[Rec] 2

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Title: [Rec] 2

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: February 8th, 2012

MPAA Rating: R

In the spirit of a typical slasher villain, the horror genre will not die. You can mock it (the Scream franchise), kick it around (repackage the same stories and camera tricks) or just plain abuse it (countless amateur video productions) but it will always return so long as people enjoy having their personal sense of security scared away. The prime clients will search high and low for the next real shocker. My hat is off to them. The searches are often very long. A favorite stored quote from the years of servicing video store patrons originated from a conversation between one of the aforementioned horror aficionados and a co-worker. The common question "What's a good horror film you've seen lately?" was answered with the even more common "There are no good horror films." When someone says that, what he actually means is the system has failed to deliver anything fresh within a recent period of time. Horror gets away with a steady track of financial success by recycling the dependable methods. But for it to shine, innovation is mandatory: a rule that most other genres are lucky enough to elude without short-term repercussions.

At first glance, [Rec] 2 doesn't have much reason to offer something new. As a follow-up to a highly successful Spanish production that spawned an American remake and as a crowned grandeur to the ongoing "found footage" phenomenon, expectations are tied to familiarity. We want to see that formula work again. But the artists are a few steps ahead. The camera view, monsters and moments of panic all return. And there are new ideas presented here as a way of informing us that the [Rec] franchise is not just a one-gimmick ride. It's a chronicle that is destined to be remembered.

The big reason behind the series' initial attention is the unconventional approach to inducing scares. How often have we found ourselves waiting for trademark horror silence to be broken by loud noise? Or a long shot abruptly cutting away to something grotesque. [Rec] has that in scarcity but depends on psychological terror for bait. The film's "search procedure" narrative allows us to directly enter the viewpoint of the peril. Infected "monsters" appear in deep focus and stay within the frame for a considerable amount of time. It isn't always obvious when the threat is legit; a procedure that the film loves to exploit. Unless the "monster" is lurking in an adjacent room, we rarely lose awareness of the space the threat is occupying. The ones in deep focus don't stay that way for long. They thirst for blood and will swarm toward the camera because a living being is holding it. An effective merge of scientific and cinematic reasons for events.

[Rec] 2 begins almost immediately from where the previous film left off. With no surviving characters or cameras to continue the story, the perspective switches to a SWAT team's video camera. The officers are uninformed about the true story behind the quarantined apartment building. But the undercover clergyman that accompanies them understands everything; especially the importance of his role. One of the story's new spins that the previous film hinted at is revealed through this character's monologues. He explains that the infected apartment residents are now pawns of the Devil. They can be temporarily subdued by prayer, but a spreading outbreak is impossible to control unless an antidote is found; Its key ingredients are believed to reside within the blood of an early victim that lived in the apartment.

The sequel offers better chances for analyzing the infected behavior by the way that they're kept in the frame longer during attack scenes. Inspiration from The Exorcist is evident. The infected facial features are given an exaggeration makeover. They can imitate voices from living characters and behave rather comically when bound to furniture. Vomit scenes are thankfully absent.

Since the SWAT team has access to optimal monitoring equipment, the film switches between hand-held and headset camcorders. The latter presents a videogame-like style especially in scenes where the infected are attacking aggressively and the victim has to navigate through the labyrinth of apartment rooms to find safety. Another neat twist is the abrupt introduction of secondary characters. Some kids in the neighborhood pay the price for causing too much mischief by getting themselves trapped in the same apartment building. In a cleverly constructed sequence, the SWAT team's camera and the kids' camera intercept at the same storyline checkpoint. The film then detours into the kids' story and documents the events leading up to that encounter.

There's another twist that doesn't deserve to be spoiled. I'll just say that it ties all story angles in a way that's difficult to anticipate and it paves the way for future chapters. [Rec] 2 is a friendly reminder that not only do good horror films still get made but that the "found footage" gimmick that's currently losing steam in its reputation may not have even scratched the surface as far as how it can satisfy the thrill cravings.

Rating: 8       

The Cove

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Title: The Cove

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: January 25th, 2012

MPAA Rating: PG-13

On the evening of January 25th, 2012, Oakland University hosted a screening of the 2010 Academy Award winning documentary The Cove. The film's director, Louie Psihoyos, took the podium afterward to share stories and answer audience questions. An organized conversation between him and several of the university's Cinema Studies students took place earlier in the day. I was part of the privileged group that got to participate.

Five minutes prior to the event, Psihoyos and I happened to be using the same washroom. As I was drying my hands with a paper towel, his stalwart voice asked "Are you finished using that?" I turned around in surprise when I realized he was talking to me. It wasn't his presence that triggered the startle. I already knew he was there. The man's tall stature made him difficult to miss. It was about what he was pointing at. The water faucet I had used to wash my hands had been unintentionally left running. I quickly apologized, corrected the error and allowed Psihoyos to have a little chuckle at my expense. Situations like this would normally instigate annoyance. It wasn't a big deal and the witness could easily rectify a problem like that on his own instead of confronting the guilty. But I couldn't blame an environmentalist like Psihoyos for being a stickler for those sort of details. I call him an environmentalist instead of a director because that's what his real occupation is. He just happens to use film as a tool for advancing his missions.

The main mission being discussed that day was the topic outlined in The Cove: the campaign to end man's killing of dolphins, most notably the slaughter that takes place in Taiji Japan every September to March. In making this documentary, Psihoyos and a team of animal experts including former famed dolphin trainer Ric O'Barry infiltrated a fisherman's cove in Taiji where dolphins are routinely captured and sold to captivity or slaughtered for meat. The cove is hidden off the map and guarded by a group of fishermen that want to keep it that way.

Taiji is described like a place out of The Twilight Zone. Dolphins are artistically displayed on gift shop merchandise, sidewalks and welcome signs. One of O'Barry's many quip-worthy observations is that based on the town's image, it's easy to assume that the people who live here love dolphins. Oh, they do alright. But not in the way they want us to believe. Dolphin sales is a big money business. Trainers from all over the world travel to Taiji to select which of these animals will become the next attraction at their respective water parks. The rejected ones are left to die under inhumane methods. None are ever spared.

As always with documentaries, I approached this one with caution because of filmmakers' natural tendencies to present one-sided or manufactured realities. I was already aware of the long-running standoffs regarding what is morally or culturally acceptable to kill and consume. I don't support animal cruelty but do eat meat, which is reason enough for people like Psihoyos to think less of me. But what should be made clear to anyone who passes early judgment on a film like this is that the arguments are not as emotionally charged and black-and-white as detractors claim; Nor is it particularly complex like sceptics such as myself hypothesized. This is not a "Dolphins are cute and therefore shouldn't be harmed" public service announcement. It's about so much more importance; namely mankind's long term future becoming jeopardized by their own actions.

A common preconceived notion rejects the idea of any animal as food being off-limits. The revelation of dolphin slaughter is enough to stir curiosity just about anywhere because of how the meat doesn't fit into anyone's idea of a well-balanced diet. Yet cultures are also aware about how some differences in tradition are viewed as strange to those from the outside looking in. If there's no knee-jerk reaction, an inquirer might consider that there must be a reason for dolphins being eaten. After all, people in the Western Hemisphere eat cows and chicken without thinking anything of it. Maybe that's the way it is with dolphins in Japan. It's the sushi capital of the world after all. That's how the Taiji fishermen defend their practice. It's a cultural difference. Nothing more, nothing less. But a basic investigation snuffs out that theory.

Turns out that dolphin consumption is not a recognized part of Eastern tradition. Very few people in Japan were even aware that the slaughter was taking place mainly due to the country's strong censorship power over their media outlets. The public awareness has grown considerably following the release of this film. Most of the time, dolphin meat is not even correctly labeled and are riddled with such high quantities of mercury that you'd have to be insane, desperate or ignorant to even think of touching it.

So the lie is exposed. The companies behind the dolphin slaughter are not doing it for reasons related to culture or survival. But if that condition were to change, would it then become acceptable? No way, says Ric O'Barry. This man's story is fascinating enough to warrant its own separate documentary. Besides being one of the world's leading activists (his criminal record suggests that he might be the ultimate leader), his knowledge gained from years of close contact with dolphins relates insight into why they may have better use than being water park attractions and how they would be ultimately better left off in the wild. The ironic part about this thesis is that O'Barry was one of the pioneers of dolphin captivity and exhibition. His work on the popular Flipper television series helped build the public's fascination and the market for these water park shows which he has now grown to hate.

The Cove is a call to action and one that opts to aim at the emotional heartstrings to get that action rolling: a most necessary strategy in social issues like this no matter how many facts on paper are available. For their ace in the hole, Psihoyos and his team plant hidden cameras in the Taiji cove under the town's watchful radar in a sequence reminiscent of a Hollywood spy thriller. It's less cohesive than the aforementioned analogy but expected for an authentic operation that only has room for one take. The aftermath is a crowning achievement in the activists' cause as they finally succeed in exposing the slaughter footage that the perpetrators would have literally killed to have permanently kept out of the public eye.

Big budget movie studios calculate paying customers as fifteen dollar items in the seats, totaling the cost of an admission ticket with concessions. Activist filmmakers like Louie Psihoyos prefers to think of spectators as minds in the seats. That was his motivation for exposing The Cove to the world. One of the most memorable quotes from him in the film is the declaration that there is no middle ground between an activist and an inactivist. At the post-screening Q&A, I asked him what the precise difference was. His response included a reference to a popular philosophy that appropriately summed up his life's mission. "The only thing necessary for the triumpth of evil is for good men to do nothing."

Rating: 9

The Lovely Bones

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Title: The Lovely Bones

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: March 16th, 2011

MPAA Rating: PG-13

After a short film and a new take on the King Kong legend, writer/director Peter Jackson is back to adapting acclaimed novels for the big screen. This time he takes on The Lovely Bones based on Alice Sebold's 2002 novel of the same name.

The tragic story of Susie Salmon (Saoirse Ronan) is immediately laid out through narration straight from the character herself. At the age of fourteen, Susie was lured into a false sense of security and then murdered by child serial killer and next door neighbor George Harvey (Stanley Tucci). While the family grieves, her soul remains in a state of limbo. It's probably not purgatory because tales of that topic usually detail dark surroundings. More likely it's the long winding road leading up to heaven's gate. It's also hinted that the character's imagination is partly responsible for the appearance.

Only when their killer is brought to justice can Susie and the other victims ascend to the heavens and rest peacefully. Their physical bodies unavailing, the victims hopelessly watch over their families and can only pray for all the right pieces to fall into place. The most substantial pieces are connected to Susie's time spend on Earth before that fateful day. Her enthusiasm for photographing scenery appear like a divine intervention to her father Jack (Mark Wahlberg) who is now obsessed over identifying the murderer.

Even for a story that's all about spirituality, the events that lead to the solving of the mystery stretch too much. Jack's detective work is just a notch below Inspector Gadget standards. His first drawn conclusion is that the killer must have been someone close to them because Susie would never run off with a stranger. A fair suggestion but why rule out a first-time occurrence or a spontaneous kidnapping? Suspicions over George arise when Jack notices that he appears rather frequently in Susie's roll of old photographs that were developed after her death. As the wise yet antagonistic police detective points out, that doesn't prove anything even if the conclusion is correct. Even though Jack's lack of evidence is continually pointed out over the course of the second act, the movie insults intelligence by pretending that Susie's contact from beyond the grave is subtle when it is actually non-existent.

I got the impression that the ridiculous clues are only excuses to keep the story moving forward. As strange as this may sound, the movie is at its best when there is no story going on at all. Despite my many frustrations, what I'll remember most about this film are the beautiful depictions of the afterlife. Peter Jackson's reputation for being a visionist needs no further validation than the scenes of Susie embracing her peaceful surroundings of bright gardens, towering forests, reflecting lakes and plains that stretch further than the eye can see. These scenes hold more superbly crafted color patterns than an art festival. If this is what heaven's front yard looks like, I cannot even begin to imagine what the interior contains.

This is an odd case where the story gets in the way of a good movie. The living characters are not even close to being as interesting as the ghosts despite Susie's constant and obnoxious narration over every detail. Ironic that a movie that takes prides in its own art decides to spend so much time on exposition. Even more odd is the grandmother character introduced at the mid-way point to provide some unwelcome comic relief. Some character behaviors are so bizarre that they belong in a Zucker parody. Take for example a moment when Susie's sister learns the truth about George. In one of the movie's few exciting scenes, she narrowly escapes her own abduction and races back to the family. This gives her the perfect opportunity to expose the truth but she instead hesitates over a situation so inconsequential that I nearly started screaming at the television.

Susie has a lot to say about all these events but the character never seems to evolve in any fashion nor does she have any real effect over George's final fate. I felt lost in limbo myself while wondering what the point of all this was. The Lovely Bones can boast over having some of the most amazing visuals that the cinematic world has seen, but the substance falls short of what Peter Jackson's crew is capable of providing.

Rating: 4

 

Case 39

 

Title: Case 39

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: February 12, 2011

MPAA Rating: R

 

If The Omen and Case 39 were siblings, Case 39 would be the younger less mature of the two that spends its life trying to ride the success of the older brother. The Stephen of the Baldwins. Or the Clint of the Howards. Or the Ted of the Raimis. You get the idea.

In this horror thriller, Renee Zellweger plays social worker Emily Jenkins. Emily has years of experience in improving the quality of life for children with troubled upbringings. Her latest case will be different than anything she had encountered before.

Ten year-old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) is a seemingly normal girl with normal problems. Her case reaches Emily's desk under reports of a drastic dip in academic grades and suspicion of parental abuse. Emily investigates the family firsthand to find the parents exhibiting strange behavior in an almost zombie-like state. Shortly thereafter, she receives a phone call from Lilith herself pleading for someone to calm her panic. Fearing the worst, Emily and Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) rush back to the house just in time to save Lilith from being roasted alive inside the kitchen oven. The parents are arrested and sent to a mental institution while Lilith is now under the care of the state.

Lilith forms an emotional attachment to Emily and pleads to live with her instead of a foster family. Initially reluctant because of the possibility of work interference, Emily agrees at the cost of sacrificing personal involvement in Lilith's legal proceedings.

But the nightmare is only beginning. Various murders and suicides are happening to Emily's circle of colleagues. All of the cases involve a phone call initiated by Lilith and received by the victims. What sort of evil force could be responsible for these horrific events? Emily is determined to close this case for good even if it means breaking her legal binds and directly confronting Lilith for the truth.

If you've seen The Omen before, Emily's secret should be no surprise. This twist is practically spoonfed before the second act even gets rolling. The movie wastes away the offensive and manipulative oven scene through its own impatience, effectively (and ironically) cooking its own goose. Despite this, the film wrongly assumes that the audience should be on the edge of their seats. A big part of excitement from psychological thrillers like this is watching events unfold without the full knowledge of who is responsible for the deeds and how they are done. Case 39 has the laziest effort for guesswork I've seen from a movie in quite some time.

Renee Zellweger was a good choice for the lead role. As someone who has spent a fair share of time in front of real child guidance counselors, I found her warm persona and sensitive nature to be very believable. Jodelle Ferland deserves some credit too since the experience factor always presents a challenge for getting a memorable performance out of a child actor. It's too bad she was doomed from the start to be overshadowed by Isabelle Fuhrman's similar role in the slightly better Orphan.

I get the impression that someone in post-production must have realized that the movie didn't have a chance on succeeding with narrative alone. So we are treated to a thorough demonstration of what I like to call the "horror lever." When switched on, all the usual trademarks of dark thrillers are everywhere. The lighting is dim. The music is soft and low-key. The characters act somber and often nervous even if there is no reason to. This persists until the horror lever is switched off and normalcy returns. Case 39 leaves the switch turned on for the entire movie. It's never given a chance to reboot, regroup or even breathe. Artistic adrenalin can be too much of a good thing. Midway through the film, I was already exhausted. So much time had been spent guessing when the music would suddenly shriek or when the next wave of shadows would appear that there was no energy left to connect with characters. It's all an exercise in compensating for non-existent suspense. The payoff scenes don't fare much better. Some of the deaths are so unintentionally comical that they could have been ripped straight out of a Nightmare on Elm Street sequel.

Sometimes it's best just to keep the ships at port if the seas don't look promising. Or in this "case," leave it in the desk file.

Rating: 2

Zombieland

Title: Zombieland

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: December 31st, 2010

MPAA Rating: R

A zombie's mission is to wipe out the entire human civilization. But that doesn't stop people from loving them and paying to see them on the big screen. The world's most popular Halloween costume is back in a familiar apocalyptic tale that turns out to be one of the hippest horror films in recent years. Move over Shaun of the Dead. You're about to get kicked to the curb.

Like most zombie flicks, the cause of the apocalypse is virtually ignored. We immediately meet the young reluctant hero and narrator known as Columbus (Jesse Eisenberg). Before the world ended, Columbus had been a nerdy loner, avoiding contact with people that resembled zombies in his eyes. Now that they actually are zombies, Columbus is beginning to miss people. As a square follower of society's rules, Columbus uses his own set of rules for living in Zombieland; the place formerly known as Earth. These rules are like the ten commandments of survival. Exercise often. Shoot a zombie twice for good measure. (Also known as the double tap.) Travel light. And his most important rule; Don't be a hero.

Inevitably, Columbus encounters a fellow human survivor known as Tallahassee (Woody Harrelson). Unlike Columbus, Tallahassee has a motive for staying alive beyond the fear of death. He is obsessed with finding a fresh Twinkie before they all go stale. (Yes, they do have expiration dates.) Columbus decides that he can live with Tallahassee's eccentric behavior if it means having a tough guy around to watch his back. On the flip side, the other survivors they meet are unwilling to trust anyone. Young sisters Wichita (Emma Stone) and Little Rock (Abigail Breslin) are just as strongly self trained with their wits as they are with guns. These two characters are also the most dangerous, as we see them manipulate the two older male protagonists into handing over their weapons and resources before they realize what hit them. Despite the rough early impression, the group ends up joining forces to help each person's chance in finding what they long for. Whether it's locating a lost family member or a sugary treat, there is safety in numbers when living in Zombieland.

It's harder than it looks to create good chemistry between two actors. Creating chemistry amongst a group of four is the ultimate trick. Zombieland succeeds in doing this. And a good thing too since the movie would have fallen apart otherwise. Zombieland's story doesn't bring any new twists or ideas to the zombie horror formula. So it's only mission was to concentrate on making every moment as fun as possible. The zombie kills are amusing and the characters' reactions to every situation feel fresh even when they aren't. It's a treat for novice horror fans, zombie veterans and fans of a certain A-list movie star who appears as himself in an unnecessary yet shamelessly entertaining subplot.

For zombie purists (whatever that could mean), they may be let down by the monsters' characteristics. Borrowing a page from 28 Days Later's playbook, the undead foes move at a fast pace as if they are always running to the endzone. Beyond that, it's your usual appetite for brains and groaning sounds. There is no precise timeline defined for how long the apocalypse has been going on. The human characters (especially Tallahassee) appear to have been fighting zombies for so long that they appear a little desensitized to their situation. So you can't expect very much horror when the characters don't feel it often. They're more concerned about boredom than getting eaten alive. The movie can be considered a comedic homage to familiar scenarios or a straight up comedy that happens to take place in a zombie infested world. Either would be correct.

The only chance of audience boredom is if one of two mistakes are made. Either you're in the mood for something serious, or you're expecting to see an innovative product. Zombieland is neither. But I didn't mind in the least. The movie is meant to be fun, and any attempt to heighten the drama or introduce a novel concept would have taken away from the experience.

Columbus writes a new rule inspired by Tallahassee's personality. "Enjoy the little things." That's probably good advice for anyone making the decision to watch this film. Smile at the moment when Columbus realizes that some rules are made to be broken. Laugh at all of Woody Harrelson's one-liners. Cheer when a zombie gets his head blown off in a way you wouldn't expect. Enjoy Zombieland before it's forgotten.

Rating: 8

Moon

Title: Moon

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: December 2nd, 2010

MPAA Rating: R

Outer space is a quiet place. Especially if you're working there all alone.

Sam Bell (Sam Rockwell) is the sole human employee for Lunar Industries, leading supplier of Earth's energy. He has spent the last three years of his life harvesting energy from Earth's moon and sending it to the planet. He has had no human contact save for a few indirect messages from his wife and child back home. Sam's only readily available companion is a highly advanced robot named GERTY (voice of Kevin Spacey), whose only role is to preserve Sam's life. This is a movie about limitations, in case you haven't caught on to that yet. Even the movie's budget is true to that theme.

Sam's three year labor contract is almost set to expire. It appears to be perfect timing. His physical health is starting to deteriorate and hallucinations are affecting his emotional health.

Sam's routine life has turned into a game of deciphering the real from the absurd; adjectives more closely connected than he could have ever expected. An accident during a harvest session causes him to lose consciousness then wake up bruised and fatigued in his quarters. GERTY's mobility is limited to the interior of the station, so only a human could have saved his life. Sure enough, Sam soon comes face to face with his rescuer. Another Sam Bell. Is this a hallucination or has Sam been somehow cloned and for what purpose?

Isolated as far away from home as humanly possible, Sam grows more and more desperate to return to civilization. The movie explores human reaction to being powerless and abandoned. Even now that Sam finally has some human contact, no satisfaction comes with it. Living with a clone is practically the same as living alone.

With loneliness comes fear. And with fear comes paranoia. Sam eventually finds himself reluctant to trust GERTY, his employer and even himself. As a viewer, I found myself unable to trust what my own eyes were seeing. That's often the fault of a movie being manipulative. But Moon plays fair. There are enough clear cut situations to follow what is going on and just enough ambiguity to draw your own conclusions. It wouldn't hurt to watch this film more than once.

Moon's biggest flaw may be that a little too much is given away too soon. Although it remains a nail-biting tale up to the very end, the results may have been even more satisfying if the story had been just a little more patient.

The mechanical character GERTY is similar to HAL from 2001: A Space Odyssey, with a little artificial personality thrown in. Although GERTY is a machine made to carry out orders, his programming can be manipulated well enough for it to be mistaken for compassion. Unlike HAL, GERTY's mission is to keep his human companions alive by any necessary means. To make this character work, GERTY's voice had to remain monotone and hold a permanent concern at the same time. Easier said than done. Thank goodness the charisma of Kevin Spacey was available to save the day.

But Spacey's work was only half of what was needed to hold this "fighting against the limits" movie together. The rest was in Sam Rockwell's hands. Practically a one man show, Rockwell successfully wins over audience sympathy without overacting. Even though he only plays one character, the Sam clones needed to be different in order to represent their respective states of mind. The healthier version acts confident and refreshed. The weaker version seems like he could fall over at any moment. Immersing himself into the character was not an option for Rockwell, because his character was intentionally inconsistent.

Moon turned out to be one of the nicest surprises of the past year. The non-reputable distributor was probably what robbed the movie from deserved mainstream glory. Science Fiction fans will not want to miss this one. It's also a great film for devotees of thinking thrillers; the kind that probably won't leave a headache in the morning.

Rating: 8

Shinjuku Incident

Title: Shinjuku Incident

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: November 29th, 2010

MPAA Rating: R

Jackie Chan sends a message to his fans in the opening scene of Shinjuku Incident. A young woman is being stalked by a group of street thugs. Chan's character hears her cry for help. If this were the 1980s, he would have done what audiences expected of him. His character would rush to the aid of a victim in peril, like a superhero who sees the call signal. The evildoer will be subdued quickly and smoothly. The distressed victim will give thanks to her rescuer. If it's a female, a kiss on the cheek will be most likely included.

But this is the twenty-first century; an era where Chan is trying to leave behind his good samaritan image created from his famed Police Story series. The camera cuts over to Chan, who looks over his shoulder as soon as he hears the victim plea for mercy. Right on cue, he quickly selects a course of action.....running and hiding.

Chan has been surprising audiences all through his career. Usually those surprises come in the form of death-defying stunts and unpredictable action sequences. At the age of 56, Chan still has ways to keep his followers wondering what he will do next. In this case, it's an unexpected character trait. Someone who looks out for only himself.

A character like Steelhead (Chan) has no choice but to do just that to survive. Steelhead is one of many illegal Chinese immigrants earning a living in Japan. A true-to-life tale that may have difficulty finding audience appreciation. Especially since Chan's dependable Hong Kong revenue had to be sacrificed due to the graphic nature of some key scenes.

Steelhead's underground clique of illegal workers have one of their jobs compromised by the Japanese authorities. Steelhead narrowly escapes, but not before reluctantly saving the life of a detective, a rare deterrence from his normal "run and hide" lifestyle.

But as he would later learn, running and hiding does not always work. Especially if you're dealing with the Yakuza. A run-in with the brutal Mafia gang leaves many of his comrades crippled apart, if they're lucky enough to live. Steelhead is able to find conditional sanctuary from the gang by accepting a mission that will lead to an assassination. Further cover is given by the detective whose life was saved, now working to repay the debt. With enough power to keep both his immigrant and mafia comrades content, things fall apart when the two groups fall into deadly conflict. As events spiral out of control, Steelhead realizes, perhaps too late, that he is way over his head.

Whatever formula you may have calculated from watching Jackie Chan movies, be prepared to throw it all away. There are no elaborate fight scenes, no slapstick comedy and no outtake montage. This is pure drama at its grittiest. While it's not the first time Chan has dived into serious roles, this may be the first time he has set out to completely re-invent himself. Are his fans ready for it? The true ones ought to be by now. Chan doesn't just change because of the times. He does it for personal satisfaction.

Despite some very strong performances and some interesting twists, the story doesn't tear at the heartstrings the way it should. Dark material does not cover for the lack of character empathy. I'm not sure if cultural backdrops have anything to do with it since illegal immigration is certainly not exclusive to a single region.

In an interview included with the DVD extras, Chan expressed wishes to be remembered as a dramatic actor on the same level as the greats; ala Robert De Niro. Only time will tell if he can succeed. It's clear that his Drunken Master days are over. What remains to be seen is if the movies' quality can match the actor's efforts.

A challenge can be defined as this: Evolving yourself from a no-name stuntman to a comedic martial arts master and finishing as an icon of drama. Any person's odds of accomplishing all three are slim. But Chan has been overcoming odds all his life. What's to stop him now?

Rating: 6

The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Title: The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: November 17th, 2010

MPAA Rating: R

Nicolas Cage had to face wide lampooning in recent years due to his tendency to overact his film roles, resulting in unexpected laughs that overshadow the drama. For The Bad Lieutenant, Cage appears to have been encouraged to bring his over-the-top shtick to new heights.

Here he plays rugged New Orleans policeman Terrence McDonagh in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. He's an unapologetic loudmouth with a sick sense of humor, but can be counted on to get jobs done. He acquires the rank of Lieutenant after saving the life of a prisoner but consequently suffers a serious back injury.

Terrence is prescribed Vicodin as a way to cope with his new pain. The drugs have become addictive and his new obsession seems to have set off a time bomb inside of him. Terrence now places his desire for drugs first in his life and performing his policeman duties second.

Meanwhile, a new murder case has become the police department's center of attention. Terrence, now a loose cannon, is assigned to the investigation of discovering who was responsible for the slaying of five immigrants residing in the area. It is at this point where his fellow comrades begin to question Terrence's ability to stay focused on the job. The line between duty and personal desire is blurred and nobody knows what to make of this Lieutenant, especially the witnesses that have to answer to him.

As I explained before, Cage cranks his "insanity" lever into maximum power here. One minute he's patrolling the neighborhood in a perfectly conspicuous manner. The next minute, he's screaming his lungs out and threatening anyone that stands in the way of what he wants. Usually, the thing he wants is cocaine. Terrence probably takes more cocaine hits in this movie than all of the after school specials from the 1970s combined.

Sometimes, we get to see events from Terrence's distorted view of the world. For a non-comedy, this movie has a lot of running jokes. Probably the most memorable one is Terrence's recurring hallucinations of iguanas and other exotic wildlife. Another is his slow descent into total madness. At one point, his speech degrades into sounding like Jimmy Stewart with a mouth full of water.

I don't know how close to reality the often-seen "Good cop, Bad cop" routine is to real police work. If it's used at all, Nicolas Cage would be one of the most convincing bad cops to ever walk the Earth. His slick way of presenting himself as a lost pathetic soul only to transform into a monster is a work of genius. Proudly serving the city of New Orleans or exhibiting pure sadism seems interchangeable. Forget Harvey Two-Face. Terrence McDonagh has five faces. And any one of them could show up at any moment.

Yet in spite of the praise I'm lending out, I found myself not caring at all about what I was watching. Whatever this movie was trying to prove was lost on me. Was Cage trying to impress people with his sense of dramatic timing and unpredictable behavior? He may have, but it wasn't any surprise to me. I had seen Cage act crazy in the movies plenty of times and needed no convincing that he still had the touch.

Was the story trying to expose how policemen can abuse their power and its impact on the vulnerable oblivious people of broken down America? I think enough citizens are already well aware of actions that betray the public trust. Was Hurricane Katrina supposed to be a metaphor for Terrence's broken body in need of healing? If so, it wasn't a very clever one.

Perhaps it was a simple character study. Never mind the plot. Just watch this guy at work and enjoy the dark beauty behind it. That seems to be the most likely scenario. But then why do I still not understand Terrence McDonagh? I only felt like I was watching Nicolas Cage acting this entire time. It wasn't his fault. It was the fault of a pretentious movie trying to be something that it's not. It tried to amuse audiences by acting fearless and prying for laughs toward a serious tale. It doesn't work because fearlessness alone doesn't make the movie. A coherent direction is all that's needed and this movie doesn't have one. Or maybe it does and I just missed it. Either way, I don't care enough to find out.

Rating: 3

The Six Wives of Henry Lefay

Title: The Six Wives of Henry Lefay

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: November 14th, 2010

MPAA Rating: PG-13

The aforementioned six wives of the title character serve to be more like data rather than co-stars. Much like the legend of Bill Brasky made famous on Saturday Night Live, several people that have encountered Henry Lefay during the course of life have come together to share their favorite and least favorite stories about him.

Tim Allen plays Henry Lefay and gets to depart the picture rather early thanks to his character kicking the bucket in the first scene due to a fatal parasailing accident in Mexico. News of his death reach his daughter Barbara (Elisha Cuthbert). Barbara had been fed up with bailing out her father through countless occasions of carelessness and misfortune. She initially blows off the news as just another one of his desperate grabs for attention, but becomes distraught when she realizes that the tragedy is legit. The last conversation between Barbara and Henry ended with the former insisting to the latter that she never wanted to see him again. The movie enters flashback mode after the opening scene where the dissension is examined more closely before returning to present time.

Feeling remorse over their troubled relationship, Barbara takes upon herself the task of arranging her father's funeral. That also means meeting all of Henry's ex-wives face to face. Despite having the perfect ladies man charm, Henry was constantly convinced that he had found the perfect soul mate only to change his mind later. The ex-wives all come from different backgrounds and can't seem to find enough common ground to get through the funeral without something getting damaged. Most of the hostility comes from the last will and testament situation. Henry relayed a different message to each wife over how he wanted his death to be handled. No one can agree on how to best honor his memory.

Frustrated over being forced to clean up yet another mess, Barbara has to keep everyone's sanity under control long enough to bring closure to her father's wife-jumping legacy.

Tim Allen is a good choice for the role of Henry since he is written very closely to Allen's "Men are Pigs" signature character that made him a star all those years ago. Beyond that though, Henry isn't colorful enough for me to understand why he is such a charmer. The movie always shows him with someone but never shows how they met. We are just expected to believe he is a magician. As a result, Allen didn't have much to work with and had no choice but to play the role on auto-pilot.

Elisha Cuthbert has already proved herself to be a versatile enough actress for the Hollywood big leagues. However, she is terribly miscast here. Her role demanded someone that had the credible aura of an authority figure. Trapped with inmates running the asylum, Barbara has to act as the voice of reason in these situations. Cuthbert does not have the voice nor the presence to act intimidating enough for things to progress past the bickering stage. Too many of her scenes fail to look convincing because of this glaring shortcoming that was far too important to get wrong.

It's difficult for me to describe why so many gags do not work outside of saying that they just weren't funny. A lot of it may have to do with how "forced" the delivery was. The few moments of cleverness are easier to spot because the actresses don't have to try so hard to sell it. Comedy works in a strange way. Even if the situation is completely absurd, it still has to be remotely believable to be effective. The talent among the cast was there. It was the passion that was missing.

In the end, The Six Wives of Henry Lefay turns out to be a project that had promise but finished as an amateur imitation of a Neil Simon play. Due to the quiet release and being devoid of any real embarrassing material, it's unlikely any careers will suffer positive or negative consequences.

Rating: 4

The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Title: The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: October 9th, 2010

MPAA Rating: PG-13

The following review has the potential to be mistaken for a thank-you card. There are times when my giddy affection for a movie can take over my objectivity. In the case this turns out to be one of those times, I would like to apologize beforehand while I am still sane enough to do so. In fact, I'll get my thanks out of the way first just to get it off the checklist.

Thank you, Terry Gilliam. I really needed this.

Set in London during an unspecified time period when everyone dressed in costumes more likely to be found at a Renaissance festival than the actual Renaissance, the titled Doctor Parnassus (Christopher Plummer) and his family of entertainers are the stars of their own traveling magic show, much like the kind found at carnivals. Except of course the magic is real. The Doctor's already extraordinary mind has the power to be linked to other minds. His show offers volunteers the chance to enter the Imaginarium room to explore a fantasy world from their own imaginations. A morality choice awaits them at the end of their journey. Making the correct choice would purify their minds and let them live life without care. The wrong choice would doom them. It's a system of conscious hypnosis.

Times are tough for the old doctor. And I mean OLD. His age is close to a thousand years. When you can brag that you outlived Yoda, you're the king of senior citizens for sure. How could he have lived so long? The trick is more complex than vitamin supplements. Long ago, he made a deal with the devil (Those never end well.) and won immortality. When he met his true love, a second deal was made that granted him youth. This one had a price attached. His first born child would become the devil's property when he/she reached the age of sixteen. The time leading up to the fateful day is soon approaching and the Doctor is mentally out of sorts. His fifteen-year-old daughter Valentina (Lily Cole) has her future hanging in the balance.

Following a show gone awry, the Doctor's family discover the body of a mysterious stranger (Heath Ledger) hanging from a rope underneath a bridge. After pulling him to safety, the stranger awakens without any memory of the events that led up to his attempted execution. He joins the cast of the traveling show and uses his charm to help maximize their revenue. Around this time, the devil returns to haunt the Doctor and claim his female prize. A third deal is wagered and it depended on the next Imaginarium volunteers. If five of them realize purification through their morality choices, Valentina will be spared. If five souls are collected by wrong choices first, Valentina will be collected.

The stranger's mysterious past begins to unravel at the most inconvenient of times. But he may be their only hope to influence five souls before the devil does.

Heath Ledger passed away before the filming of his scenes could be completed. Fortunately, the project was salvageable thanks to the story's fantasy rules. Johnny Depp, Jude Law, and Colin Farrell all appear in different scenes as Ledger's character inside the Imaginarium. To maintain continuity, each of the stranger's journeys inside these worlds are explored through different personalities designed to sway each subject's soul to the desired rite of passage. According to reports, the work provided by the three replacement actors was motivated solely by their respect for the late Heath Ledger. No payments were accepted.

Ledger himself still seemed to be detoxing himself from his Joker role. Some of his mannerisms gave off an eccentric vibe that seemed out of place. But this was in no way a poor performance. He delivered the right kind of charisma that this "tweener" character needed to be liked by the audience and irritating to his companions.

If you're the type of film fan that values creativity over everything else, this is the perfect movie for you. Early on, the story clues us in that real world rules do not apply and anything could happen at any time. Within five minutes, we already watch our first spectator take on their quest in the Imaginarium. The entire movie is full of Terry Gilliam's trademark quirkiness but the Imaginarium scenes are what steals the show, even from the actors. It's like watching an art painting with vibrant color overtones coming to life. According to interviews, several real paintings were the inspiration for some settings. Some of my more purist friends would slap me for even suggesting such a thing, but I would have loved to put on 3D glasses to enter these wonderful worlds. The presentation style almost looks three-dimensional by itself anyway. Why not make it official?

How cool is it to see Verne Troyer get a decent role again? He's actually doing things instead of getting kicked around all movie long. Good for him.

The writing is pretty solid and only shows signs of disorientation toward the finale. While not bad by any means, the ending was doomed to be a letdown since it had such a tough act to follow.

This movie was such a great way to rebound my mood after watching the uninspired Remember Me the night before. After the film had finished, a special line of text appeared on the screen.

A film from Heath Ledger and friends.

Whoa, hold on a minute. Just exactly how many "friends" do I need to write thank-you cards for?

Rating: 8

Creation

Title: Creation

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: September 29th, 2010

MPAA Rating: PG-13

Is it possible that God does not have a plan for everything? World renowned scientist Charles Darwin challenges the Almighty in the BBC-produced Creation. Evolution would have probably been a more sensible title, but Ivan Reitman already called dibs on that one.

Paul Bettany is cast as Darwin, portrayed here as a humble and worried man. His work as a scientist is just as important to him as family. He is embarking on a revolutionary task of discovering an alternative theory to the origin of life as we know it. His work is destined to become an influential research book titled "On the Origin of Species."

After his beloved eldest daughter Annie (Martha West) dies from complications related to Scarlet Fever, Darwin is unsure what kind of a sign it may be. Is God punishing him for daring to challenge his word? Or is the tragedy just further evidence that not everything happens for a reason?

Adding further stress in his life is Darwin's wife Emma (Jennifer Connelly), who uses her religious upbringing and dinner prayers to grieve over the loss of their daughter. Darwin came from religious background himself but is growing more distant from the weekly sermons as his research brings about new ideas. His goal is not to make anyone angry and he still respects his peers' beliefs. But his desire for truth is stronger than anything.

Darwin has such a difficult time coping with the loss of Annie that he begins to have hallucinations of her. Nightmares also arrive, one of which has Annie's ghost directly blaming him for her death. Torn between his family loyalty and his conscience, it may ultimately be up to Emma if "On the Origin of Species" will ever see the light of day.

Even though Darwin's story is a battle between science and religion, the movie focuses more on Darwin's struggles with himself. I was expecting and hoping for some interesting debates supporting the different points of view. Then I realized that a movie like that would end up redundant. All the information that can be learned on the theories can be easily researched. Spoon-feeding it to an audience would only cement the film as a college course visual aid. That's why it needed a story that cannot be found in a textbook. How one man tries to win the respect of both his colleagues and his skeptics.

We do not see Darwin in his lab very often. He spends most of his screen time communicating with his wife and daughter, alternating present and flashback scenes. Annie has a fascination with sad stories and requests her father to re-tell one of her favorite tales about an orangutan separated from its natural habitat. Emma is getting fed up with her husband's nightmares and demands that he seeks help. But what Darwin needs help with most is battling his religious dilemma. Loss of faith is never an easy thing to deal with and the movie captures this inner struggle very well.

Although I don't expect many people of faith to watch this movie, they should be aware that some manipulative plot devices are used. One such device helps justify Darwin's frustration with the church. A priest forces Annie to kneel in rock salt after she debates the creation process of some species with him. I have no doubt that many religious extremists like this priest exist, especially in Darwin's time. But since the movie has no pro-evolution characters who behave this intolerant, it becomes an uneven picture.

Bettany and Connelly have a much-needed positive chemistry. They ought to, as they are real life husband and wife. Their soap opera-esque scenes are well acted but suffer from overlong duration. The scenes between father and daughter are much better since they have a variety in narrative structure and Annie's personality is charming despite her dark traits. Most of the family conflict scenes work overall, so the movie works.

Whether you believe in Darwin's research or not, he deserves respect for his courage. The film does a good enough job elaborating that point. Not only did he have the gumption to challenge everything that his faith taught him, he gave it the middle finger. His devotion to the science he believed in was strong enough to overcome his fear of damnation. Even Darwin's church seemed to have recognized his strong character. According to the information provided by the film's epilogue, Darwin was buried at Westminster Abbey with full Christian honors.

Rating: 6

Jennifer's Body

Title: Jennifer's Body

Year of Release: 2009

Date Viewed: September 17th, 2010

MPAA Rating: R

If I was a paparazzi assigned to photograph Megan Fox, watching Jennifer's Body would make me a little uneasy about following her in the dark.

In this film, Fox plays high school hottie (What else?) Jennifer Check. Her longtime best friend is Needy Lesnicky (Amanda Seyfried), a less popular but well rounded student who splits her time between hanging out with Jennifer and wooing her sensitive boyfriend Chip (Johnny Simmons).

While enjoying their night out at a popular bar, a bizarre series of events start to unravel that change Jennifer and Needy's relationship. Without any observable cause, the building burns down while the patrons are still inside, killing many of them. Jennifer and Needy escape harm, but Jennifer is then immediately abducted by the bar's hired entertainment for that evening; a rock band called Low Shoulder. The band's members act oblivious to the tragic happening that had just occurred and invite the out-of-sorts Jennifer to spend the remainder of the evening with them in the dark woods. (What could possibly go wrong there?)

Just hours later, Jennifer returns to civilization and makes a surprise visit to Needy's house, coughing up unidentifiable liquids with her face looking like a bad Halloween makeup job. Needy is too stunned to call for medical services and can only watch as Jennifer eats several random items from the refrigerator before disappearing again.

The following day, the town is saddened by the loss of the students killed in the fire, except for Jennifer. Nope. She's upbeat and perky as if nothing had happened and shows no signs of illness. Maybe the night was all just a nightmare in Needy's mind.

But the town's nightmare is far from over. Each passing day, a new body (always a male) is found with the limbs and organs torn apart. And Jennifer's behavior grows more and more dark. Is she responsible or involved with these gruesome murders? And what really happened to her that fateful night of the fire? Needy is determined to discover the truth, even if it kills her.

Megan Fox has received more than her fair share of criticism concerning her acting ability. But I actually think she's pretty good here. It may have just been a result of being coached the right way, but I swear that the first time I saw Fox's full-fledged demon face stare straight into the camera, my heart started racing and I felt uneasy. A theory then occurred to me to help explain why this movie had below average box office returns. Fox's main fanbase consists of young adult and teenage males who enjoy drooling over her good looks. After watching this movie, the same fanbase will begin to have nightmares about her instead of pleasant dreams. Where's the motivation there?

Amanda Seyfried is quickly becoming one of my new favorite actresses. Whatever situation however ridiculous the plot approaches, she sells it like a true drama queen. Despite being written as one dimensionally as everyone else, she still manages to bring much needed realistic credibility to her character.

I'm sad to report though that the great casting cannot save the horrendous plot pacing and laughable dialog.

Ah yes, the dialog. The real star of the show. I give credit to screenwriter Diablo Cody for creating an interesting enough story premise and avoiding the stale cliches of horror movie character's speech patterns. But she is trying WAY too hard here. Her writing style is polluted with what I like to call "Cody-isms." These quips were first made famous in Juno; another movie written by Cody. They can appear in several different forms: a play on words, a pop culture reference, combining two random words to make a phrase or sometimes even inventing new words. No matter which way, they are very easy to spot. Here are some of my favorites:

- "I just got Aquamarine on DVD. It's about a girl who's like half sushi."

- "You're jello, Chip. You're lime green jello and you can't even admit it to yourself."

- "Nice hardware, Ace."

- "The whole country got a huge tragedy boner over Devil's Kettle."

- "Freak-tarded."

- "I'm a hard-***** Ford-tough Mama bear."

And Cody is also a big fan of adding the words "and sh**" to certain sentences. Stereotypical high school talk. I wonder if that's how she speaks in real life too. Maybe during a table read, the producers decided to take a break and she said "I'm heading over to McDonalds to buy some hamburgers and sh**. You want anything?"

Or how about when she's telling a story about the night before. "So I met this guy at a bar. We were talking politics and sh**."

Or how about when she's explaining her troubles to the car dealer. "When I switched gears to reverse, it starts making noise and sh** and I'm like whatever so I tried to call you but I couldn't find your number and sh**."

Oh, and I almost forgot about the moment when Chip compared Needy to soy sauce because of how sweet she is. As someone who has never dated, I realize I am not in any position to give advice on the effectiveness of pick-up lines. But I would still like to strongly discourage my fellow males from ever trying that one.

This Russell Stover assortment of quips (my own Cody-ism) goes on for a long stretch of time before we finally get to see some thrills. But by the time these money moments are due up, I felt so embarrassed for the movie that it became hard to take anything seriously. I am not against blending horror and comedy elements. Sam Raimi and Joe Dante are both great at utilizing the best of both worlds into a coherent fun story. Where Jennifer's Body goes wrong is making the humor virtually irrelevant to what we are supposed to care about. The only way the formula works is if humor can turn a key scene into a different direction than what we anticipate, keeping the experience fresh. The movie thinks it's being fresh by referencing topical pop culture when in reality it's as stale as six week bread. (Another Cody-ism. That one was by accident. Ugh. I need to regroup.)

Do any scare scenes work? When the movie finished, I did notice myself sprinting upstairs a little faster than usual after turning off the basement lights. So I guess that has to count for something. Other scenes are set up unintentionally hilarious. Evidently, Devil's Kettle High School requires a long walk through a desolate field to reach the front door. Either that or our hero decided to take the scenic route for exercise purposes. "Who cares if the town has been plagued by a serial killer? I need to burn some calories!"

Megan Fox has shown some potential to be more than a pretty face actress here. But it will never be realized if she continues to accept roles that only construct new ways to show off her cleavage. Amanda Seyfried seems immune from a bad performance regardless of the material. And while Diablo Cody may have a shiny Oscar statue sitting on her shelf of accomplishments, it's clear that she still has much left to prove if she wants to be remembered as anything other than a flash in the pan.

Rating: 4