kellym40 film review

‘Mirrors 2’ fails to cast same reflection as its predecessor

Rating 2/5

Two years after ‘Mirrors’ was released, the sequel came and did not carry over any characters or story from the first film, but created new characters and a new story. However, the story and plot were very similar to the original film from which it is based, ‘Into the Mirror’ by Sung-ho Kim. A few changes where made to some of the characters’ backstory and plot lines, but the film did remain similar in tone and plot as the original ‘Into the Mirror.’

As I wrote in my review of the remake, ‘Mirrors,’ the original film droned on more like a slow moving suspenseful political thriller. But from the opening sequence of the 2010 remake to its final moments, ‘Mirrors’ captured my interest. This film didn’t. I think it was due in large part that it was very similar to the original. So, this sequel was basically a remake of the original, whereas the first remake was a little more inventive and creative in the retelling of the story.

The film centers around a man, Max Matheson (Nick Stahl), who is recovering from a traumatic car accident in which his fiancé is killed. This differs from the original Korean film and the 2010 remake in which the main character is a former detective recovering from the fatal accidental shooting of the main character’s former partner. In both the original and the 2010 remake, the main character has to deal with that incident and takes a job as a night security guard in the process.

Rounding out the cast are Emmanuelle Vaugier, Christy Carlson Romano, William Katt, Lawrence Turner, Jon Michael Davis, and Stephanie Honore’. These are the key players in the film. Katt plays Max’s father who gives him a job as a night guard at a new store reopening after a fire destroyed the first store. The store is called the Mayflower, as in the original. Here Max begins to see images of a girl, Eleanor Reigns (Horore’), and tries to unravel the mystery of her identity. Vaugier plays Elizabeth, Eleanor’s sister, who is trying to find her Eleanor. Three of Max’s work associates; Keller Landreaux (Turner), Jenna McCarty (Romano), and Ryan Parker (Jon Michael Davis), are all tied in with the girl’s disappearance.

I believe the film suffers here from Matt Venne’s script, which was trying to return to the original source and basically telling the same plot with a few changes. Victor Garcia directed the film at a pace that just appeared unimaginative and seemingly uneventful. I didn’t feel the characters were drawn out and three-dimensional enough to really care about them, except for Max, but even Stahl gave a lackluster performance.

To me this film’s ending seemed to wrap up the film in a somewhat happy ending. Although it was fairly gratifying to see it end as it did, I just didn’t care enough about the characters throughout to really appreciate it. The only seemingly redeeming quality was the fact that it was shorter than its predecessors and ran just under 90 minutes.

 

 

 

kellym40 film review

Reflections present a world of suspense in ‘Mirrors’

 

Rating 3.5/5

 In 2008, Alexandre Aja directed ‘Mirrors’ in which he co-wrote with Gregory Levasseur, and based on the film ‘Into the Mirror’ by Sung-ho Kim. ‘Mirrors’ did improve upon the seemingly droning original from 2003. And it wasn’t due to the fact it was Korean and subtitled.

The original played more like a slow moving suspenseful thriller than a horror film to me. ‘Mirrors’ took elements from the original and made a more intriguing story. I feel it still played more like a suspense film, but it contained more elements of horror and a little action thrown in for some good measure. From the opening of this film to its final moments, ‘Mirrors’ captured my interest.

The film stars Kiefer Sutherland (“The Lost Boys,” the “Young Guns” films, and most notably from acclaimed television series “24”) as Ben Carson, a former detective who is on leave for killing his partner in an accidental shooting. This follows the original film as well. Estranged from his wife, Amy (Paula Patton) and children Daisy (Erica Gluck) and Michael (Cameron Boyce) since the dismissal from the force while the matter is investigated, Ben crashes at his sister’s place, Angela (Amy Smart).

Ben attempts to build his life after taking to drugs and alcohol since his dismissal. He lands a job as a night watchman at a once regal department store, the Mayflower, which caught fire. As he begins his new job, he notices strange things happening and seeing other reflections in the mirrors that aren’t there.

Without going into great detail and avoiding many spoilers, an evil spirit inhabits the world inside the mirrors in which Ben systematically uncovers facts about the world behind the mirrors. The evil begins to target Ben’s family. This storyline differs from the original where it was focused on the main character who did not have a family as Ben Carson does in this remake. However, I’ll be remiss to not mention this film spawned a sequel in which the plot and story remained a little closer to the original.

As I mentioned, this remake by Aja (who previously teamed with Levasseur and wrote and directed 2006’s “The Hills Have Eyes”), brought in a different storyline that brought more into the film. I don’t think the film was perfect, but still brought an element of suspense and horror that the original failed to do. I think it nearly created the kind of suspense as Alfred Hitchcock in that it seemed to build the mystery and suspense throughout the film, which kept me in it. Although, I don’t think there is anyone who built suspense as well as Hitchcock did. Where the film somewhat failed was in the characters. While I do believe the film had good characters and they all played a part in the developing story, some of the characters seemed a little underdeveloped for my taste. Since the story revolved around Ben and his family, those where the primary characters, but Ben’s wife and sister did not appear as three-dimensional as I thought could have been.

I also feel the film’s ending was, to some extent, ambiguous. That part of the film remained close to the original’s ending, but I’m not sure if it was warranted with the overall theme and story of the remake. The special features from this film showed an alternate ending, which I think I liked even less. I do think the ending they chose was a little more gratifying than the alternative though. Overall, I enjoyed the film. I found it to be interesting and entertaining with a good concept, story, characters, and dialogue.

kellym40 film review

Hitchcock presents crafty suspense in ‘North by Northwest’

Rating 4/5

In the 1950’s, there were a string of suspenseful thrillers by the Master of Suspense Alfred Hitchcock. Starting in 1950, he released “Stage Fright,” followed by “Strangers on a Train” the next year. Then came “I Confess” (1953), “Rear Window” (1954), “Dial M for Murder” (1954), “To Catch a Thief” (1955), “The Wrong Man” (1956), “The Man Who Knew Too Much” (1956), “Vertigo” (1958), and finally “North by Northwest” in 1959. All of these films have elements of suspense within them, while some lean more towards being strictly in the murder mystery/thriller genre.

The latter serves the suspense genre well. A simple logline for “North by Northwest” is given from the Internet Movie Database (IMDB): A New York advertising executive is mistaken for a government agent by a group of foreign spies, and is pursued across the country while he looks for a way to survive.

The plot tells the story about Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) who must unravel the mystery of why he is being mistaken as a man named Kaplan. Grant has a charm about him. His physique seems remarkable for a man in his 50’s and plays Thornhill as kind of an action hero in this particular film, which seems to sort of contrast the look of today’s contemporary action hero like John McClane (Bruce Willis) in the “Die Hard” films. Through this journey, he meets Eve Kendall (Eva Marie Saint) who appears to be a pleasant woman he meets on a train, then turns out to be someone else, who turns out to be someone else. All the while, not knowing if Thornhill should trust her. Grant and Saint have chemistry together and work well as she joins his quest to unravel the mystery to his mistaken identity.

The cinematography work so well in this film and add to the story from grand hotels and estates to the United Nations, and from a train ride across the country to a corn field fleeing from a mysterious plane out to kill him to the climactic scene on Mount Rushmore. Hitchcock’s use of sound in this film (and all of his films), also adds to the thrilling suspense and action as depicted by the musical score or by the simple silence used as Thornhill stands on the side of the road as he waits for the mysterious Kaplan. The only sound comes from a few passing vehicles and another car on the other side of the highway. A man steps out and waits as the car speeds away. Thornhill crosses to him and strikes a conversation. He is not Kaplan, just a man waiting for the bus. He notices a plane in the distance dusting crops and states, before he boards the bus, “That plane’s dusting crops where there ain’t no crops.” Thornhill then notices the plane getting closer and closer and lower, thus leading to the iconic sequence as he runs and ducks from the plane.

Hitchcock weaves the story elements, character and plot of the script by Ernest Lehman into an engaging suspenseful yarn as he tells his story, revealing little by little until the climactic ending with single camera shots. He focuses on objects, people, and things to tell the story of this masterful tale. It did seem the story slowed in places but quickly picked up in another exciting chase or dramatic action. I believe Hitchcock skillfully paces the film as to keep the audience entertained and informed about the story and plot while not revealing too much at one time.

 

 

 

kellym40 film review, Uncategorized

‘Olympus’ sequel, ‘London Has Fallen,’ falls under its predecessor

Rating 2.5/5

Last July I reviewed ‘Olympus Has Fallen,’ which was released in 2013, in anticipation of the sequel that has just been released. Creighton Rothenberger and Katrin Benedikt who penned ‘Olympus,’ wrote this sequel with a new director, Babak Najafi. His previous directing credits are mostly short films. Together, they seemed to fail to deliver a tense action-drama from three years ago. Don’t get me wrong. The film did have some tense moments and it did deliver explosions, gunfire, and car chases, but did not seem to be any different than previously seen in most any other film in the genre.

The film sets up the players and introduces the antagonist Aamir Barkawi (Alon Aboutboul), an arms dealer who is a very bad man. Well, what arms dealer is a good man? Tragedy strikes Barkawi and his family and he then blames the United States, primarily President Benjamin Asher, portrayed once again by Aaron Eckhart. After the tragedy, it flashes forward two years later where we see Asher jogging with Secret Service Agent Mike Banning. Gerard Butler reprises his role as ex-special forces turned Secret Service Agent. There’s the usual banter between the two and they have picked up nicely from the events of ‘Olympus.’ Banning and his wife Leah (Radha Mitchell) are expecting a child. We also learn that Banning is considering his resignation.

An international incident (the death of London’s Prime Minister) then propels the story forward, which prompts the gathering of world leaders and the U. S. President to London for the funeral. The President and his staff have days to plan the trip to London, unknown to them the Prime Minister’s death was just a ploy to gather the world leaders. The day arrives and the leaders gather in London making. Moments later, the attacks begin. As the story unfolds, plot points are revealed and the audience learns of the plot as information is revealed to the U. S. and London officials. Morgan Freeman returns and now is Vice President, Secret Service Director Lynn Jacobs (Angela Bassett) returns, Robert Forster reprises his role as Gen. Edward Clegg, and returning Defense Secretary Ruth McMillan (Melissa Leo) rounds out the key players for the United States. However, they all seem to take a back seat to the action as Banning and Asher are at the forefront this time around. Charlotte Riley is introduced as MI-6 Operative Jacqueline Marshall, who helps Banning and works with the rest of MI-6 and others to uncover the threats from Barkawi.

Butler portrays his character with the same intensity as before. But it didn’t work as well this time around because, as stated, the driving action was similar to other films in the genre. Eckhart’s President Asher did get a little more action in this film as he was running and firing guns as opposed to just being tied up and pushed around, and was believable but just not anything special. The rest of the supporting cast, from the United States personnel or the London operatives were decent in their respective roles. Aboutboul was not real convincing as the antagonist Barkawi. The fault there, I think, was that it didn’t feel like the character was written with enough dimension. Even his son, Kamran Barkawi (Waleed Zuaiter) appeared as a carbon copy of most other terrorists in action films such as this one.

From the onset, one can see the opening attack was a well-coordinated attack. As with ‘Olympus,’ there might have been a couple of things that might make you scratch your head. For example, knowing where the world leaders would be at the exact moment of the planned attack might have been questionable. But again, like its predecessor, it follows the idea that this was a well-planned attack. But if it took Barkawi two years to plan this attack, he must not be as good as an antagonist. This film, while it had its moments, seemed to have missed the mark on creating a worthy sequel.

kellym40 film review

Action, Humor Deliver for Marvel’s ‘Anti-Hero’

Rating 4/5

Even though ‘Deadpool’ was released a few weeks ago, there is no time like the present to put into words my thoughts on the film. It’s been a while since my last post, so needless to say I have been busy and got sidetracked for a while. Anyhoo, on with the review.

This is the second superhero film I reviewed. The last one was Marvel’s ‘Ant-Man’ last summer. So, again, it’s been a while. See the review of that film below.

Ant-Man

As I mentioned before, I am not an avid comic book reader. I know some essentials, but not every little quirk or plot point of many superheroes. And honestly, I really knew nothing about the character Deadpool until the film and other overheard conversations of comic book readers.

The premise is Wade Wilson (Ryan Reynolds), a former Special Forces operative, is diagnosed with cancer and decides to undergo an experimental procedure from a supposed government agent known as Ajax (Ed Ekrein) in order to stay with the love of his life, Vanessa (Morena Baccarin). The procedure gives Wilson regenerative healing powers, disfigured and nearly left for dead. Wilson decides he can’t go back to her and lets her think he is dead. Thus, he goes on a killing spree, with the help from his friend Weasel (T. J. Miller), as he tracks down Ajax to hopefully restore himself to what he was before the procedure.

With a budget of $58 million, it has grossed more than $285 million in just three weeks, so obviously it getting a following. The character is one of Marvel’s comical characters who seems to make fun of himself and the fact that he’s in a comic book (or in this case a film). He’s been labeled as the “merc with a mouth.” The character likes to talk and make sarcastic quips and jokes at his opponents all the while shooting up bad guys and getting his own type of vigilante justice.

Deadpool seems to be far from a superhero, he’s an anit-hero. And I believe that’s what makes the character work in this film. He’s not a superhero and he knows it. He periodically breaking the fourth wall and talks to the camera (the audience), and continuously cracking jokes and being a smartass. Breaking the fourth wall, I feel, is similar to the “play within a play” convention in some theatrical stage productions. That convention I’ve always found humorous and it worked well in this film.

What also worked for me in the film was the story structure and how it creatively and efficiently went back and forth between present and past and wove it into an entertaining non-linear story. Wilson gave much voice over narration throughout the film, which added humor and insight to the entertaining story and characters. Fast paced action, elaborate highway chases, finely choreographed fight scenes, and impeccable dialogue make ‘Deadpool’ a treat to watch as it mixes these elements into an enjoyable film.

Tim Miller made his directorial debut, and an outstanding debut it was, with this film. Previously he has worked as an animator and visual effects artist. Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick wrote the script and it was produced by Simon Kinberg and Ryan Reynolds and executive produced by John J. Kelly and Stan Lee. It is rated R with a run time of 1 hour and 48 minutes.

 

 

 

kellym40 General

Let’s Move On…Again

Greetings everyone. It has been a while since I have contributed to my blog. Lots of things happening, and for the better. But that may be for another time. There have been a few things in the news recently that I feel the need to comment on. These posts have always been just my thought and opinions, backed by other source material, on varying issues or topics. This post will be no different.

A couple of months ago I posted a blog about how we as Americans need to move on from the past, put our differences aside so we can move forward. A link to the post is here: Let’s Move On

Freedom of Religion

I will begin with Kentucky County Clerk Kim Davis. She seems to have a following around her and many people apparently supporting her and praying for her. People seem to be “praising” her. You can read a story about it below.

Kim Davis Fiasco

Okay. I get that she “stood up” for what she “believes” in, but come on. I’m getting tired of people using the U. S. Constitution as a defense for so-called religious beliefs. The freedom of religion portion in the Constitution was designed to allow people to choose what religion to follow, or not follow. It also was to provide people the freedom to choose when and where to worship, or not worship. It was NOT designed to deny other people their civil rights and liberties by forcing one’s own beliefs on others.

Davis and her church may believe a marriage union should be between a man and a woman. A majority of Kentuckians may believe that too. But the Supreme Court made it a law. Now, some say the Court had no right to impose their ruling on a matter that is supposed to be state controlled. But in my opinion, the state got it wrong. Aren’t we supposed to have “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” If that means the two men or two women want to get married to pursue their happiness, shouldn’t they be allowed to do so? I mean if someone doesn’t like it, or is bothered by it, or disgusted by it, don’t go to the wedding or ceremony. It’s not like the couple is getting married in YOUR backyard, church, or place of business. And it’s not like the couple is going around to every neighborhood and every house and flaunting their union in front of you. If they want to be happy, they should be happy.

As Americans, we should be able to do what we feel is best for our own personal well-being. That’s partly why the Constitution was drafted in the first place. Additionally, as Americans, we really don’t have the right to force our own opinions on others, because essentially, that’s what leads to judgment. And I believe that is what Davis did. She judged that couple and because of her beliefs, she decided they were not “fit” to get married.

I think I’ve said this before in another post or something somewhere, but it holds true here. If people would get their heads out of their asses and be more open to different things, then I think this world would be in a more happy state instead of the bickering, fighting, looting, etc. etc, that seems to be plaguing this world today. We (Americans) just need to be more tolerable to differences in the world, because that is what America is. It is essentially a nation of immigrants. We are all different – with different backgrounds, ethnic groups, religion, education, social upbringing – so let’s all just get along, shall we?

Gun Rights

The Second Amendment still seems to be in the front today. Gun right supporters, the NRA, and whoever else is close-minded enough to take the amendment as face value. I did a post on this some time ago, so I won’t go into great detail. I just want to reiterate a few things. You can find the link below.

Second Amendment

Again, the amendment was written during a time when the militia was a key player during war. How many are militia now? The Second Amendment does not specify what type of weapon a person may own.

It’s the idea that many people have that seem to think we all need military assault rifles to protect our homes and family. Now again, I am not against that. I believe we should be able to protect our homes and families. I just don’t think the average, every day citizen needs an AK-47 or M16 assault rifle to do that.

We need some common sense gun laws where guns can be more easily tracked to reduce black market deals and more comprehensive background checks to help identify the unstable people (mentally, socially, psychological, etc.) and give those people the help they need. Maybe ban certain types of weapons….wait a minute….I think laws like these were already tried and failed because dumb ass people want to protect their “gun rights.”

WAKE UP AMERICA

kellym40 General

An Analysis of Racial Tension

In light of the recent protests in Ferguson, it prompted me to analyze the situations again. I’m not saying I am anywhere near a medical expert or have formal law training, I am just observing what I see in video and what I read in news articles. I’m sure everyone knows the incidents last summer with Michael Brown and Eric Garner and others across the country. I’m just going to say I think media and a few “bystanders” possibly saw what they wanted to see and made it about race, which then sparked the controversy and thus the violence and riots. I don’t believe Martin Luther King, Jr. would condone these violent protests. And he wanted the same thing that these protesters today want: equality, justice, and freedom.

The recent protests in Ferguson, MO resulted in protestors standing along the Interstate blocking traffic. In a story released August 14, there was reportedly gunfire and another black 18-year-old was shot. The teen reportedly shot at police officers. You can read that story below.

Ferguson Protest

The protests erupted, I believe, partly over the one-year anniversary of the shooting death of Michael Brown. From what I read and heard about that shooting was once the media, or whoever actually labeled it as “police shoot an unarmed black teen,” that’s where it went crazy. The riots began and the violence started. I posted another blog a while back called “Rioting: What’s the point?” and I ask that here again. What’s the point? A supposedly violent act begets more violence? What does that really solve?

It seems after about four days of protesting in Ferguson, law enforcement seemingly maintained peace and prevented further acts of violence in the area, according to St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger. The county, city, law enforcement and surely the public are probably more at ease now that there is peace in the area. That crisis averted. But who’s to say something similar won’t happen again? With the state of mind of some people, I’d almost guarantee it.

A note on Michael Brown. I believe, based on reports I’ve read, Officer Darren Wilson acted in self-defense and I believe any officer in the same situation would have acted in a similar way. I’m not excusing Wilson’s actions or condoning them in any way. I’m also not saying that what happened to the 18-year-old Brown is tragic, because it is. But if you’re going to break the law, however minor it is, just do what you’re asked. Sometimes it’s not worth it to “pick a fight” or “resist” in any way.

Do I believe some police officers abuse their power? Yes I do. Do I believe some may be racist or “bad cops?” Yes I do. This seems to happen in more populated areas and bigger cities. But, that does not mean all police or law enforcement officials are “bad.” Although, I do not have proof of this. It is just a feeling I have that there are “good cops” and “bad cops.” Just like there are “good people” and “bad people.”

Now, what happened to Eric Garner is tragic as well. But according to reports, Garner was not totally innocent. Apparently he had numerous arrests over the past several years, and many around the area in what would be the fatal showdown that took place last summer. A story about that appears below.

Garner Story

Again, no matter how big the crime, you’re still breaking the law. Additionally, with his criminal background and reports indicating that he was, at some point, selling untaxed cigarettes on that day, police have a duty to question suspects. Garner may not have been doing anything illegal at the time, but he was still suspected of selling those cigarettes. I have an understanding of how it must feel being accused of something and believing you are innocent or thinking that you have done nothing wrong, but sometimes it might just be easier to comply at the time. I know no one really wants to be accused of something that you believe you didn’t do and have to be “harassed” by police, but sometimes things happen beyond our control.

There is a video below showing the Garner incident and there are a few things to point out from the video. These are my observations and my opinions only. First, before the video started Garner had broken up a fight between two other individuals prior to the police stopping and begun questioning Garner. There were reports Garner was selling these illegal cigarettes and he fit the description police had. I’m assuming because of his prior criminal action and description, officers stopped and approached Garner. The video begins with officers questioning him and trying to arrest him, or at least bring him in for questioning. Garner stood up for himself and was denying any wrongdoing. Another thing about the video is Garner never really gets physically combative with the officers, but essentially he is resisting. He continues to yell and tell them to “get your hands off me.” He tells them “don’t touch me,” while trying to move away. That is resisting, plain and simple. The officers slowly approached him to make the arrest and that’s where it started. He was not complying so Officer Daniel Pantaleo attempted to bring him down with a “chokehold.” I don’t believe Pantaleo intended to put a chokehold on him, but it’s what happened. Thirdly, I don’t feel the other officers “swarming” around Garner after Pantaleo put the hold on him was an aggressive action by the officers. I think they went around him in order to bring him down safely so Garner wouldn’t hurt himself or others because he was not a small man. Next, Pantaleo released his “chokehold,” which only lasted about 12 or 13 seconds, and then put his face to the ground in an aggressive manner. However, I do not think he slammed his head to the pavement as some media and bystanders might have suggested it was. Next, the phrase “I can’t breathe” came out. If you notice in the video, Garner seemingly began saying the phrase after he was released from the “chokehold.” According to reports, he was still alive at the scene. He apparently died in transit to the hospital and was pronounced dead about an hour later.

Garner Video

So, he did not die of the illegal chokehold at the scene. Preliminary reports from the M.E. stated that Garner died because of compressions to the neck and chest. That may have been a part of it, but I don’t believe it was the cause. Garner had numerous health problems including asthma, obesity, heart problems and others. I for one can say that if someone had severe asthma it does not take much to exert one self into an asthma attack, especially if the person is overweight and has health conditions as Garner did. It can cause compression of the airways and not allow a person to be able to breathe correctly.

In these cases, I don’t believe it was racially motivated. Nothing I’ve seen or read about the cases proves to me they were racially motivated. Not that race hasn’t probably played a part in some cases elsewhere, or the actions of overzealous officers being too quick and judgmental of a situation resulted in killing innocent people, but these cases – Brown and Garner – I don’t feel had any racial motivation. It seems it’s what people want to put into it. I believe all of the officers in both of these situations would have performed in a similar fashion towards the suspects.

If you were in Officer Wilson’s shoes and there was a six foot, 200 lb. man coming towards you and was not slowing down and would not stop, what would you do? If a six foot, 200 lb. man was not complying and resisting arrest, what would you do? Police officers have a difficult job. Sometimes they have to make split second decisions in order to maintain their own safety or the safety of others, regardless if a suspect is armed or unarmed. I feel some of the intentions are good but don’t always result in good outcomes. Perhaps if people could walk a little in a police officer’s shoes in situations such as these, maybe they wouldn’t be as quick to judge.

kellym40 film review

New “Vacation” Should Have Stayed Home

Rating 2/5

It seems there have been several reboots for film franchises recently. Or maybe it’s just my imagination. But at any rate, the latest reboot of “Vacation” (and I use the term loosely here as this could simply be another “long-awaited” sequel), has a grown up Rusty, played by Ed Helms, making that long family vacation trip to Walley World in order to reconnect with his wife and sons. The film even makes a reference to the “original” vacation as Helms assures his family that this vacation will be different because there are two sons instead of a son and daughter and probably several other differences along the way. He further states this new vacation “will stand on its own.” View the trailer below.

New Vacation Trailer

That being said, the film seems to try to emulate the comedy and style of the original 1983 classic, but with more crudeness and vulgarity than the original. Of course this is not the 80’s and the world is much different now, but I felt the writers tried a bit too hard to capture the comedy and feel of that first film and basically update the jokes and crude humor, which I don’t feel really worked well to sustain the film.

There are some humorous moments as Debbie Griswold (Christina Applegate), Rusty’s wife, takes on a Greek challenge at her old college in Tennessee on a stop along their trip. Or when elder son James (Skyler Gisondo) asks his dad what a ‘rim job’ is. Most of the crude humor comes from younger brother Kevin (Steele Stebbins) who appeared to have something rude and vulgar coming out of his mouth every other sentence or so. I found the comedy bits were a bit forced and some of them too similar to the original Chevy Chase classic. Chase and Beverly D’ Angelo do make cameo appearances in the film as the parents. They are now running a bed and breakfast in San Francisco so Rusty brings his family by and spend the night. This of course allows for a reconnection to his family and he decides to continue their journey onto Walley World. His parents still have the old green station wagon from the original and give it to Rusty so that he and his family can complete the journey to the famed theme park after losing their foreign rental car when it blew up.

Helms is decent here as a family man who is sort of an underachiever. His heart is in the right place, wanting to reconnect to his family. Applegate appeared to be less than a three dimensional character. She did have some motivation and character moments, but it just seemed her character did not have a rounded personality. Leslie Mann played Audrey Griswold and really seemed to be underused here. In a quick sequence of scenes, Rusty visits his sister and family. Mann just didn’t seem to appear enough in the scenes and it seemed like she could do more but the script did not apparently lend the character to more screen time, which allowed for a flatter character. Gisondo and Stebbins seemed to play off of each other as the rivaling siblings and the interaction between the two appeared genuine enough. Chris Hemsworth played Stone Crandall, Audrey’s husband, who was a rancher, weatherman, and was particularly well endowed, in one of the few true comedic scenes. His performance was a bit over the top and played more like an exaggerated caricature. (Which I guess is what a caricature is).

Whether you call this film a reboot or a long awaited sequel, it didn’t match the comedy and timing of the original. I think the film didn’t really stand on its own. “Vacation” was written and directed by John Francis Daley (stars in Bones, also a writer) and Jonathan M. Goldstein (producer, writer, “Horrible Bosses 1 & 2”), with characters created by John Hughes. The film was produced by Warner Brothers, runs 99 minutes and is Rated R.

kellym40 film review

‘Pixels’ loses focus

Rating 1.5/5

When I first saw previews for this film, I thought it might be something new, fun, and entertaining. As the release date drew closer, and began to see more previews and longer trailers, I thought it might be just another one of Adam Sandler’s comedies.

I was wrong. It was worse. Watch the trailer below.

Pixels

I gave it half a star based on the reason that I thought it was somewhat interesting concept and it did have some potential but just didn’t seem to go anywhere. For those that have not seen the film, there are some spoilers.

The film begins in the summer of 1982 where childhood friends Sam Brenner (Sandler) and Will Cooper (Kevin James) ride their bikes to the arcade and spend the day playing video games (as a lot of kids did back in those days). Time quickly moves and suddenly Sam and Will are in a video game tournament where they met the ‘Wonder Kid’ Ludlow Lamonsoff (Josh Gad) and quickly become friends. Sam makes it so far in the tournament that he faces off against another gamer, Eddie Plant (Peter Dinklage), for the championship, where Brenner loses. Here we also get a cameo from Dan Aykroyd as the MC for the tournament and tells those in attendance that a collection of games will be sent to space. This sets the movie in motion. Flash forward 30 years and we learn that aliens have interpreted the video games as a declaration of war and have sent representations of those games, like Galaga, Centipede, and more, to destroy the Earth.

That seems like an interesting, fun concept where real life games attack the Earth in a sort of ‘war of the worlds’ battle. This is where the childhood gamers come into play. Cooper is now the U. S. President. Ludlow still lives with his grandmother in the basement. Brenner is an electronics/home entertainment technician. Plant is in jail but is released by orders of the president. They come together to train with the marines in order to help fight the impending video game invasion.

The film does have some moments. Like when Sam and Ludlow face several Marines in order to “train” them in video games and Ludlow is timid, but then all of the sudden turns into a drill instructor from hell. Or when Sam is talking to President Cooper’s cabinet about the pending invasion and references one of the members as ‘Harry Potter.’

Gad had, I believe, the most entertaining character. I did enjoy his performance. It was reminiscent of what he did on the FX summer show “The Comedians,” which apparently has been cancelled after only one season. I tend to like characters like that. If you haven’t seen the show, it might take some getting used to. Dinklage did have a somewhat interesting character and had some moments playing the cocky guy who thinks he will always get his way. The other characters just didn’t appear to have the steam to carry the movie. Even Sandler playing the underdog who has to overcome the inadequacies he thinks he has in order to be the hero and get the girl. In this case the girl is Lt. Col. Violet Van Patten (Michelle Monaghan).

One might enjoy all of the nostalgia of the ‘80s video games and the battle scenes where the gamers take on Centipede, Pac Man, Donkey Kong and a host of other video game characters, but it just isn’t enough to maintain the length of the movie at 106 minutes. The acting, for the most part, did not seem to sustain the characters for a feature length film. This seemed to be more of a sketch or a group of sketches tied together. This was originally a short film with the same name written by Patrick Jean. I believe the film is more suited to be short.

With its few comedic moments here and there, “Pixels” didn’t seem to get the picture. Tim Herlihy and Timothy Dowling wrote the film. It was directed by Chris Columbus and produced by Happy Madison Productions. It is rated PG-13.

kellym40 film review

Marvel’s Ant Man Delivers ‘Big’ Fun

Rating 3.5/5

This summer the Marvel movies continue. After “The Avengers: Age of Ultron” was released earlier this year, and next came “Ant-Man.” And while the film has only garnered just over $106,000,000 since its release July 17 on a $130 million dollar budget, it’s certainly not one of Marvel’s biggest blockbusters to date. Watch the trailer below.

Ant Man Trailer

However, the film is not without its merits. Edgar Wright was at the helm before he bowed out. Reportedly Adam Mckay and Paul Rudd penned the rest of the script along with Joe Cornish. They created a lighter tone with this film than the other Marvel films. And it was more lighter and seemed more “family friendly.” I will admit that I’m not an avid comic book reader. I didn’t read a lot of comics in my younger days. I did follow G. I. Joe, Star Wars and Spider-Man some. And maybe a few others here and there. I knew some basics about other superheroes such as Fantastic Four, X-Men, Iron Man, Batman, and Superman. This review is as any of my other reviews as I base it on my view of the script, acting, story and so forth.

There are some spoilers below.

This is my first Marvel review and I will say that it did not disappoint. As mentioned, it has not grossed as much as previous films from Marvel in its release, but I don’t necessarily think it has to do with the film being a poor film. I believe Marvel has stated that the character is more or less obscure and not in the mainstream of Iron Man, Captain America, or Spider-Man (even though the previous Spider-Man films were owned by Sony prior to this. Now that the iconic hero is in Marvel’s hands, it should be exciting to see what happens with the hero). It does fit in the Marvel Cinematic Universe well as it does connect with The Avengers and future characters within that universe.

The story revolves around Dr. Hank Pym (Michael Douglas) and his invention of the “Pym Particle,” which allows the shrinking of organic material to a smaller size. Of course we learn Pym was the Ant Man and fought along with S.H.I.E.L.D in his younger days. To make a long story short, in present day USA a former protégé of Pym’s, Darren Cross (Corey Stoll), has discovered the Pym Particle and is upset with Pym because he locked it away for many years so he could keep it out of the wrong hands. Well apparently it falls into the wrong hands when Cross gets a hold of it. Pym tells Cross, “There’s a reason I buried this.” Cross wants to sell it to the military and create a powerful army of “unseen” soldiers.

Meanwhile, Pym has enlisted the help from his daughter Hope (Evangeline Lilly) and an ex-con, Scott Lang (Paul Rudd), who has just been released from prison and is trying to make a life for himself. Pym allows Lang to steal the suit, with the help from his con buddies Luis (Michael Pena) and Dave (T. I.), and discover its possibilities. After a little give and take, Lang agrees to become the Ant Man and try to stop Cross, who has developed a suit of his own and now calls himself the Yellow Jacket.

The film was a bit more comical than the other Marvel superhero films and it seemed to work for this one. Stoll wasn’t particularly menacing as the antagonist here but still brought conflict into the story and became an obstacle for the hero Lang to overcome, especially when he brought his daughter into the fight. Earlier, Lang is told to “be the hero she already thinks you are.” Of course, Lang rises up and becomes the hero to save the day. The hero and villain appear to have the same type of powers in the film. But what makes the conflict interesting is Yellow Jacket actually has weapons – laser type weapons to be exact. The visual effects made the fight scenes particularly entertaining, especially the climactic battle involving the Ant Man, Yellow Jacket, and a Thomas the Train toy.

Rudd plays a bit of himself, or at least a bit of other roles he’s played before. He seems to play the somewhat cocky character with a seemingly smart ass answer to everything. But I felt it worked for this film. The connection he had with his daughter touched the heart a little and allowed him to do what needs to be done as Pym tells him, “It’s not about saving our world, it’s about saving theirs.”

The supporting cast added to the humor and good overall feel to the story with Judy Greer playing Lang’s ex, Maggie, and Abby Ryder Fortson as Cassie, Lang’s daughter. Bobby Cannavale plays Paxton, a cop and Maggie’s new beau. And Saturday Night Live alum Garrett Morris even makes a cameo. Pena and T. I. as Lang’s buddies, along with computer tech Kurt (David Dastmalchian) bring more humor into the mix.

The story and characters were true what the script served. I will say that I may not have enjoyed this film as much as say Iron Man or Captain America (mostly because I didn’t really know about the character until recently prior to the film’s release). This was an enjoyable film and did have entertaining characters and a classic hero/villain conflict that produced some big fun.

“Ant Man” is rated PG-13 and runs just under two hours at 117 minutes. The film is produced by Kevin Feige and directed by Peyton Reed. He took over after Wright left and has directed such comedies as “Bring it On,” “The Break-Up,” and “Yes Man.” The film included two “extra” scenes at mid-credit and a post credit scene. These scenes, of course, allude to the future of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.