Ratatouille: A Comedy with Great Taste (2007)

Remy always knew he was a little different and felt like he was made for great things. While his fellow rats were comfortable with just grabbing anything edible, Remy had a pallet for fine food. When fate steps in and sweeps him up through the sewers, Remy finds himself in Paris with a chance to observe the kitchen of his idol’s restaurant. Just after the famous Gusteau passed away, his friend’s son has arrived looking for a job. The head chef, Skinner, tosses Alfredo Linguini into a garbage boy position and continues on his way. When Remy spots Linguini knock over a soup and try to cover it up by mixing a random combination of ingredients, he jumps in to try to fix it and gets caught by Linguini. The soup is served and gets rave reviews. Though Skinner wants to fire Linguini, chef Colette sticks up for him and agrees to train him. Linguini decides to spare Remy and befriends him to start a new friendship over learning how to cook.

Starring: Patton Oswalt (Remy), Ian Holm (Skinner), Lou Romano (Alfredo Linguini), Peter Sohn (Emile), Janeane Garofalo (Colette), Brad Garrett (Auguste Gusteau), Peter O’Toole (Anton Ego), Will Arnett (Horst), Brian Dennehy (Django), James Remar (Larousse), John Ratzenberger (Mustafa), Julius Callahan (Lalo/Francois), Tony Fucile (Pompidou/Health Inspector)

The narration and the star of the film are voiced by Patton Oswalt. He gives the character that sense of being misunderstood through the way he interacts with the other characters. Holm animates Skinner in a way that makes him the most comical element of the film. The rest of the cast helps to create an ambiance of a stereotypical yet humorous french restaurant.

  

Having each worked on several of the Pixar films, Brad Bird and Jan Pinkava teamed up to tell this story of a rat that wanted to aim for something bigger than himself. His obsession over cuisine was something that always made Remy feel disconnected from his father and other rats. Landing at Gusteau’s was fate, as was watching Linguini messing up the soup. Though he may have fixed Linguini’s mistake, Skinner still saw a rat in his kitchen and wanted it gone. Linguini’s decision to keep Remy around was hesitant at first, but Remy quickly proved his cooking prowess. As Linguini continued to work with Colette and get better as a chef, Skinner became more and more suspicious of Linguini’s intentions and whether the rat was helping him succeed. When Linguini first arrived at Gusteau’s, he provided a letter to Skinner to support his hiring at the restaurant. He had no idea that the letter contained information about his relationship with Gusteau, which created a tension in Skinner to sabotage Linguini’s success and potential takeover.

  

The concept of a rat becoming a chef is something that only Pixar could do as well as it appeared on screen. The vibrant colors and the ambiance of Paris made for a magical presentation of another one of their compelling stories. As a comedy, the best elements were those involving Skinner and his obsession with either catching the rat or over the possible connection between Linguini and Gusteau. The film also features moments where Remy returns to his roots, mostly with his dopey and slightly disgusting brother Emile. As Remy gains success in the kitchen and word gets back to the other rats regarding his access to fresh food, the number of rats looking for handouts increases, including one truly jacked rat. Later in the film when the rats take over the kitchen, their creative assistance in their cooking procedures is quite creative to watch.

Ratatouille can easily be overlooked in comparison to the other Pixar films, and it represents the city of Paris beautifully (even though its characters may be a little stereotyped).

Dan’s Rating: 4.0/5

Finding Nemo: Grab Shell Dude (2003)

Growing up without his mother, Nemo is protected by his father, Marlin. On a school trip to the edge of the reef, Nemo is challenged by his friends to swim out as close as he can to the boat in the distance, only to be caught by a diver and taken away. Devastated by his disappearance, Marlin sets out to try and find his son. Along the way, he discovers a memory-challenged fish named Dory, who captures an important piece of information they need to track down Nemo. Before reaching their final destination, Marlin and Dory encounter sharks, jellyfish, sea turtles and a whale that create their own challenges while also supporting their journey. Meanwhile in Sydney, Nemo has landed in a fish tank in a dentist’s office and makes new friends with the locals. While this may seem safe, a real threat could negate Marlin’s journey for his son if he cannot reach him in time.

Starring: Albert Brooks (Marlin), Ellen DeGeneres (Dory), Alexander Gould (Nemo), Willem Dafoe (Gill), Brad Garrett (Bloat), Allison Janney (Peach), Austin Pendleton (Gurgle), Stephen Root (Bubbles), Vicki Lewis (Deb/Flo), Joe Ranft (Jacques), Geoffrey Rush (Nigel), Andrew Stanton (Crush), Elizabeth Perkins (Coral), Nicholas Bird (Squirt), Bob Peterson (Mr. Ray), Barry Humphries (Bruce), Eric Bana (Anchor), Bruce Spence (Chum), Bill Hunter (Dentist), Lulu Ebeling (Darla), John Ratzenberger (Fish School), Erica Beck (Pearl), Erik Per Sullivan (Sheldon), Jordan Ranft (Tad)

The voices that bring life to this film are rather animated and make all of the characters open to great connections with the viewers. Brooks gives a foundational performance as Marlin, but the most memorable element is provided by DeGeneres. Her exuberance makes Dory a lovable and comedic creature from start to finish. Gould provides a innocence in his voice to highlight Nemo’s struggles with his exposure to the unknown.

  

Andrew Stanton did not just give voice to the memorable character Crush, but with his co-director, Lee Unkrich, they put together a compelling story. With a touching scene to start the film, Marlin loses his wife and all of his eggs except for one. Afraid for the safety of his son, Marlin is overprotective and smothering, which leads to Nemo’s willingness to take the challenge to touch the boat. At this point, the story splits into two parts. Marlin goes off to rescue his son, willing to travel the entire ocean to find him, while Nemo meets a colorful group of sea creatures in a tank in a dentist’s office. Marlin confronts threat after threat, including vicious sharks, stinging jellyfish and a monstrous angler fish, while Nemo fears for his life when he is promised to the dentist’s niece. The adventurous journey Marlin partakes allows him to see that his protective nature was holding him back from connecting with and trusting his son.

  

The film is full of comedic elements that make it as colorful as the animation itself. Dory is just lovable and Crush has that great “chill” element, but all of the little things add up to the greatness of the film. The seagulls are constantly shouting “mine” and fly around like winged lemmings. The sea creatures in the tank are so accustomed to civilization that they treat their existence like they are constantly watching television (mostly medical dramas), except when they induct new members in a tribal arrangement. John Ratzenberger’s representation of the school of fish provides a challenge to Marlin’s impatience and venue for Dory’s high sense of trust through a game of Pictionary. The sharks going through their “fish are friends” meeting entices Dory to take the pledge as well.

This is a magical little film that brings the child out of even the most mature of adult viewers.

Dan’s Rating: 4.5/5

Office Space: Work Sucks (1999)

The offices at Initech are less than an ideal workplace for a group of the programmers working there. Peter Gibbons has been a drone for quite some time, but challenges with his girlfriend land him in a counseling session. Dropped into hypnosis just as the therapist fell over with a heart attack, Peter’s worries melt away. Returning to the office in the midst of a staff review by a pair of consultants, Peter stops caring about the rules and the expectations of his supervisor, Bill Lumbergh. The downsizing is starting to close in on two of his close friends, Michael Bolton and Samir Nagheenanajar, but the trio get together to come up with a plan to cover their losses by embezzling fractions of cents from each transaction of Initech using a computer virus. Unfortunately, they are surprised to be in the money for much more than they ever planned and are worried about getting figured out.

Starring: Ron Livingston (Peter Gibbons), David Herman (Michael Bolton), Ajay Naidu (Samir Nagheenanajar), Jennifer Aniston (Joanna), Gary Cole (Bill Lumbergh), Stephen Root (Milton Waddams), Diedrich Bader (Lawrence), Richard Riehle (Tom Smykowski), Alexandra Wentworth (Anne), Joe Bays (Dom Portwood), John C. McGinley (Bob Slydell), Paul Wilson (Bob Porter), Kinna McInroe), Greg Pitts (Drew), Todd Duffey (Brian), Mike Judge (Stan)

This is a comedy that had some of the dry elements of The Office before the show ever existed (either British or American versions). The most memorable character from this film had to be Gary Cole as Lumbergh. He certainly has a calm control in his voice that is just iconic through his drawn out speech and lingering motions. Livingston is the main actor for the film and represents his transformation to zen fairly well. Stephen Root is also quite a memorable character through his meek demeanor.

  

Mike Judge struck gold with a concept that had not really been done well prior to Office Space. The three main characters each are on the line when the consultants come in to gut the company of its dead weight. While they would prefer to keep their jobs, the Bobs have made them extremely nervous, enough to devise the plan to steal from the company at a rate that seems negligible to the quick observer. Peter’s personal transformation seemed to make a huge difference in his life, as he was able to drop his stressful girlfriend and get to a point that Lumbergh no longer bothered him. While not as worried about losing his job, he still participates in the scam. Milton, who had been let go a while ago, was easy to push around and move into tighter and tighter spaces, as well as taking away his special red stapler. Peter ends up meeting Joanna at the local restaurant and sees a connection with her, as well as an opportunity to help her figure out what is important in life.

  

The best aspects about this film are the wide range of comedic influences. Whether listening to Michael Bolton rapping in the car (or having to defend his name) or Milton mumbling to himself, the delivery of the script was well done. Another one of those iconic moments occurred with the fight Michael and Samir had with the printer/copier. When they finally had enough, they took it out into a field to beat up on it. But yet again, the best of all of the character performance was that of the infamous Lumbergh. With his obsession with the TPS reports and his ability to create discomfort, Lumbergh is widely imitated and appreciated.

Office Space was the first and best film to depict the modern office space through its colorful characters and exploration of what matters in life.

Dan’s Rating: 4.0/5

Sin City: You’re Gonna Love This, Baby (2005)

In the town of Basin City, corruption, sleaze and violence prevail. The Man sets the scene with a quick dispatching of a lady of the evening, but the focus shifts over to Hartigan and Bob, who are chasing after Roark Jr. to prevent him from attacking a young woman. When Bob crosses him to stop his pursuit, Hartigan falls to the ground with a bad heart, but not before giving the girl the chance to run away. Surviving the attack and prison, he eventually gets out with the chance to pursue the senator’s son. Meanwhile, Marv is a man under the spell of the beautiful Goldie, but when he wakes up from a night of passion, she is lying dead in bed with him. Marv escapes police pursuit and capture on a remote farm and begins his pursuit to determine who was responsible for her death, but not before running into her sister, Wendy. In another apartment across the city, Dwight and his new girlfriend, Shellie, are hanging out in her apartment when a gang, led by Jackie Boy, arrive to abuse her and her place. When Dwight breaks up the threat, he follows the rest of the gang into Old Town to stop them from harming any of the other girls.

Starring: Jessica Alba (Nancy Callahan), Devon Aoki (Miho), Alexis Bledel (Becky), Powers Boothe (Senator Roark), Rosario Dawson (Gail), Benicio Del Toro (Jackie Boy), Michael Clarke Duncan (Manute), Tommy Flanagan (Brian), Rick Gomez (Klump), Carla Gugino (Lucille), Josh Hartnett (The Man), Rutger Hauer (Cardinal Roark), Evelyn Hurley (Josie), Nicky Katt (Stuka), Jamie King (Goldie/Wendy), Michael Madsen (Bob), Jason McDonald (Ronnie), Frank Miller (Priest), Brittany Murphy (Shellie), Nick Offerman (Shlubb), Clive Owen (Dwight), Mickey Rourke (Marv), Mary Shelton (Customer), Nick Stahl (Roarke Jr.), Arie Verveen (Murphy), Bruce Willis (Hartigan), Elijah Wood (Kevin)

The cast is almost too large to give them all justice for their performances. While some of the leading men play their roles to their strengths (Willis, Rourke, Del Toro, Owen), there were a couple of great surprises. Without ever having to say a word, Elijah Wood plays arguably the most menacing character of the film. It is something about the artistic style with the shine on his glasses and emotional stare that makes his performance scary. Jessica Alba, Rosario Dawson, Jamie King and Devon Aoki all have their sensual appeal, but each brings a darker side to their roles, though some of that darkness is well hidden (such as in the case of Alba). Nick Stahl serves up a truly vile performance to match his character well.

  

Frank Miller’s comics are already rather dark in their panel by panel presentation, but he translated the darkness to the big screen rather well. The tale is told under four main storylines. The Customer is Always Right is a very short element that appears at both the start and end of the film, giving the impression that The Man is basically a hit man who takes out potential problems for powerful people. That Yellow Bastard follows the framing of Hartigan, the growing up in a harsh environment and still staying somewhat innocent by Nancy and the sleazy control of the Roark family. Hartigan is constantly plagued by his failing heart but always determined to do the right thing, uttering “an old man dies, a young woman lives, a fair trade.” Roark Jr., obsessed with sex with young women, deformed himself to repair the damage done by Hartigan before his arrest. The Hard Goodbye followed the mission of a man looking to avenge the death of the love of his life. He discovered that the sleaze and atrocious acts go much deeper than one woman’s death, which takes him to a farm guarded by the sinister Kevin before going after the Roark family. The Big Fat Kill is a little less focused on the destruction of one depraved man and instead the protection of Old Town’s gang of women. He believes that he is more powerful or deadly than most and has his perceptions knocked down when he realizes the strength of these women.

  

A review of this film would be incomplete without a discussion of the presentation of the story. Set mostly in black and white, Frank Miller has bits and pieces of characters and scenes with splashes of color to represent each of the important symbols. A good example is the golden hair of Goldie, as she is the idolized woman for Marv. The putrid yellow of Roark Jr. also highlights his putrid personality. The blue eyes of Becky give a sense of the glimmer of innocence of her character. At times, the blood is grayed out, but there are a few moments when there is more significance to represent the carnage with a brighter red. There are some other elements that have a bright white shine to them to give them an extra accent, such as scars, glasses and crosses. The sounds of Basin City are filled with sirens, gunshots and a feeling of a civilization descending deeper into darkness.

  

For those who are turned off by graphic novels, this may not be your type of film. The translation of the comic into a feature film is rather mesmerizing and you can easily be drawn into the story.

Dan’s Rating: 4.0/5

Punching the Clown: Comedy is Often Misunderstood (2009)

With dreams of finally hitting it big, Henry travels out to LA and crashes with his brother. His career had hit bottom after a failed performance in front of a Christian fundraising group. His brother gets him connected with an agent, who starts to set him up with opportunities to perform. Seeing his best success coming from his honored time slot at a local club’s open mic night, he decides to take whatever comes his way. Finally getting some positive exposure, Henry is invited to a talent agency and is offered to opportunity to sign a contract. When a simple question gets misinterpreted, Henry is unaware that a stirring of negative press is building to destroy his dream for success. Meanwhile, he begins to develop an interest in the bartender at the club but just cannot seem to figure out how to connect with her.

Starring: Henry Phillips (himself), Ellen Ratner (Ellen Pinsky), Matthew Walker (Matt), Audrey Siegel (Becca), Guilford Adams (Fabian), Evan Arnold (Don Chase), Mark Cohen (Stupid Joe), Mik Scriba (Joel), Eddie Pepitone (Eddie), Derek Waters (Dave the Intern), Wade Kelley (Captain Chaotic), Paul Willson (Bill), Cissy Conner (Kitty), Michelle Anne Johnson (Jane Crown Jones)

With Henry Phillips essentially playing himself, his projects his characters as one that is relatively laid back but highly misunderstood. Struggling to explain what he does to most people, there is an honesty in the way he tells his story. Ellen has all of the energy of a small-time representative and is probably the most animated character of the film.

  

Gregori Viens took the story co-written with Henry Phillips and tried to do it justice through bringing an extra element of comedy to the film. Henry’s troubles were basically inevitable but could not have been predicted to occur the way they did. Highlighted through the program hosted by Captain Chaotic, Henry told the story of his initial fall and attempt to rise through his LA adventure. What he could have never predicted would be the fact that he would be struck from success by an innocent, indirect comment. When he asked for where the bagels came from, Fabian pesters his assistant and the intern to find out what bakery they came from, which sends the intern into a tirade. Word slowly gets out in the background about his “obsessive” (and mistakenly anti-Semetic) attitude and comments. He does not discover this until the club is blocked by protestors, essentially canceling his LA career.

  

The element that seems to garner the most comedic value (other than the trail of lies about his personality) is actually how misunderstood his comedy style is. He consistently remarks that his comedy comes from a lyrical, sarcastic and folk-like place, commonly going to random observations for shock value. Everyone he explains his style to appears confused and just wants to either see him perform to judge for themselves or get away quickly. With his overeager agent, he feels pushed into a lot of his performances, even though he is seeking success. Still, the ultimate focus of the comedy is actually the featuring of Henry’s comedic songs, most of which are either highly offensive or at least catch people off-guard.

Ultimately, the comedic elements (other than the songs) are on the dry side and there is an awkward sombre nature to the entire film that seems to take away from to feel of its visible charm.

Dan’s Rating: 2.5/5

Seven Days in Utopia: Life is Never the Same Once You’ve Been to Utopia (2011)

Though he is an aspiring golfer, Luke Chisholm’s world gets rocked when he experiences trouble at the end of one of his tournaments, leading him to a complete meltdown. Taking some time to get away, he heads towards a town called Utopia but gets into an accident while trying to avoid hitting a steer. Taken in by one of the locals, Luke gets to know Johnny Crawford, who offers to help him with his game. Luke is surprised by his knowledge and gives him a chance. Though his methods are untraditional, Johnny takes Luke through a series of challenges that test his abilities and cause him to think differently about what is important in life. While working on his game, he starts to develop a relationship with local Sarah, as long as he can get past the other local boys who are overly protective of her.

Starring: Lucas Black (Luke Chisholm), Robert Duvall (Johnny Crawford), Melissa Leo (Lily), Sarah Jayne Jensen (Maggie Swanson), Joseph Lyle Taylor (Martin Chisholm), KJ Choi (T.K. Oh), Deborah Ann Woll (Sarah), Sally Vahle (Mary Chisholm), Jerry Ferrara (Joe Buckner), Josh Painting (Duane)

With the greatest focus of the film being focused on Lucas Black and Robert Duvall, there is little room for some of the other stars to truly make a mark. Even Academy Award winner Melissa Leo fades into the background with limited screen time and and role that does not provide enough of a platform for her to project. Still, Duvall pulls together one of his classic calm-minded, inspirational performances as his character strives to guide the misdirected youthful talent. Lucas Black exhibits the meltdown at the start of the movie and has a moment or two of weakness of character throughout the story, but Black is able to keep his character’s persona fairly level in order to allow for the moral and Christian overtones to shine through.

  

Matt Russell’s film is one that explores the recovery of a young golfer in a struggle with his love of the game. Though the game had been driven into him by his father, Luke felt he had jumped to the pro circuit too soon. His meltdown was proof of his frustration with his father’s strong influence and him finally trying to make his own decisions. This anger led him to driving off and getting stranded in the small town of Utopia, where he catches the attention of a new father figure who wants to re-inspire his love for golf but in the context of something greater. Through a number of unconventional means (fly fishing for control, washer tossing for putting and flying an airplane for handling the unexpected), Luke is able to pull himself back together. But it is actually the combination of Johnny’s attention and Sarah’s warmth that helps him realize there is more to life than playing golf, and realizing that can help him put things in perspective when out on the course.

  

This concept of perspective is the main theme of the film, particularly through many subtle and overt Christian elements. Scenes in places like the graveyard, the church and the dinner table help to create a more visual foundation for Luke’s return to calm and focus. All of the tests that Johnny puts him through have more subtle elements of perspective and are meant to eventually open up Luke’s commitment to his faith and put himself in perspective of God. Oddly enough (though not necessarily as overtly religious), similar themes can be seen in other films, such as Disney’s and Pixar’s Cars.

In total, the film is entertaining, has a good flow and likable characters, but there is nothing truly special about this story compared to similar ones. The film is also toned down significantly in the intensity of the Christian themes, which may make it more broadly accepted but less true to the original story.

Dan’s Rating: 2.5/5

S.W.A.T.: Even Cops Dial 911 (2003)

After running into a complication during their latest S.W.A.T. assignment, Jim Street and Brian Gamble are nearly kicked off of the force, but they are given a chance to get moved to the gun room when Lt. Velaquez sticks up for them. Gamble quits the force, but Street chooses to take his licks in hopes of eventually being given a second chance. With the LAPD under scrutiny and in need of a new S.W.A.T. team, Capt. Fuller brings in Sgt. ‘Hundo’ Harrelson to pull together and train a new squad. Picking what many would believe to be the outcasts of the force, Hondo believes in his team and puts them through the ringer. After a few successful missions, the team is brought on-board with a mission to extract a recently captured international drug lord, but his announcement of a reward for his escape brings criminals out of the woodworks to get the $100 million prize.

Starring: Colin Farrell (Jim Street), Samuel L. Jackson (Sgt. Dan ‘Hondo’ Harrelson), Michelle Rodriguez (Chris Sanchez), LL Cool J (Deacon ‘Deke’ Kay), Josh Charles (TJ McCabe), Jeremy Renner (Brian Gamble), Brian Van Holt (Michael Boxer), Olivier Martinez (Alex Montel), Reg E. Cathey (Lt. Greg Velasquez), Larry Poindexter (Capt. Thomas Fuller)

It is always entertaining to watch Samuel L. Jackson’s on-screen charm. As for Colin Farrell, he certainly appears to have the strong talents of a special agent and this role helped to solidify his action-packed film future. Jeremy Renner also appeared to get his big movie break in this film, as seen through his greater number of appearances in the past few years. He maintains an intensity to become one of the more compelling characters of the film. Michelle Rodriguez appears to play the same role in every one of her films, but when it works…Josh Charles is one of the more compelling characters, as there appears to be something off about him from the beginning but there is also a feeling that he wants to be one of the good guys.

  

Considered his biggest feature film, Clark Johnson’s movie follows the development of a unique S.W.A.T. team that has to face its own demons before it can truly be considered a team. Gamble’s departure from the force had a small effect on Street, but ultimately did not stop Street from keeping his dreams alive. Though it is clear that Fuller does not fully trust Hondo to take control of the new team, he ultimately leaves their fate up to their training and passing of the simulation, to which they are able to do in record time with only one possible casualty, which also seals a pattern in McCabe’s sense of falling behind. Meanwhile, Montel’s chance capture over a broken taillight seems like a blessing until his announcement causes criminals to create havoc during the transport. Gamble appears once more before the transfer and has seemingly hit bottom along with his new rough friends, but it was clear that he would resurface during the fray. McCabe’s desperation also gets the best of him, as he struggles to reconcile his greed with his care for his former team.

  

The depth of the story is okay, but it is the action and the missions that are meant to be the focus of the film. The training sequences were entertaining, particularly before the new team is assembled and Street is posted to challenge McCabe (allowing for a rivalry to develop and McCabe’s slow decline to begin). More than the training, the actual missions are rather complex and full of elements that simulate what may actually happen in the real world. While it is not a perfect representation and there are some glaring elements that were added to increase the drama and spectacle of the scenes, the overall presentation is full of gunfire and explosions to satisfy even the more intense appreciators of the genre. It does not distinguish itself much more for other films but is enjoyable nonetheless.

S.W.A.T. is full of action and a couple entertaining but predictable twists with a cast that fits their roles quite well.

Dan’s Rating: 3.0/5

Freerunner: Run for Your Life (2011)

Though he serves as a hospital attendant, Ryan’s hidden occupation is that of a freerunner. Confident that he can win the last contest of the season, Ryan sets up a deal with a friend to place a bet on his performance and hopefully win the money to allow him, his grandpa and his girlfriend, Chelsea, to leave the city and start a new life. Just when he is so close to winning the competition with simply needing to get the flags back to the finish line, all of the freerunners are trapped, drugged and taken into custody. When they awaken, they discover that they are now part of a death race for the entertainment of millionaires and have all be outfitted with explosive collars. Ryan finds himself running for his life and trying to stop the carnage before the mysterious Mr. Frank succeeds in finishing his sinister game.

Starring: Sean Faris (Ryan), Rebecca Da Costa (Chelsea), Danny Dyer (Mr. Frank), Tamer Hassan (Reese), Seymour Cassel (Grandpa), Casey Durkin (Stacey), Ryan Doyle (Finch), Joe Williams (Turk), Joe Zamora (Miles), John Bernecker (Decks), Dylan Baker (West), Tony Vo (Kid Elvis), Erica Stikeleather (Penny), Warren Ostergard (Morris), Jia Mae (Fan), Amanda Fuller (Dalores), Mariah Bonner (Deedee)

Even with the focus of the film being the high octane running action, there are a few scenes that allow for some character development. Besides that crude and awkward dialogue between the shady businessmen who are watching the action unfold, Faris actually has an innocence and a drive that are fairly believable in this life or death situation. The scene with Cassel may have been a little slow, but added to Faris’s good nature. Dyer serves as a fine villain, even during his moments of uncertainty as the game starts to get out of control.

  

Lawrence Silverstein strives to bring attention to an urban sport that may not be sanctioned but requires a significant amount of physical skill. On the basic level, freerunning involves a combination of running, jumping, flipping, climbing and other acrobatic feats while exploring the terrain of city streets, buildings and structures. In the concept of this film, freerunning also includes a race to capture three flags and return to finish line. The film sets up the initial contest as one that simply follows this formula but does not allow for the freerunners to bet on themselves or other runners to earn money. Though Ryan believed he found a way around the rule, his plan was cut short by a powerful man who had much more intense entertainment in mind. Seemingly having control over the entire game, he sets up rules to keep runners progressing forward and staying on the path, under the fear of their neck devices activating and taking them out of the race.

  

Analyzing this film can be done in two ways: the action and the flow of the story. The acrobatics are certainly entertaining to watch and impressive in every sense of the word, but some of the feats are a little unbelievable. While fights are part of the freerunning experience, Ryan’s ability to take out so many people in pursuit seemed a bit too unrealistic. Still, the actors that played the freerunners were actually stuntmen that had background to do all of their own stunts (besides Faris, who has athletic abilities but not a background in the extreme sport). As far as the story, a few of the elements were a little difficult to take in. With the public display of the carnage, the police seemed to be clueless as to how to handle the situation. Finch is also an anomaly, generally only out for himself but giving up at the last minute when he has a chance to live. There was no build-up to allow for his sudden change of heart.

Without a deep story, the entertainment from the film is purely in the slight comedic elements of the dialogue and the extreme running of the competitors.

Dan’s Rating: 2.0/5

Immortals: The Gods Need a Hero (2011)

Though the Gods had won the war against the Titans and imprisoned them, a new evil has risen with the goal of releasing the Titans against humanity. Hyperion has amassed an army to take on humans guarding Mount Tartaros, where the Titans are being held. Before reaching the Titans, Hyperion’s army goes through a mountain village, the home of Theseus. Seeing Theseus as the hope for humanity, Zeus forbids the other Gods from intervening in accordance with their laws. Initially captured and put to work after witnessing his mother’s murder, Theseus is freed when the Phaedra and her attendants enact a plan to aid in their escape. While laying his mother to rest, he discovers the Bow of Epirus, a powerful weapon with unlimited, invincible energy arrows. Though he loses the bow in another battle with Hyperion’s army, he travels to Mount Tartaros to prepare the people for a war with Hyperion to prevent the freeing of the Titans.

Starring: Henry Cavill (Theseus), Mickey Rourke (Hyperion), Stephen Dorff (Stavros), Frieda Pinto (Phaedra), Luke Evans (Zeus), John Hurt (Old Man), Joseph Morgan (Lysander), Anne Day-Jones (Aethra), Alan Van Sprang (Dareios), Peter Stebbings (Helios), Daniel Sharman (Ares), Isabel Lucas (Athena), Kellan Lutz (Poseidon), Steve Byers (Heracles)

This ancient Greece fantasy drama includes some rather epic fight scenes but also the occasional acting. There is little comedy to be found, but there are a few dramatic moments provided by Pinto’s attraction to Cavill and Cavill’s feelings of loss for his mother. Rourke plays a solid bad guy yet again, with his menacing presence and powerful, booming voice. In the end, the acting is not much of anything special though.

  

Unlike many other films of this genre, the Gods and the Titans have more human qualities. Director Tarsem Singh represented this ancient world with some superhuman conflicts and elements, but he even made the Gods and Titans vulnerable to human weapons. There seem to be a great many of the Gods missing from action, but Zeus certainly reigns control over his kind. Even with their power, their laws (though based on some godly perspective of mutual trust between the Gods and humans) prevent them in engaging the wars of man. Zeus’s secret selection of Theseus as man’s protector comes at a price. His pain over the loss of his mother first cripples him, but then serves as a guiding force to stand up against Hyperion and his horde. Phaedra serves as an additional source of support, as she breaks from his traditional role as a seer and becomes his emotional pillar and lover.

  

While the story may be a little light, the purpose of this film is to watch a series of visually-gripping action sequences. For the most part, the human to human combat is quite enjoyable. The stylized blood and injury elements add to the graphic nature of the action but in a way that make it slightly more enjoyable to watch. There are a couple of the elements that may be a little difficult to watch, but most viewers know what they are getting into when they choose to watch this type of film. The Gods, on the other hand, appear to be unstoppable. The same could be said for the Titans, but their representation of drone-like killing machines does take away from their supposed equal abilities to that of the Gods. Still, this sequences are packed full of fast-paced, unearthly damage and destruction.

The visual appeal of the movie is there, but the story and the time between the action falls short of entertaining.

Dan’s Rating: 2.0/5

Hanna: Adapt or Die (2011)

Raised in the wilderness by her father, Hanna has never truly know the modern world. She has been trained in combat, hunting, languages and general knowledge. After wondering about the outside world and hoping to rejoin it, she convinces her father to give her permission. He warns her that she will be hunted once she attempts to rejoin society, but he gives her instructions of where they can meet once they leave the secluded house. After the house is raided by CIA operatives, Hanna is captured and taken to a facility for interrogation. Making her escape into the desert, she eventually meets up with a family on vacation and travels with them on route back to Germany. With her escape from the facility, Marissa Wiegler sends out mercenaries to capture Hanna and her father.

Starring: Saorise Ronan (Hanna), Eric Bana (Erik Heller), Cate Blanchett (Marissa Wiegler), Vicky Krieps (Johanna Zadek), Olivia Williams (Rachel), Jason Flemyng (Sebastian), Jessica Barden (Sophie), Aldo Maland (Miles), Tom Hollander (Isaacs), Sebastian Hulk (Titch), Joel Basman (Razor), Martin Wuttke (Knepfler)

The young star of this film has an intensity that is quite impressive for an actress of her age. Ronan’s character allows her to exhibit her killer instincts while also portraying the innocence of someone who has no memory of modern conveniences. Eric Bana is entertaining in his more action-oriented scenes, but he also has a few brief moments of compassion with Ronan. Blanchett seems like a woman possessed at times in her quest to take out her targets. Similarly, Hollander’s calm is deceptive considering the focus of his character’s task of destroying Hanna.

  

Typically responsible for more dramatic stories, Joe Wright decided to take a venture into an action thriller that stars an unlikely heroine. Hanna’s life did not start in the wilderness, but she knows little of what life is like outside of the snowy terrain of Finland. Hidden from the CIA, Erik has kept her a secret to prevent her capture and potential murder. He trained her to be able to fend for herself when the day came that she wanted to leave her simple life. Marissa Wiegler knew that Erik would one day resurface, but did not expect that both he and Hanna would be on the run. While Hanna was able to fend for herself, she began to discover that there is something more to her existence. Marissa unexpectedly reveals a bombshell to her that caused her world to crumble around her and she realized her father did not prepare her for everything.

  

Hanna’s existence is one of conflict. Her father prepares her in so many different ways to handle the world, but one of the most entertaining scenes of the film involves her inexperience with all things modern. While provided a place to stay while in Morocco, the attendant shows her the amenities, most of which confuse her. As the electric kettle heats up and starts steaming, she activates a chain reaction that turns on all of the amenities in the room and scares her off. Soon after in Spain, she goes with Sophie to a party and is about to kiss a boy. In self defense, she flips him over and kills the mood. Both scenes are great representations of the uneasiness that highlight her mortality even with her training and gifts for survival.

Overall, the film is enjoyable, but there are a number of slower parts, particularly at the beginning of the film. Clarity of the storyline and reason for Marissa’s chase are unclear until well into the second half of the film. Still, Saorise is entertaining in her action sequences and creates an intrigue of what happens to her next after the end of the film.

Dan’s Rating: 3.0/5