Hanna

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Hanna (2011)

Studio : Focus Features/Sony

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 111 min

Website : hannathemovie.com

Rating : PG-13

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

Hanna (Saoirse Ronan) is a 16 year old who grew up unlike any other teenager in North Finland. She was trained by her father, including homeschooling, as not a carefree lady interested in shopping and boys, but as an assassin that he needs for a secret mission. Ex-CIA, her dad (Erik Bana) is bent on making sure she reaches her goal. But there are those in the intelligence agency that wish to see her stopped at all cost, led by Marissa (Cate Blanchett), who has a goal of her own. The girl must fight her way through Europe, avoiding those out to get her, in order to be successful and fulfill her father’s wishes.

The trailers and marketing for this film do not do it justice and are misleading at best. No doubt that the studios want to play up to the image of a teenage girl kicking serious butt as Hit Girl did in Kick Ass. But that’s not what this story is about at all. Yes, there is foreign intrigue and some serious battle scenes, but for the most part, it’s a coming of age story for a young lady who is thrust into a world that she’s not ready for. It’s all very deliberate and done with emotional thrill including some comedic parts, rather than explosions and such. In other words, it’s more Tarantino than Michael Bay.

Films that do well at Cannes are often this type of high brow art film for which this one fits. This is the kind of film that wins Academy Awards. The cinematography is superb and stunning, as if it was shot for an IMAX documentary, from the vastness of the desert to the glistening of a snow covered cottage. Wherever you are in the film, you feel as though you are there, which makes the scenes even more poignant and realistic.

The acting is very good in this film. Ronan plays the part of the unprepared, yet strong, driven character of Hanna with amazing skill for a young lady and should be a contender for the Oscars. The rest of the cast including Blanchett and Bana also play their parts quite well. The only gripe we had is not really in the portrayal by the actors, but what they had to work with in some scenes. The movie seemed a bit lax in development of these supporting characters, which made it difficult to see what they were all about and how that related to the girl.

The music is provided by the Chemical Brothers, who are a techno band. Their music is electronic, which seems like an odd choice for this film. And yet, like Ladyhawke, whose pop soundtrack didn’t seem appropriate for Medieval times and yet it worked, the synthesizers and dance music are equally effective in this one. The compositions are very supportive of the scenes, giving it that artsy feel, but at the same time complementing the action to the point of melting into it.

All in all, even though Tarantino had nothing to do with it, the movie is very reminiscent of his style, so if you like his movies, you’ll like this one. We have to say that we did enjoy it and give it 4.5/5 stars. The supporting roles could have been better developed, but that’s only a small complaint. The movie is funny at times, sad at times, and pulse racing at others. What more could you want?

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Source Code

Rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars

Movie: Source Code (2011)

Studio : Summit Entertainment

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 94 min

Website : enterthesourcecode.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

In a unique twist on a concept introduced in TV’s Quantum Leap, a special individual can actually jump into another person’s body through the use of a machine. But unlike Sam Beckett in the TV show, the bodies that are jumped into will die in eight minutes. But we are not aware of that at the start of the film, and neither is Colter Stevens, an army helicopter pilot, who suddenly finds himself on a commuter train in Boston. He has no clue why he is there. All he knows is that this beautiful woman sitting across from him apparently knows him and that his name is not Stevens, but Sean. Stevens (played by Jake Gyllenhaal of Brokeback Mountain fame) must figure out why he’s there, what is going on, and stop what is about to happen to the train that kills everyone aboard and has eight minutes to do it, sort of.

In a Groundhog Day plot point, he finds when the disaster happens, he is thrust back to relive the eight minutes once again, getting another chance to discover the secrets that will lead to the rescue of all aboard. And he keeps reliving it over and over until he completes the mission. The problem is that in the real world, time is still going on as normal and there is information that the train is not the only target and so he not only has to save them, he must do so quick enough to prevent the other ones as well. All while struggling with new found feelings for Sean’s travelling companion, the lovely Christina (played aptly by Michelle Monaghan).

Because it’s basically the same eight minutes each time, the hardest part is keeping the audience interested. When we heard that it was going to employ this story line, we were a bit skeptical of the film, but we were pleasantly surprised. Ben Ripley’s superb script includes so many twists and turns and nuances, that we were at the edge of our seat the whole time. Director Duncan Jones said in an interview that he cut the opening scene, which would have provided back story to the character of Stevens. Wise move. Letting us figure it out with him gave us our own mystery to solve and made the film far more intriguing.

We’d say a bit more, but we don’t want to spoil it for you. We will leave it for you to discover on your own.

We can say, though, that the entire cast excelled in their performances in what was a difficult movie, but what sold the movie was the chemistry and fantastic acting of its two main stars. Gyllenhaal and Monaghan were perfect as the “couple” on the train. In his case, we could really feel and sympathize with his frustration and urgency. And in her case, she played the woman whose companion suddenly turns into a whole different person. The supporting cast of Vera Farmiga and Jeffrey Wright (who incidently was injured before filming, thus the cane) round out quite an accomplished group.

We give Source Code 4.8 out of 5 stars for its great story, moving performances, and thoughtful direction in what could have been a disaster if handled incorrectly.

The film is rated PG-13 for violence, language and imagery that some may find disturbing, and rightfully so. Source Code is in theaters now.

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The Losers

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: The Losers (2010)

Studio : Warner Bros.

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 98 min

Website : the-losers.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

Based on a comic of the same name, this film is an old-fashioned action movie with tough guys, guns, chicks, and explosions. The plot has the main characters, The Losers, traveling from place to place, working together, carrying out various missions, exchanging witty banter, while trying to find and destroy the ever-so-elusive Max, a ruthless boss who is very well-protected.

Sylvain White (Stomp the Yard) directs this action flick with lots of confidence, zooms, action still shots, and various editing tricks, which, thankfully, weren’t too distracting. The typical action movie plot had occasional fun twists.

The characters and their relationship dynamics truly make this film shine. They have great chemistry. Jeffery Dean Morgan (who played The Comedian in The Watchmen) is charismatic as the decisive, yet flawed leader of the group. Zoe Saldana brings a lot of feminine charm and spunk as Aisha. The banter between the characters brings a lot of humor and life to much of the film.

Jason Patric is particularly great to watch on screen as the bad guy, Max, an evil genius with the best lines, just short from being completely insane. He is often surrounded by women. He kills and gets people killed for small things. Of course, he may not be realistic, but is a great cinematic bad guy.

There are occasional missteps here and there. A fight scene between Clay and Aisha appear to make little sense in regards to plot (but hey, it looks cool). Also, while the stunt work and real-life action scenes look good, whenever there is CG, it looks out of place, and in some cases, took me out of the film. Now, given its comic book origins, I have forgiven a lot worse in other films that were also made from comics.

This film reminded me a bit of the 2003’s Italian Job, in terms of flavor. Overall, this film, padded with humor, action, and fun characters, was made purely to entertain, and the filmmakers have certainly accomplished that mission.

-”D-Art” Kang

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Kung Fu Hustle

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: Kung Fu Hustle (2005)

Studio : Sony Pictures Classics

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 117 min

Website : kungfuhustle.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

“Kung Fu Hustle” is the brain-child of Stephen Chow, a Chinese film maker who combines both his knowledge of American and East Asian film making. Though probably classified as a comedy, it should be equally a fantasy and martial arts woman.

As with every film, the opening image is the most important one in a film, the second-most being the ending. Instead of going straight into the story and introducing the main characters, the villains are first introduced. They are the third group seen, the first being the city’s police, who are being beaten by the leader of the “Crocodile Gang”, a tough group of gangsters who have the police in their pocket. “The Axe Gang” approaches them in the street and a fight ensues, the Crocodile gang getting the worst end of it.

The protagonist of the story isn’t even introduced until easily 12 minutes into the film. “Pig Sty Alley”, the home of the majority of the film’s action is a poor part of town run by a chauvinist and his loud-mouth, cigarette-smoking wife. These people are destitute but have great courage. The Axe Gang comes to town after Sing (Chow) and his friend attempt to steal money from one of the sty’s occupants. They attempt to call the gang members with a firecracker, which backfires, but in the end, the gang members approach and are promptly beaten back by three of the store owners.

The action sequences are incredible. As someone who prefers a realistic style of violence over movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, but these sequences are for more than artistic sake, being a vehicle for both plotting and humor at the same time.
A word on the humor: there is a lot of great humor in the movie, from the physical comedy of the hair stylist who wears pants that almost have no point to dancing gangsters, and Loony Tunes inspired moments, coupled with a lot of puns as well as very subtle moments in dialogue and staging of the actors.

This is one martial arts movie that I can watch time and time again, feeling like I have missed details that make it better with each viewing. As with all his films, Chow plays a major role in the film, his comedic talents not just on the script. His performance sticks out among many great characters in the film. This is a film for anyone wanting a laugh or seeing incredibly choreographed action.

-M. Sigurd Hall

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Brooklyn’s Finest

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: Brooklyn’s Finest (2010)

Studio : Millenium Films

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 132 min

Website : brooklynsfinestthemovie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

I’m currently teaching a class in introductory literature, during which students are required to read one play. This semester, that play will be Oedipus Rex. As I’ve been rereading the play and attempting to tie it into my lessons on Greek tragedy, I couldn’t help but think of Brooklyn’s Finest, which stars three characters who could easily be tragic heroes in a Greek drama.

The first is Tango (Don Cheadle), a narc who’s been undercover for so long that he’s become confused about where his loyalties lie, particularly to Caz (a returning Wesley Snipes), a drug dealer who apparently saved him during a prison riot when he did an undercover stint there. Eddie (Richard Gere) is a burnt-out patrolman with seven days left before retirement. We first see him when he wakes himself up by chugging some whiskey and pointing a revolver into his mouth. Ethan Hawke is Sal, a detective with a wife and family that’s too big to support, with a set of twins on the way. In desperation, he’s taken to robbing drug dealers.

The movie intercuts these three stories, as we’re meant to see the hardships that real New York City cops endure: it’s the antidote to the fake buddy cop picture. We see Tango’s frustration appear to drift into borderline madness as he keeps being promised Detective First Grade by his supervisor (Will Patton) and threatened by a slimy agent (Ellen Barkin) if he doesn’t bust Caz. Eddie’s being asked to mentor rookie cops by taking them into the high-crime Brooklyn streets that have worn him down. His “retirement ceremony” brings some dark humor, all the more because it’s so sad. Sal’s wife (Lili Taylor) has to go to the hospital because of mold on the ceiling, which is threatening the health of her unborn twins. “Can you move to a bigger house?” the doctor asks. If only he knew…

The pacing here is excellent. Antoine Fuqua, the director of Training Day, does a great job at moving back and forth between these three stories, never dwelling on one for too long but allowing us enough time to get to know each character. The only downside was I had a hard time sympathizing with Hawke’s character, who seems to have put himself in his predicament of “too many kids.” My reasons will make me sound inhuman, so I’ll stop there.

The cinematography is fitting to the story as well. We don’t see overhead shots of the Brooklyn Bridge with the Manhattan skyline in the background, like most New York-set movies. Shots are limited to the streets, because this is the world occupied by these cops. The romance of New York is lost by most people who live there, but these guys appear to see it as a crime-ridden hellhole. With the exception of a shot of a subway station and the Brooklyn accents (well-done by both Gere and Hawke), this could really take place in any city.

One of my favorite movies is Requiem for a Dream, based on the Hubert Selby book. I hadn’t seen his name on any of the previews, but I wondered for a bit if the screenplay had been adapted from one of his novels. Brooklyn served as a fitting backdrop for his stories, all of which focused on multiple characters suffering from their own faults, and ultimately, succumbing to the consequences to follow. Michael C. Martin and Brad Caleb Kane, the screenwriters, certainly seem to have been inspired. It’s well-written and well-made. Not as good as Training Day, but worth the trip to the theater.

-Craig Wynne

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Gamer

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Gamer (2009)

Studio : Lakeshore Entertainment

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 95 min

Website : gamerthemovie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

Do you expect a movie made by the guys behind Crank about a future of people-controlled first-person shooters to be a masterpiece worthy of several Academy Awards? If you do, then you’re probably going to be disappointed. For the majority of you that know better, you’re probably just wondering if you are going to see something violent and crazy and if your protagonist is going to give you something as epic as his time as King Leonitas. If you are those people: you’re probably going to feel mostly satisfied.

Reconstituted plot aside, Gamer does live up to its promise in being over-the-top with copious amounts of bosoms and blood. In a way, this movie manages to make you feel the mood of a First Person Shooter where you are chunking anything meaty (beware: the shaky camera approach gets used extensively during those scenes), while giving you the sensation of a hedonist humanity that seems too jaded with excess to care about their living toys and some eccentric bits that work fairly well.

That said, I can see people griping about the storyline having a fair number of gaps of nonviolent scenes where “Kable” (Gerard Butler) is piecing together his past. Me, I liked it. These scenes usually had a somewhat artistic slant with the camera work and it did its purpose fairly effectively. For those just expecting a pure modern grindhouse, though, it may seem offset with the rest of the film, moreso with its fairly underwhelming ending that I keep reminding myself is not a homage to Blade Runner despite how much of this film’s plot is reconstituted from other recent movies.

In the end, I can not really gripe the film. It is watchable, moreso with friends, but I’d recommend this film for a DVD night.

-Donald Lee

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Inglourious Basterds

Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Inglourious Basterds (2009)

Studio : Universal

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 153 min

Website : inglouriousbasterds-movie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

While it will certainly not win any Oscars, Quentin Tarantino’s, Inglorious Bastards, entertains for the full 2 hours and 33 minutes. The film is divided into five chapters, which at first seem mutually exclusive, but begin to tie together towards the middle of the movie.

Though it is a war movie, there are very little gunfights. The classic “Tarantino violence,” mostly comes from the scalpings of dead Germans, body mutilations, and one overly gruesome execution by baseball bat, though none of it is comedic as usual. Tarantino also uses a series of flashbacks in order to fill the audience in on plot holes, which works very effectively and is also very entertaining. Seeing as how the rest of the movie is filled in by scheming, plotting, and a pestering German war hero, it is difficult to understand how the movie went by as quickly as it did.

The reason for this however, is that Tarantino was able to create an intricate plot with many captivating characters. The story is an alternate history of World War II, beginning with a young girl named Shosanna Dreyfus (Melanie Laurent), who witnesses the murder of her family, but narrowly escapes. She flees to Paris, where she forges a new identity as French theatre owner. Meanwhile, Lieutenant Aldo Raine (Bradd Pitt), creates a group of Jewish American soldiers, known by the enemy as “the Basterds,” who are trained to commit quick and shocking attacks on German soldiers.

When a young German war hero, Fredrick Zoller (Daniel Bruhl)—who has had a film made about him, starring him—falls in love with Shosanna, he moves to have the highly anticipated premier of his film at her theatre. With Hitler and the entire high command set to attend, both Shosanna and Aldo create separate plots for their assassinations.

This film is unlike any World War II movie ever made, however, it does have many flaws. While Bruhl’s character, Zoller, is supposed to be annoying to Shosanna, he did a better job of annoying me. Additionally, Bridget von Hammersmark (Diane Kruger), an actress/double agent, who is supposed to help Raines carry out his mission—but ends up hindering it instead—seems almost completely unnecessary. “Basterds,” is not to be a Tarantino classic, but it is certainly worth seeing, even if it is just to see Pitt speak Italian in a Southern accent.

-Stephen Fox

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G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra

Rating: 2 out of 5 stars

Movie: G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

Studio : Paramount Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 118min

Website : gijoemovie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

And so comes one of the most anticipated movies of the year, G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra. Having been a fan of the cartoons and the action figures as a kid, I was excited to see this movie. As I watched, that excitement dwindled.

This movie seems to want to do for the cartoons what Phantom Menace did for the Star Wars movies. At the beginning of the film, we see two Special Op soldiers, Duke and Ripcord, being recruited for the G.I. Joe unit led by General Hawk. Their current mission seems to involve the retrieval of four nuclear warheads from the evil Cobras, before they destroy world landmarks, although this plot element unfolded in such a slapdash manner that I had a hard time grasping the logic of why the Joes would even be involved in this mission.

No matter: you don’t watch a movie like this for the story, which seems to be mostly background material so that the makers can create explosions and dogfights for the blockbuster action crowd. That being said, the movie is well-made on a technical level, but the special effects don’t make up for a lack of story. I love an action movie best when well-drawn characters who are fighting for something at stake. For most of the movie, I didn’t care whether the Joes retrieved these warheads because the makers didn’t take the time to make characters we could root for (the cartoons, campy as they were, actually had stories and distinguishing differences between characters).

The movie began to grow on me in the last hour, as some of the backstories involving Storm Shadow, a troubled ninja, and Barroness, Duke’s ex-fiance gone Cobra, engaged my interest. Marlon Wayans also provides some good comic relief as Ripcord as he jive-talks and takes pratfalls in a robotic suit of armor, but these things don’t bring the movie up to the level.

The ending all but tells us that there will be a sequel in the future. If and when it comes out, I’ll probably end up watching it on someone else’s Netflix subscription with a group of friends and a case of beer. If you must see this movie, I recommend that you learn from my mistake and save it for that particular forum.

-Craig Wynne

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Harry Potter and the Half-Blood PrinceRating: Four stars

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (2009)

Studio : Warner Brothers Pictures

 Info : Click Here

Runtime : 153min

Website : harrypotter.warnerbros.com/harrypotterandthehalf-bloodprince

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

There’s a scene at the beginning of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince where Professor McGonagall (always wonderfully played by Maggie Smith) says to Harry, Ron Weasley, and Hermione Granger, “Why is it whenever something happens, you three always seem to be in the center of it?”  Ron replies, “I’ve been wondering that myself.”  That’s basically the essence of the entire series, but these three kids (now teenagers) are so charismatic and likable that we accept everything and take the ride with them.
 
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is the sixth installment in this huge franchise, and for those who haven’t read the books, I’ll give a brief plot summary: there’s strong sentiment going around the wizard world as to whether Harry Potter is the “Chosen One,” that is, the person who has been chosen to fight Lord Voldemort and save all of humanity.  Harry’s also found a book in his Potions class that belonged to the Half-Blood Prince, and this book is able to help him create potions.  Meanwhile, more ominous things are happening at Hogwarts, and Lord Voldemort may be working through Harry’s archenemy, Draco Malfoy, in order to wreak havoc.  We also learn more about the Dark Lord’s past, and see how Dumbledore inadvertently groomed him in order to become the force of mass destruction he is today. 
 
All of this stuff is fun and exciting, and we’re seeing a less whimsical and much darker Hogwarts than we have in the previous films.  The film seems to be mostly shot in neutral tones, which works very well given the secrets and histories we’re exposed to in this installment.  It does lag somewhat as we move towards the final sequence, but that’s only for about 15 minutes in a two-and-a-half hour film, and the conclusion left me stunned (even after I knew what was coming from having read the books).
 
Still, my favorite parts of the film had nothing to do with the suspense portion.  Harry, Ron, and Hermione have blossomed into teenagers, and they’re all experiencing true romance for the first time.  There are some well-observed moments here, as Hermione scowls while Ron becomes involved with another girl, and Ron’s sister Ginny grows increasingly infatuated with Harry.  I, along with several others, laughed out loud at some of their behavior, because watching it indeed reminded me of what it was like for me to be in love as a teenager. 

This is a good film.  It’s not my favorite of the series, but the action in this movie is as exciting as it was in the previous entries, and thus far, it’s the most human. 
 

-Craig Wynne

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The Hurt Locker- Kathryn Bigelow

Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

Movie: The Hurt Locker (2009)

Studio : Kingsgate Films

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 130min

Website : thehurtlocker-movie.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review:

The Hurt Locker is the story the Army’s elite Explosive Ordinance Disposal (EOD) squad and their call to missions in modern-day Iraq. The story focuses on the Bravo Company, specifically commissioned to handle IEDs or Improvised Explosive Devices. We follow this company—which comprises Staff Sergeant William James (Jeremy Renner), Sergeant J.T. Sanborn (Anthony Mackie), and Specialist Owen Eldridge (Brian Geraghty)—on their 39-day tour of Iraq. We watch as they weave through each mission with their lives on the line, and as they consistently escape death, the layers of their complicated emotions and intentions unfold right before us.

It doesn’t take very long to realize that the real star of this film is director Kathryn Bigelow. Although her claim to fame up to this point might be Point Break and being the mega-director James Cameron’s former better half, this movie should cement her as a serious and formidable new voice.

The amazingly authentic script by Mark Boal aids her vision. Much like In the Valley of Elah, Boal has researched a real story in order to create a compelling fictitious one. Here, Boal imbedded himself with an actual EOD squad and fashioned himself part-journalist, part-screenwriter. And upon the viewing of this film, it will be hard to deny that he has succeeded exceptionally as both.

Jeremy Renner as Sergeant James does a commendable job of turning his performance into a bona-fide character study. As the most complex character, he gives an appropriately understated performance while maintaining a certain amount of bravura, making him fascinating to watch.

There’s a noticeable dip in the quality of the action at the end of the second act where a particular soldier goes AWOL. It’s the only part of the movie that feels a little “Hollywood.” Nevertheless, it doesn’t take away from the overall excellence of the film, and fortunately, it gets back on track shortly thereafter.

However, there is a major oversight that does affect the overall impression of this film: Although directed by a female, it is mysteriously devoid of female soldiers. For a film that’s committed to being so real and so true, it’s an unfortunate critique for a film that is otherwise virtually flawless.
 
The crux of this film lies within its final 5-10 minutes. And it’s these minutes that catapult it from being a run-of-the-mill war story to modern parable.

-Sam Henderson

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Star Trek - Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Star Trek (2009)

Studio : Paramount Pictures

Info : Click Here

Runtime : 127min

Website : startrek.com

Trailer :

Click here to view the embedded video.

There is little to say about Star Trek. The movie in two words: Absolutely Amazing. The new Star Trek not only brings in great actors who played the parts perfectly but it was by far one of the best sequels of the film world to date. I personally have not seen any Star Trek movies or episodes in the past by any means. With that in mind; this movie really shocked me!

I cannot believe how intense a situation can get onboard a starship! Is captain Kirk really that much of a controlling character in the original series? Aside from that fact, I really liked the creative scenes that were put together involving both Kirk(Chris Spine) and Spock(Zachary Quinto)!

Throughout the beginning of the film they were fighting to be the man in control but they both accepted each other through their own way and are working together as possibly the best duo tandem this film industry has ever seen.

The new Star Trek promises glorious action, exacerbate drama, enormous laughter, and diabolical intelligence all wrapped into a two hour film. Star Trek is one of the best movies on the market right now so don’t miss your chance to see it!

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-Trent M.

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Fast & Furious - Paul Walker, Vin Diesel

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Fast and Furious(2009)

Studio: Relativity Media, Universal Pictures

Info: Click Here

Runtime: 107min

Website: fastandfuriousmovie.net

Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review :

As the fourth & final installment of The Fast & The Furious film series, Fast & Furious (known as Fast & Furious 4 in certain countries) returns to the streets of Los Angeles with the crew of the original film. Taking place five years after the original and chronologically in between 2Fast 2Furious and Tokyo Drift, F&F4 reunites with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) as he and Brian O’Connor (Paul Walker) team-up to take down the notorious kingpin of a heroin cartel named Arturo Braga.

Bonded by their common necessity for information, Dom (seeking revenge) and Brian (seeking justice) go down their separate paths in search of any possible lead, when they happen to stumble upon the same suspect that gives them both what they are looking for. They learn of a certain street race that will guarantee them positions as drivers in Braga’s operation to run heroin across the Mexican/American border, thus setting the stage for their individual yet similar adventures in search of the truth.

Most fans of the series will agree that the original was the best film, and because F&F4 returns to the same setting with the same characters, it naturally needs to live up to certain expectations. Unfortunately, the premiere of The Fast & The Furious was during a time when street racing was at its pinnacle of popularity, a trend that was new and exciting for viewers of all ages.

Now, however, that trend has essentially died, or at least significantly decreased in popularity, thus stacking the cards against a positive reception of F&F4. Despite this unfortunate circumstance, Fast & Furious has risen to the challenge, with a better than acceptable response from critics and customers alike.

Notwithstanding the formulaic storyline, underwhelming acting and borderline hysterical cliché-ridden dialogue, F&F4 most definitely delivers for its genre: action. From the opening scene to the end credits, this movie is absolutely packed with over-the-top driving stunts, elaborate fight & chase scenes, and a plethora of pyrotechnical masterpieces. That being said, if you appreciate this series for its mindless action scenes and excessive stunts, then you will not be disappointed.

Fast & Furious posted $71 million in ticket sales on opening weekend, and is now playing in theaters nationwide.

-Daniel S.

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12 Rounds - John Cena

Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: 12 Rounds(2009)

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Info: Click Here

Runtime: 108min

Website: 12rounds.net

Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review :

12 Rounds is a revenge saga with a crime/gangster/cop backdrop. The two main characters are, Danny Fisher a New Orleans police officer, and Miles, a thief. The movie begins with Miles planning a multi-million dollar heist. He smartly pulls the heist and then decides to flee with the money. Danny, who is in pursuit of Miles, succeeds in capturing him. Unfortunately, in the heat of the moment, Miles’s girlfriend dies. Miles, as expected, is not someone to sit and lick his wounds.

Once out of prison, Miles plots revenge against Danny and gives him a 12 round puzzle to solve. These are very mysterious and nearly impossible to crack but solving these is Danny’s only chance to save his fiancée from Miles’s clutches. Obviously, Miles keeps increasing the difficulty as the puzzle progresses.

The movie, crisply edited, and some of the dialogues are refreshing. Daniel Kunka’s screenplay, and Renny Harlin’s direction impose a new style of cine-show and the cinematic pace will blow the audience. Renny Harlin is a trendsetter and this movie speaks in volumes of his true talent.

John Cena gives an above par performance as Danny Fisher. Cena displayed various nuances of thespian skills. His cold rage, agony, morbidity and resolve are all too real to believe. We can easily put ourselves in his place and feel that we would be giving exactly the same reactions. Aidan Gillen as Miles Jackson is equally convincing though he tends to take the game overboard at times.

The movie, filmed mostly in New Orleans, with various other shots taken in Louisiana, It is due on March 27, 2009. 20th Century Fox is the distributor.

Here is to hoping that the movie registers true box office success on its release!

-Edited by Robert G, David S, Trent M.

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Knowing - Nicolas Cage

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Knowing(2009)

Studio: Escape Artists

Info: Click Here

Runtime: 121min

Website: knowing-themovie.com

Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review :

The power of original imagination is very exciting and often it opens us up to a fresh, new perspective. Knowing is one such movie that will make you think from beginning to end. Taut and highly imaginative screenplay from Ryan Pearson, as well as innovative lens work from director Alex Proyas, provides a bizarre feeling for the movie. It does not use daring visual effects, but nonetheless, instills fear in the audience.

The story is centered on a revered man, John Koestler, (Nicholas Cage) who happens to be the chairperson of a Historical Society. One day he is requested to examine something that has been dug out from the backyard of an elementary school. Incidentally, his son Caleb is a student there. To his amazement, he finds that these are a set of predictions made by Tykes 1958. He feels that it was not the correct moment for the time capsule to have come to attention; however, an underground water break was to blame for the accidental discovery.

The time capsule suggests the calamity tolls and dates of each major disaster of last 50 years. To his surprise, he finds three disasters hinting at a future date and among them, one happens to be pan-global disaster involving him and his son.

John tries to suggest the impact of the unforeseen disasters to his colleagues and townsmen but is ignored. Not one to sit dejected in the face of adversity, John takes the help of a couple of people (daughter and granddaughter of author of Prophecies) and accepts the challenge.

The movie beautifully touches and titillates us intellectually.

Nicholas Cage, as always, is a sheer delight to watch.

-Edited by Rob G. & David S.

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Taken - Liam Neeson

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Movie: Taken(2009)

Studio: Twentieth Century Fox

Info: Click Here

Runtime: 93min

Website: takenmovie.com

Trailer:

Click here to view the embedded video.

Review :

Pierre Morel’s Taken was released on January 30th, 2009, and since it’s unveiling it has created a beautiful world of magic realism. People nationwide are flocking to their local theater in order to escape the economic recession and watch something worthwhile.

A former spy finds out that his estranged daughter is being captured for an illegal slave trade operation, and uses all of his perfected skills from the past to get his daughter out of slavery’s grasp.

Bryan, the protagonist, permits his daughter, Kim, to travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. He feels that it is the trip of her dreams, and he would not play a role in preventing her from going. Upon Bryan’s contacting her in Paris, Kim finds that an Albanese gang has laid its tentacles on her and her Amanda and forcibly induced her into human trafficking. The retired spy vows to avenge her daughter’s kidnap and kill the abductors.

The remaining plot is a tireless adventure of a father ready to walk on cinder for saving his daughter and taking revenge on the Albanese gang.

Luk Besson’s screenplay is frighteningly taut and gives us no room to yawn. The entire aura of intrigue is beautifully built up, and Brian’s revenge is worth traveling miles to see.

Liam Neeson, who plays Brian, portrays many different shades of a human face. This thespian uses his powerful acting skills to portray an abject father, a resolve-filled father, a cold avenging father, an emotional father, and lastly a relieved father. Neeson did a brilliant job and has done justice to each shade. While Neeson was a well cast character, Magi Grace as Kim and Katie Cassidy as Amanda could be better cast.

If the heroes have done well, so have the villains. Overall, the movie beautifully builds up menace and lets us live in its shadow until the final credits roll. Pierre Morel is certainly not unknown to the art, and does complete justice the beautiful vision he had.

-Edited by Cole G. & Trent M.

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