Monday, January 20, 2014

NEW MOVIE: Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit

It's generally agreed that this is the best new release this month. But is that saying much? Find out below in my review of Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit!
I don't often get the chance to review new releases because of my often hectic schedule, but now that I have a holiday, I got to see this new espionage movie that serves as a reboot to the Jack Ryan series (The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Clear and Present Danger). Having seen none of those films, having only seen a trailer, and having read no early reviews, I have the opportunity to give you my candid thoughts on the film.

Directed by Shakespeare aficionado Kenneth Branagh (who also stars as the film's villain) and written in part by Jurassic Park screenwriter David Koepp, Shadow Recruit shows how Jack Ryan (Chris Pine, Star Trek Into Darkness, This Means War) became the spy that 90s audience know and love. Mentored by Kevin Costner's (Man of Steel, Dances With Wolves) character, he tries to uncover a scheme working towards Russian economic domination, bringing about the Second Great Depression. And, of course, Jack's girlfriend has to get involved, but Keira Knightley (Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride & Prejudice) plays the role well enough that I didn't mind her character much at all. Some things get perhaps a little bit convoluted, and then I was unaffected by a small plot twist towards the end--aren't we supposed to be genuinely shocked?--but it was a fun action movie.

For the first act, I was on board. The origin story and the opening sequences were well-paced and interesting, and the first few action sequences were intense. One scene in particular I thought was really gritty, almost like The Bourne Identity, but not to the point where it was hard-to-watch (this is a PG-13 movie, after all). Branagh made some nice directorial choices, such as not showing his character's face until the end of his introductory scene. Knightley and Pine had good chemistry--I bought them as a couple--and there were a few laughs. However, after a while, the pace got a bit off, and the predictable started happening. The camera got so shaky at times that I couldn't tell what was going on, and tension was lacking in certain action scenes, especially towards the end. What saved the picture, for me, was the performances by the leads and some of Branagh's direction. I can't deny that it was a fun action movie, and if that's all you're looking for, go right on ahead. You won't be disappointed.

I would've liked for more character development, especially on the villains' side, but I was entertained for an hour and 40 minutes. In my book, this movie gets 3 out of 5 stars. It's not an exceptional movie by any means, but it wasn't bad either. Honestly, if all you are looking for is an entertaining movie, just see this and don't waste your time with any other new release. It may not reach the acclaim that The Hunt for Red October had, but honestly, it's a January movie; this is The Shawshank Redemption compared to other early releases. Just don't expect Jason Bourne.
Kevin Costner and Chris Pine star in this PG-13 action flick
So what about you? Were you looking forward to this, or are you just going to catch up on the Oscar noms?  Let me know which movie you want me to tell you about next! Whatever you have to say about me and the movies, comment below!

Sunday, January 5, 2014

SPECIAL REVIEW: The Shawshank Redemption

The Shawshank Redemption gets 5 out of 5 stars. But then again, everybody and their grandmother knows that The Shawshank Redemption is one of the greatest movies ever made, and so just giving it a numerical score isn't justice enough to the film, so I'll get it out of the way now. But what makes The Shawshank Redemption so good? Read my thoughts below!
The Shawshank Redemption (Rated R for language and prison violence)
The Shawshank Redemption opens up as banker Andy Dufresne (Tim Robbins, Mystic River, Jacob's Ladder) is being tried for the murder of his wife and her lover, to which he tartly objects. He is then sent to Shawshank Prison, the toughest prison in Maine, where longtimers Red (Morgan Freeman, do I even need to say what he's from anymore), Heywood (William Sadler, Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, Die Hard 2), and others take bets to see which one of the newcomers will break down first. The entry of Andy's lot gives us a hint of the grittiness of Shawshank, and the rest of Andy's first night shows us the brutality of Shawshank. Yet in the first hour, we see that there is hope in Shawshank, companionship at Shawshank-- themes that ride along for the remainder of the picture, all the way to the very last shot.

The Shawshank Redemption is a most curious film. It is notoriously the number one movie in IMDb's Top 250 list, yet it barely made a profit. The plot, when you hear about it, seems like it'll make the most boring movie: The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of a banker who is sent to prison with two life sentences, meeting lifelong friends and experiencing brutality and injustice. There's really not much to the story of the film, but the two hours it lasts is the most rewarding I've probably ever had. Typically, you would say that such a case means that the film rides on the talent of its actors, but, while the performances are still superb, everything that we see as an audience makes this, perhaps, the greatest film of all time. The film rarely slows down, yet it takes its time. Frank Darabont is, in my opinion, the most understated writer-director, yet also the best one there is. This is based off a Stephen King novella ("Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption"), but this movie, unlike most book-to-film adaptations, is almost entirely independent of its source material. There are things in this film that aren't easily done just in prose, such as the subtle foreshadowing ("His judgment cometh soon and that right quickly"), or some of the brutal torture sequences--done in silhouette, leaving most to the imagination, thus making the impact doubly terrible to watch--or the iconic "Shawshank shot" at the end of the film. Not just any director could have tackled this material, nor could have any writer, or any composer or cinematographer. Everything is done so well that the slightest change to it would make it less powerful.

After Andy comes, he's to himself for a long while and doesn't make much talk with anybody. We the viewer, as the film progresses, see his smug smile and odd body language, and we don't know what that means until the end of the film--I won't spoil it here. He's also a most unusual character, breaking the prisonmates' status quo countless times. As I write this, I distinctly remember a scene around the 45-minute mark where Andy, Red, and several others are working on roofs when Andy does the unthinkable. However, his confidence ultimately pays off, winning his companions beer--he doesn't take any. Red narrates his hypothesis: "I think he did it just to feel normal again." Again, that theme carries on for a majority of the picture, with certain prisoners fearing institutionalization and becoming alien to society forever.

One of the most interesting parts of the film is that we're so invested in the characters and drawn in by the drama of Andy's time in Shawshank that we don't realize there's a central villain until about half the film is done. What does our villain and the Shawshank prison staff encompass? Hypocrisy, and the prisoners realize it. In fact, at times, it seems as if the prisoners--murderers, thieves, and rapists--are more innocent than the guards and wardens. I mean, it's a prisoner that brings about the eponymous "Shawshank Redemption!" And the payoff that the film has is incredibly rewarding. I can't see many people disliking the film, especially not for the ending--it's probably one of the best.

Is the film occasionally sad? Yes, some may cry. Is the film depressing? At times, as you feel the highs and lows of every character. Is it hopeful? Definitely, and I can't say a negative thing about it. It's almost unfair that this film was rated R because one of the major themes is true friendship--a theme missing from children's/family films and television these days. It's a mature film, but a film for everybody at the same time. It's not incredibly tough to watch, yet it's brutal. It is the movie that defines all movies. It's not my all-time favorite, but it's in my Top Two. Forrest Gump won Best Picture at the Oscars that year, and while I love Gump a whole lot, I honestly think that Shawshank should have won the big prize that year, and then some. If you haven't seen it yet, do yourself a favor and buy it for $5 at Target or Walmart. It's incredible, and it goes to show that it doesn't matter if your movie doesn't make a lot of money at the box office; what matters is that your movie makes the most lasting impression on people years after your film is released. This September marks its 20th Anniversary, and it'll undoubtedly be remembered for, at least, 20 more.
"You either get busy living or get busy dying."
What more can I say? Have you seen The Shawshank Redemption, and what did you think about it? What's your favorite film of all time? Whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!

Wednesday, January 1, 2014

My Most Anticipated Movies of 2014

It's a new year, which means new movies, and new movies mean great things are going to happen. And since this is a favorite of other reviewers, I thought I'd try my hand at this and give you my most anticipated movies of 2014.

Voyage of Time (2014?)
Dir. Terrence Malick; Star. Brad Pitt, Emma Thompson

This one is perhaps the most interesting out of all of these for a few reasons. Number one: I have almost no idea of what it's about. Some sources say it will be a documentary about space, which is certainly interesting, but what interests me is the director-star pairing of Terrence Malick and Brad Pitt, who worked very closely together on my favorite film, The Tree of Life. Secondly, IMDb describes the film as "An examination of the birth and death of the known universe," which seems like a companion piece of The Tree of Life, which is what got me interested in it in the first place. This film has no confirmed release date because of certain financial disputes, but as of now, it's tracking for 2014, and when it hits theaters (or iTunes), you can bet your bottom dollar I'll be watching this...even if no one else will.

Noah (March 8, 2014)
Dir. Darren Aronofsky; Star. Russell Crowe, Emma Watson, Anthony Hopkins

Noah will tell the classic Noah and the Ark Bible story in an epic format. I've been following this film since the beginning of this year, and I'm excited to see how this film turns out, since it's not very often we get a Biblical film on the big screen with a $100 million-plus budget. The last major Biblical film release was The Passion of the Christ, the highest grossing R-rated, and foreign language, film in the US, and while I don't feel that Noah will be either of those, I'm excited to see how the controversial director, Aronofsky, does with this material, especially when adding Noah's nemesis, an adopted daughter, and six-armed Watcher angels from Jewish lore. He had to add things to make a decently-sized movie; I hope it pays off in the end.

Captain America: The Winter Soldier (April 4, 2014)
Dir. Anthony and Joe Russo; Star. Chris Evans, Scarlett Johansson

I'll be honest: the only reason I'm interested in this film is because the trailer was amazing, or rather, STURDY. The film will follow Captain America working with S.H.I.E.L.D. after The Avengers, and from that we get some awesome new characters, a mysterious foe, and some interesting themes of freedom vs. fear and terrorism vs. justice. Those kinds of themes interest me, and the last few films with Cap were entertaining. Let's do this thing...for 'Merica!

The Amazing Spider-Man 2 (May 2, 2014)
Dir. Marc Webb; Star. Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Jamie Foxx
Now this is a film I was a bit on the edge about. I remember liking The Amazing Spider-Man better than the Tobey McGuire-Sam Raimi films, so I was obviously ready for a new sequel. Then I saw the first trailer for the new film, and I felt excited and not excited at the same time. The film just didn't look as good as it should have, I thought, even though the villains seemed interesting (Jamie Foxx plays Electro). But then I saw the trailer before The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug, and I was hooked. This movie does look awesome, and it should be seen in theaters, probably in 3D. So why quit on a franchise early? If it's not great, at least it'll be fun!

X-Men: Days of Future Past (May 23, 2014)
Dir. Bryan Singer; Star. Hugh Jackman, James McAvoy, Michael Fassbender

Days of Future Past was a film I had also been following for a bit. I've seen all the X-Men films sans the Wolverine-only ones, and I've enjoyed most of them. Future Past serves as a direct sequel to both prequel First Class and to X-Men 3: The Last Stand/The Wolverine. How can this be so? Time travel, of course, with Wolverine going back in time to help young Charles Xavier find his way back to his destiny, especially when the existence of mutants are at stake. This film had a butt-kicking trailer, and the story seems interesting. What could go wrong?

Interstellar (November 7, 2014)
Dir. Christopher Nolan; Star. Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Chastain, Michael Caine
Interstellar was originally a film that was going to be made by Steven Spielberg before he gave it to the Nolans. The only two things I know about the plot is that it's about wormholes and corn. Certainly an interesting combination, but I loved Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy and I enjoyed Inception, so Interstellar looks like it'll be one of the smartest, if not entertaining, films of the year. And Michael Caine is in it? When has he ever phoned in a performance?


The Hunger Games: Mockingjay—Part One (November 21, 2014)
Dir. Francis Lawrence; Star. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson
I didn't review Catching Fire, but I mostly enjoyed the film, and I certainly enjoyed it enough to want to see Mockingjay. I've not read the books, though I own them all, but Catching Fire and its political themes of rebellion and oppression get that Les Mis excitement rising up in me. How will it all pan out? Well, I guess that's what the next two films are for!

The Hobbit: There and Back Again (December 17, 2014)
Dir. Peter Jackson; Star. Martin Freeman, Ian McKellen, Richard Armitage

Did you not expect this on here? There and Back Again is the sequel to The Desolation of Smaug, and as a fan of The Hobbit, I am excited for the finale. I have questions, I have concerns, and I strongly believe they will all be addressed in this film. Not to mention we get to see more of the dragon and the legendary Battle of Five Armies. Peter Jackson, do well. If he makes things relevant, and he makes his changes just, this may be the best Middle-Earth film since The Return of the King.


That's my list. What are you looking forward to this year? Are there any up here that you could care less about? Also, I want to know what January movie you guys think I should see by answering a poll on my Facebook page here, and please "Like" the page. Anyways, whatever you have to say about me or the movies, comment below!

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