a band/orchestra concert. Thankfully, they left that theme in here, even it did go on a bit long at the end. That is what plagues The Lone Ranger more than anything. It takes one step forward and two steps back. I’m still trying to figure out what I think about old Tonto at the sideshow talking to this random kid. Final verdict on this film though is that it tries valiantly, but it just isn’t good enough. Having said that, it is nowhere near as bad as everyone would have you believe. With all its issues, this film is still a fun ride, and you should at least give it a shot.

3  1/4 out of 5 stars

J. Edgar

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

The film opens with J. Edgar Hoover in his office during his later years. He asks that a writer, known as Agent Smith, be let in, so that he may tell the story of the origin of the FBI for the sake of the public. Hoover explains that the story begins in 1919, when A. Mitchell Palmer was Attorney General and Hoover’s boss at the Justice Department. Palmer suffers an assassination attempt, but is unharmed when the bomb explodes earlier than intended. Hoover recalls that the police handling of the crime scene was primitive, and that it was that night that he recognized the importance of criminal science. Later, Hoover visits his mother, Anna Marie, and tells her that Palmer has put him in charge of a new anti-radical division, and that he has already begun compiling a list of suspected radicals. He leaves to meet Helen Gandy, who has just started as a secretary at the Justice Department. Hoover takes Gandy to the Library of Congress, and shows her the card catalog system he devised. He muses about how easy it would be to solve crimes if every citizen were as easily identifiable as the books in the library. When Hoover attempts to kiss her, she recoils. Hoover gets down on his knees and asks her to marry him, citing her organization and education, but his request is once again denied. However, Gandy agrees to become his personal secretary.

Despite his close monitoring of suspected foreign radicals, Hoover finds that the Department of Labor refuses to deport anyone without clear evidence of a crime; however, Anthony Caminetti, the commissioner general of immigration dislikes the prominent anarchist Emma Goldman. Hoover arranges to discredit her marriage and make her eligible for deportation, setting a precedent of deportation for radical conspiracy. After several Justice Department raids of suspected radical groups, many leading to deportation, Palmer loses his job as Attorney General. Under a subsequent Attorney General, Harlan F. Stone, Hoover is made director of the Justice Department’s Bureau of Investigation. He is introduced to Clyde Tolson, a recently graduated lawyer, and takes his business card. Later, while reviewing job applications with Helen Gandy, Hoover asks if Tolson had applied. Gandy says he had, and Hoover interviews and hires Tolson.

The Bureau pursues a string of gangster and bank robbery crimes across the Midwest, including the high profile John Dillinger, with general success. When the Lindbergh kidnapping captures national attention, President Hoover asks the Bureau to investigate. Hoover employs several novel techniques, including the monitoring of registration numbers on ransom bills, and expert analysis of the kidnapper’s handwriting. The birth of the FBI Crime Lab is seen as a product of Hoover’s determination to analyze the homemade wooden ladder left at the crime scene. When the monitored bills begin showing up in New York City, the investigators find a filling station attendant who wrote down the license plate number of the man who gave him the bill. This leads to the arrest, and eventual conviction, of Bruno Hauptmann for the kidnapping and murder of the Lindbergh child.

After going to a Shirley Temple film with Hoover’s mother, Hoover and Tolson decide to go out to a club. When Ginger Rogers asks Hoover if he ever wishes he had someone to keep him warm at night, he responds that he has dedicated his life to the bureau. Ginger’s mother asks Hoover to dance and he becomes agitated, saying that he and Tolson must leave, as they have a lot of work to do in the morning. When he gets home he shares his dislike of dancing with girls with his mother, and she tells him she would rather have a dead son than a “daffodil” for a son. She then insists on teaching him to dance, and they dance in her bedroom. Soon after, Hoover and Tolson go on a vacation to the horse races. That evening, Hoover tells Tolson that he cares deeply for him, and Tolson returns the feeling by stating that he loves Hoover. However, Hoover claims to be considering marriage to a young woman twenty years his junior, Dorothy Lamour, he has been seeing in New York City, provoking outrage from Tolson. Tolson accuses Hoover making a fool out of him and then begins throwing insults at Hoover, and consequently they begin throwing punches at each other and cause grave damage to the hotel room in the process; they eventually end up fighting on the floor. The fight ends when Tolson gets an upper hand over Hoover, and suddenly kisses him. Hoover demands that it must never happen again; Tolson says that it won’t, and attempts to leave. Hoover apologizes and begs him to stay, but Tolson only says that if Hoover ever mentioned another woman again, their friendship would be over. He then leaves, with Hoover professing love for him moments after.

Years later, Hoover feels his strength begin to decline. He requires daily visits by a doctor, and Tolson suffers a stroke which leaves him in a severely weakened state. An attempt by Hoover to blackmail Martin Luther King, Jr. into declining his Nobel Peace Prize proves ineffective, and King, Jr. accepts the prize. Hoover eventually begins to consider his mortality and tells Helen Gandy to destroy his secret files if he were to die to prevent Richard Nixon from possessing them. When Tolson appeals to Hoover to retire when Hoover comes to visit him, Hoover refuses, claiming that Nixon is going to destroy the bureau he has created. Tolson then accuses Hoover of exaggerating his involvement in many of the bureau’s actions.

Returning home one evening after work, Hoover, obviously weakened, goes upstairs. Shortly after, Tolson is called by Hoover’s housekeeper and he goes upstairs to find Hoover dead next to his bed. Griefstricken, he gently kisses Hoover’s forehead and covers his body with a sheet before walking out. The news of Hoover’s death reaches Nixon, and while he does a eulogy on television for him, several members of Nixon’s staff enter Hoover’s office and proceed to rifle through the cabinets and drawers in search of Hoover’s rumored “personal and confidential” files, but find them all to be empty. In the last scene, Helen Gandy is seen destroying stacks of files, assumed to be from Hoover’s personal archive.

REVIEW:

I’m a regular watcher of the TV show Bones. In it, there are quite a few times when we see the J. Edgar Hoover FBI building. I don’t know about you, but anyone that gets a major building like that named after them has to be pretty important, right? This is what brings me to J. Edgar. After a couple of musicals, it can’t hurt to have a bit of a history lesson, right?

What is this about?

Leonardo DiCaprio stars in this riveting biopic as J. Edgar Hoover, the longtime FBI director as notorious for his overzealous methods of law enforcement as for the rumors regarding his cross-dressing and close relationship with protégé Clyde Tolson.

What did I like?

The man, the myth, the mystery. With any biopic, the main purpose should be to inform viewers who aren’t as familiar with the person(s) they are based on. In films such as Lincoln and, to a lesser extent, Pearl Harbor, this isn’t as necessary because the average viewer is (or at least should be) well-informed and educated on the subject. Now, if I were to ask you about J. Edgar Hoover, I bet you would hear crickets chirping instead of answers. After watching this film, you will at least have an idea oh who this man is and how important, albeit controversial, he was in American history.

DiCaprio. A few years ago, I heard Regis Philbin praise Leonardo DiCaprio, saying he was one of this generations greatest actors. I was looking at some of his body of work the other day and with the arguable exception of Romeo + Juliet, he hasn’t really had a bad performance, even if the movies haven’t been that great. Looking at pictures of J. Edgar Hoover, I’m not so sure I would have cast him in this role, at least not as the older version, but he does command the screen when he is there, so one cannot really complain.

Tone. There is a pretty dark tone to this picture. I’m not really talking about the subject matter, but rather the lighting. Somehow, though, it seems to work. Had this been all sunny days and brightly lit office buildings, I don’t believe the effect would have been the same. Kudos to director Clint Eastwood for the small little nuance that made more of a difference that one would realize.

What didn’t work?

Yawn. Perhaps is had something to do with my unfamiliarity with J. Edgar, but I was struggling to stay awake throughout this film. It literally starts with a bang, but that’s about as interesting as it gets. I’m not saying they should throw some random explosions in for no good reason, but they could have thrown the audience a bone in the way of some comic relief, a gunshot, or something. Anything that would have gotten a rise out of the crowd.

Make-up. I don’t usually pay attention to make-up, unless it is some hideous creature of sorts, but I can’t go on without mentioning the crappy job that was done to Armie Hammer. The make up on him was horrible! Normally, Hammer has Golden Age leading man looks, but with this make-up he looked more like some kind of ogre. I have to wonder is that what Clyde Tolson actually looked like and if not, what was their motivation for making his counterpart look this way. DiCaprio didn’t exactly have the best job, either, but it wasn’t anywhere near as bad.

Rumors. J. Edgar Hoover has long been speculated to have been a bit paranoid that everyone was a communist, a point that this film spends quite some time on. He was also rumored to have been a bit of a cross-dresser and have romantic feelings for his friend Tolson. Both of these topics are glanced over. It is like reading a history book where you get chapters on chapters of info on WWII, and then there is a sentence that says “in the 60s, there was a war in Vietnam”. That is how I felt these topics were covered, but at the same time, since neither was confirmed and they were just rumors, it wouldn’t seem right to go any deeper, I suppose.

In the end, J. Edgar is one of those films that is targeted towards a specific audience. If you’re more a fan of artsy-fartsy biopics, then this is right up your alley. Unfortunately, most people are not into those types of flicks and, as such, will not really be interested in seeing this, unless they just want to watch a historical picture. Either way, I have to say that this is a pretty well-made film. Clint Eastwood has done a masterful job bringing the masses some insight into a mysterious figure who was quite influential, more so that we realize. It should also be noted that Eastwood also did the music for this film. If you get the chance, give this a shot. It isn’t the most exciting film around, but it is a worth watching.

4 out of 5 stars

Mirror Mirror

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!)

Snow White’s mother died in child birth. Her father, the King (Sean Bean), then raised Snow White so that she could rule the kingdom one day. Feeling that she needed a mother, the king married again. His new wife is the Queen (Julia Roberts), the most beautiful woman in the land. One day, the king leaves to fight a great evil that has invaded the land, giving Snow White a golden dagger. He rides off into the forest and never comes back. The Queen rules in his place. Jealous and threatened by Snow White and the people’s devotion to her, the Queen decides that “Snow White must do what snow does best, fall.”

Ten years later Snow White (Lily Collins) is turning eighteen and has spent much of her life locked in the palace. The Queen does not care for her but Snow White is still loved by the palace staff, especially by a kind baker named Margaret (Mare Winningham), who took care of Snow White ever since the King disappeared. Margaret tells Snow White that the kingdom is rightfully hers and that she should go outside and see what has become of her people. Snow White then defies the Queen’s orders and leaves the palace, intent on seeing the conditions of her kingdom. In the forest, she meets Prince Andrew Alcott (Armie Hammer) and his companion Charles Renbock (Robert Emms) who have been robbed by short bandits. She and the Prince are drawn to each other but go their separate ways. Snow White arrives in the town the palace overlooks (which she remembered visiting the town once before with her father), and discovers it is barren and the once-happy people are destitute due to the Queen’s greed. Angered that the Queen has destroyed everything her father worked for, Snow White decides to help the kingdom and overthrow her stepmother.

Prince Alcott finds his way to the palace. The Queen, realizing he comes from a wealthy kingdom, hatches a plot to get him to marry her so she can solve her financial problems. She hosts a ball in honor of the Prince and goes to great lengths to make herself as beautiful as possible. Snow White secretly attends the ball planning to ask the prince, whom she believes she has not met, to help her restore the kingdom. She and Alcott learn the truth about each other when they are partnered in a dance. Smitten, Prince Alcott makes sure that Snow White stays by his side which the Queen notices. The Queen has Snow White seized by her guards, and Snow White (for the first time in her life) stands up to her stepmother and tells her she has no right to rule as she does. Seeing Snow White as the threat she always feared she would be, The Queen orders her manservant Brighton (Nathan Lane) to take the princess into the forest and feed her to the Beast that lives there. Brighton takes Snow White to the forest, but is unable to kill her. He releases her and tells her to run. Snow White flees the Beast (Frank Welker) and collapses at the door to the Seven Dwarfs’ house.

The Queen goes to her Magic Mirror, a portal to a bleak and barren world that contains a house full of mirrors. Within the mirrors lives the Queen’s reflection (Lisa Roberts Gillan) who is much wiser, kinder, and somewhat younger than her. She gives advice to the Queen when she asks for it. The Queen requests a love potion so she can make the Prince fall in love with her. The Mirror Queen repeatedly warns her that there is a price for using dark magic, but the Queen refuses to listen. Back in the forest, Snow White wakes up to find herself surrounded by the dwarfs Grimm (Danny Woodburn), Butcher (Martin Klebba), Wolf (Sebastian Saraceno), Napoleon (Jordan Prentice), Half Pint (Mark Povinelli), Grub (Joe Gnoffo), and Chuck (Ronald Lee Clark) who is nicknamed “Chuckles” because he is always laughing. After much debate, they agree to let her stay with them for one night.

The Queen levies another tax against the people to pay for the parties she throws for Prince Alcott. Brighton is sent to collect and is informed by the town magistrate that the people can not tolerate much more. On the way back to the palace, the dwarfs rob Brighton and steal the tax money. When Snow White finds out that the Dwarves are thieves and that the stolen money belongs to the townspeople, she is angry. The Dwarfs explain that no one stood up for them years earlier when the Queen expelled them from the kingdom because she thought they were ugly. Thus, they feel no guilt for stealing. Snow White sneaks away while they are distracted to return the money. The townspeople are overjoyed to have their money back and Snow White lets the Dwarves take credit for it, earning them the people’s acceptance and gratitude. The Dwarves agree that Snow White can stay permanently if she agrees to become a thief like them. She agrees, but only if they can steal from the Queen and give back to the people.

Meanwhile, the Queen informs Alcott that Snow White is dead and attempts to get him to marry her only to be interrupted by Brighton. When the Prince finds out that the bandits have robbed Brighton, he goes after them unaware of the awful things the Queen has done. In the forest, Alcott discovers that Snow White is not only alive, but in league with the bandits. Each believing the other to be in the wrong, Snow White and Alcott duel. Alcott returns to the Palace defeated and informs the Queen that Snow White is alive and in league with the bandits that stole her money.

The Queen consults her Magic Mirror again and demands that the Mirror Queen punish Brighton for lying to her. The Mirror Queen turns him into a cockroach and tells the Mirror Queen to use its magic to kill Snow White. Despite the Mirror’s warning about using dark magic, the Queen (blinded by hatred) agrees to accept whatever consequences her actions may bring. She uses a love potion to make the Prince fall in love with her, like what she did to Snow White’s father but with unintended results (she accidentally used a potion called Puppy love which causes the Prince to act like a devoted puppy dog). Although the effects of the potion were wrong, she uses the Prince’s new found devotion to get him to agree to marry her. When Snow White learns of the wedding, she is heartbroken. The Queen then uses black magic to create two giant wooden puppets in the forest and uses them to try and kill Snow White and the Dwarves. Snow White is able to cut the strings of the puppets and break the mirror’s spell, but she decides to run away to protect her new friends. The next morning, the Dwarves find her gone and discover a note she left them telling them that she loves them all. They intercept her just as she is preparing to leave and convinces her that their lives are better with her.

They decide to crash the wedding of the Queen and the Prince, and do so. The Queen arrives at her wedding to find the Prince gone and the noble guests in their underwear, robbed of their clothes and valuables. The guests inform the Queen that Snow White has captured the Prince. Back in the forest, the Prince (still under the spell) wishes to be with the Queen. The Dwarves and Snow White come to the conclusion that they have to use true love’s kiss, which will break any spell. Snow White kisses Alcott as her first kiss and the spell is broken.

The Queen arrives in the forest intent on killing Snow White herself. She reveals that she can control the Beast that has been plaguing the forest and sends it after Snow White. Snow White fights the Beast with help from the Dwarves and the Prince, but all are soon overcome. As the beast is about to deliver the killing blow, it hesitates and Snow White sees that it wears a necklace with a moon charm on it similar to the one the Queen wears. She cuts the chain with her father’s dagger and the Beast suddenly becomes engulfed in light. In the Mirror House, the Queen is gloating, but suddenly realizes something is wrong. She begins to age and the Mirror Queen tells her that this is her consequence for using dark magic. The Beast turns out to be Snow White’s father who has no memory of the last ten years. Grateful to Alcott for his assistance, he agrees to let him marry Snow White.

During the wedding celebration, a hooded crone offers Snow White an apple as a wedding gift. Learning that the crone is what has become of the Queen, Snow White cuts a piece of the apple, offers it to the Queen, and remarks it is time to accept that she has been beaten (something the Queen once said to her). Accepting defeat, the Queen eats the apple. The Mirror House is subsequently destroyed as the Mirror Queen declared that it was Snow White’s story all along.

The film’s epilogue reveals what happened to the Dwarves: Grimm writes a book of fairy tales, Napoleon becomes a hairdresser, Wolf rejoins his pack, Half-Pint finds a girlfriend, Grub just eats, Butcher becomes a flyweight champion, and Chuck joins the royal circus

REVIEW:

Snow White is having quite the year, wouldn’t you say? In case you missed it, earlier this summer, Snow White and the Huntsman was released, and actually did some decent business. I can tell you right now that I probably won’t care for it, but I’ve been wrong before. Mirror Mirror was released earlier this year to mixed reviews, but it seemed to be more of the Snow White we all know, rather than some dark, Lord of the Rings wannabe. Does it live up to my expectations, though?

What did I like?

Tone. Yes, this may be a Grimm fairy tale, but this filmmaker decided to go more with a lighter, comedic tone, which really worked for this film, especially since there is a darker film about the exact same character that was released in the same year.

Visual aids. The visuals are a feast for the eyes. Everything from the opulent dresses of the queen, the contraptions the dwarves use, the puppets that attack said dwarves, and, of course, the mirror world will have you wondering what is going to come next.

Mirror mirror. The way the wicked queen gets to this realm inside the mirror is just awesome. I won’t bother to explain it, but when you see this place, I guarantee your jaw will drop!

Arm and hammer. If you’re going to get a prince, then it would behoove you to get one that is not an eye sore for the ladies. Armie Hammer seems to be a good choice for the prince, in that regard. Watching him in this role, he seems to fit the dashing prince just as well as James Marsden did in Enchated.

Snow. It is just common sense that if you’re going to be Snow White, then you should have some pretty fair skin, or at least stay away from the sun (and tanning beds). I give much kudos to the casting directors for casting still unknown Lily Collins (you may know her dad, Phil). She may not be the best actress, yet, but we were all saying the same thing about Anne Hathaway after The Princess Diaries, and well we see how that panned out, huh? Lily has the looks and talent to go far in this business. As far as Snow White goes, she seems like she watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs quite a few times, and that’s great, becuase that is the Snow White we all know and love, and the one we want to see.

What didn’t I like?

Apple. One of those most iconic things about Snow White is that she is poisoned by her wicked queen/stepmother and then has to be awaken by Prince Charming (or whatever his name is). That awakening never happens and the apple doesn’t come into play until the very last scene. Some may argue that this was a good change, but I’m one of those purists. Keep it as close to the original as you can, and for the love of all that is good and holy, don’t just make a sad attempt to shove it in there at the last minute!

Bollywood. There is a song that Snow White sings/dances to in the credits that is not only just plain awful, but also doesn’t fit. It would be like going to rap or metal concert and then all of a sudden someone decided to sing the Barney song. That is how out of place this was. I hear that it was actually part of the movie when it was in theaters, but the DVD moved it to the credits. I’m not sure how true that it, but either way, the thing is horrible.

Beast. The Beast was all buildup and no bite. The thing, when we finally see it, looks like either a Japanese dragon or a Jaberwocky. I’m not sure which, though. With all the great visuals in this picture, they could have come up with something better. He looks like he should have been in some 80s Jim Henson production.

Save the day. I guess I’m just old-fashioned, or maybe I’m some kind of closet chauvinist, but I think the prince should have saved Snow White. That’s just the way it is and should be. I’m getting kind of tired of these girl power films. Nothing against them, mind you, but has someone forgotten that guys can do the rescuing, too?

Mirror Mirror isn’t the best film, but it provided plenty of good times. I highly recommend it. For those of you wondering if this is family friendly, I would say yes. There really isn’t anything questionable, so you should have no worries. Keep in mind, I have no kids, so I’m not exactly the best person to say what is or isn’t kid-friendly, especially these days. Still, everyone should enjoy this flick, it is sure to be far superior to the crappy Kristen Stweart flick that came out a few weeks ago, and a notch below the beloved Disney masterpiece.

4 out of 5 stars

The Social Network

PLOT (spoiler alert!!!):

In 2003, Harvard University student Mark Zuckerberg is dumped by his girlfriend Erica Albright. He returns to his dorm drunk and writes a scathing blog entry about her. This inspires him to create an on-campus website called Facemash which allows users to rate the attractiveness of female students using photographs pilfered from various university systems. Mark receives six months of academic probation after traffic to the site crashes parts of Harvard’s network. Facemash’s popularity and the fact that Mark created it in one night while drunk brings him to the attention of Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss and their business partner Divya Narendra. The Winklevoss twins invite Mark to their final club, where Mark accepts a job as programmer for a proposed dating website they call Harvard Connection which will be exclusive to Harvard alums.

Mark approaches his friend Eduardo Saverin and tells him of his idea for what he calls “Thefacebook”, an online social networking website exclusive to Harvard University students. He explains that this would mimic the popularity of FaceMash but since signing up would be consensual it would avoid the ethical problems of the earlier site. Eduardo agrees to help Mark, providing $1,000 to help start the site. They distribute the link to Eduardo’s connections at the Phoenix S-K final club, and it becomes popular throughout the student body. When they learn of Thefacebook, the Winklevoss twins and Narendra believe Zuckerberg has stolen their idea while stalling on their website. Tyler and Divya want to sue Mark for intellectual property theft, but Cameron convinces them to settle the matter as “gentlemen of Harvard”.

During a visiting lecture by Bill Gates, fellow Harvard University student Christy Lee introduces herself and her friend Alice to Eduardo and Mark and asks the boys to “Facebook me”. Christy’s use of this phrase impresses both of them. Christy invites them to a bar, where Mark runs into Erica, who is not aware of Thefacebook because she is not a Harvard student. Mark decides to expand the site to Yale University, Columbia University and Stanford University as Thefacebook grows in popularity, while the Winklevoss twins and Narendra watch “their idea” advance without them. Cameron refuses to sue them, instead accusing Mark of violating the Harvard student Code of Conduct. Through their father’s connections they meet with Harvard President Larry Summers, who is dismissive towards the twins and sees no potential value in either a disciplinary action or in Thefacebook website itself.

Through Christy, now Eduardo’s girlfriend, Eduardo and Mark arrange a meeting with Napster co-founder Sean Parker. Eduardo becomes skeptical, noting Sean’s problematic personal and professional history. Sean presents a vision for Facebook very similar to that of Mark, which earns Mark’s instant admiration. In a parting comment, Sean suggests they drop the “The” from Thefacebook.

At Sean’s suggestion, Mark moves the company to Palo Alto while Eduardo remains in New York seeking advertising support. Sean advises Mark to keep hold of his ownership of Facebook to ensure that Mark does not lose control of a potentially lucrative business venture, using Victoria’s Secret founder Roy Raymond as an example. After Sean promises to expand Facebook to two continents, Mark invites Sean to live at the house he is using as the company headquarters.

While competing in the Henley Royal Regatta for Harvard, the Winklevoss twins discover Facebook has expanded to a number of English universities and footage of their lost finals match against the Hollandia Roeiclub is posted on it. Cameron relents and they decide to sue. When Eduardo visits from New York, he is angered to find Sean living in their house and making business decisions for Facebook. Eduardo argues with Mark, with Mark making a demeaning remark regarding Eduardo’s failed attempts to find advertisers. Eduardo freezes the company’s bank account and returns to New York.

Christy argues with Eduardo about his Facebook profile, which lists him as “single”. Christy does not believe Eduardo when he reluctantly explains that he does not know how to change his profile. She accuses him of cheating on her and sets fire to a scarf he gave to her. While Eduardo extinguishes the fire she caused, Mark reveals on the phone that although he was upset that Eduardo almost jeopardized Facebook by freezing the bank account, they have secured $500,000 from angel investor Peter Thiel. As a result of Christy’s odd behavior, Eduardo ends his relationship with her.

While visiting the new headquarters for a meeting, Eduardo discovers the deal he signed with Sean’s investors has allowed them to dilute his share of the company from 34 percent to 0.03 percent, while maintaining the ownership percentage of all other parties. He confronts Mark and announces his intention to sue him. During a party celebrating Facebook’s one millionth member, Sean and a number of underage Facebook interns are arrested for possession of cocaine. Sean tries deceiving Mark into believing that he had nothing to do with the incident and that Eduardo stashed the cocaine, but Mark does not believe him and tells him to “go home”.

The story is intercut with scenes from depositions taken in lawsuits against Mark and Facebook—one filed by the Winklevoss twins, the other by Eduardo. The Winklevoss twins claim that Zuckerberg stole their idea, while Saverin claims his shares of Facebook were diluted when the company was incorporated. At the end, Marylin Delpy, a junior lawyer for the defense, informs Mark they will be settling with Eduardo, since the sordid details of Facebook’s founding and Mark’s callous attitude will make a jury highly unsympathetic. After everyone leaves, Mark sends a friend request to Erica Albright on Facebook, and refreshes the page every few seconds waiting for a response.

In the film’s epilogue, it reveals that Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss received a settlement of $65 million dollars and signed a non-disclosure agreement. They also rowed in the 2008 Beijing Olympics and placed sixth. Eduardo Saverin also received a settlement but the payment is unknown. The epilogue also reveals that Saverin’s name has been restored to the Facebook masthead as the Co-founder of Facebook and that the website has over 500 million members in 207 countries and is currently valued at 25 billion dollars. The epilogue finally states that Mark Zuckerberg is the world’s youngest billionaire

REVIEW:

Chances are, if you use the internet, then you use Facebook. Well, The Social Network is nothing more than the origin of said site that we are all addicted too. Hell, even as I was watching this, I was playing Words With Friends and Gardens of Time on there. Isn’t that special?

So, last awards season, this was one of the darlings, but got beaten down by Black Swan and The King’s Speech for most of the awards. Was it worth it?

Most of the time, when a historical film is released, it is usually after something has come and gone, not while it is at or around the peak of its popularity, as Facebook is right now (until something else comes around). This makes the release of this film a bit of a head scratcher, but, when you think about the status of our society and our lack of an attention span, it makes sense.

The story here is told in flashback form, as the principal players are at some sort of deposition regarding various lawsuits. Why they are all happening on the same day is curious, but that may have been done just for the film’s purpose.

For the most part, I liked how the film moved along. There wasn’t any real lull that puts the audience to sleep, but at the same time, I think the film took itself a little seriously. A little comic relief (that wasn’t those twins or the psychotic girlfriend) would have been nice, at least for my taste.

I have said over and over again that I am no fan of Jesse Eisenberg. Nothing is going to change that, but I can say that this is hands down his best performance, not to mention the least annoying he’s been on-screen. Shame he followed it up by returning to his annoying ways in Rio, though.

Andrew Garfield apparently used this as a springboard to bigger things such as this summer’s forthcoming (unnecessary) reboot The Amazing Spider-Man. As an actor, he is very competent, and may very well have been the best thespian in the film. However, his character….well, I’m not sure if he was unlikable or wishy-washy, or what, but something about him rubbed me the wrong way and I just don’t know what it was.

Armie Hammer, who I recognized for his brief stint on Reaper played the Winklevoss twins. Yes, he played them both. I think they had a body double for some scenes, but he still played them both. For some reason, I couldn’t help but wonder why they couldn’t find a couple of twins or at least just let the guy that was the body double just play the other brother? Having said that, if you watch old shows like I Dream of Jeannie and Bewitched, then you’re aware that they often time would have the same person play two separate characters that look exactly alike. Wishful thinking has me assuming this was a nod to that, but I know better.

Justin Timberlake was perfectly cast as Sean Parker. Well, at least in terms of how much they look-alike. I don’t know if he got the demeanor and everything down, but Timberlake was a nice addition to this cast, and may very well have been how this film was greenlit when you consider that the rest of the cast are mostly unknown, save for a small role for Rashida Jones, and even she isn’t a household name. Just mild speculation on my part, though.

Learning the history of a site that has blown up over the past few years and that almost everyone spends the majority of their internet time on was quite intriguing. Some of the facts that were presented and made you really think. After watching this, I got to thinking why not make a similar film about the rise and subsequent “fall” of Myspace?

I just saw a commercial showing the real Winklevoss twins and it appears that tonight’s episode of The Simpsons is a parody of this film. Can we say perfect timing?

So, what is the final verdict on The Social Network? Well, it is mostly worth all the praise it has been lauded with, but it isn’t the best thing since sliced bread, contrary to what some people have been saying about. While I found this to be a really well crafted film, I am not in love with it. It didn’t exactly leave me wanting to rush out and see it again. That being said, it is a worthwhile viewing and I do recommend it, so give it a chance, even if you are one of the handful of people left in the world without a Facebook account.

4 out of 5 stars