Monday, July 4, 2011

The Adjustemnt Bureau


I caught up with The Adjustment bureau on Blu-ray this weekend and I wish I had seen this film in the theatre. I really enjoyed this sci-fi suspense film that explored the blurred line between free will and destiny.

Matt Damon stars as David Norris, a NY politician who crosses path with a woman (Emily Blunt) whom he has an immediate attraction to, on the same night he loses election to the U.S. Senate. Months later, by chance, their paths cross again and this time he gets her number.

But they were pre-ordained never to meet again and the chance happened because one of the "caseworkers" who manages his destiny slipped up. because of the slip up, David also witnesses the caseworkers in action, something no human is ever supposed to see.

John Slattery stars as Richardson, the leader of this group of men from the Adjustment Bureau who manage life's plan and makes sure it stays on track. he gives David two choices. Never see Elisa again and never reveal what he has seen, or have is mind scrambled so he remembers nothing and people will think he has gone insane. Another caseworker, Harry (Anthony Mackie) the one that slipped up, gives David a more detailed explanation of what the caseworkers do and warns David not to attempt to defy them.

But three years later David meets Elise again and this time he is determined to be with her despite what the Bureau claims is his destiny. 

On the one hand The Adjustment Bureau is a romantic thriller and on the other hand it is a metaphysical discussion about free will and destiny. Do we choose what happens to us or is it all pre-ordained and we are just following a script somewhere. The film carefully balances these themes in a refreshing way, while the thriller aspects of the story keep you in suspense.

I really enjoyed The Adjustment Bureau. It was fast paced and didn't dumb things down for the audience. Damon and Blunt were excellent together and the story used CGI to create some cool visuals of NYC that can be accessed through some very unique doorways.

At The Movie House rating *** stars

The Green Lantern


The Green Lantern is the second of three super-hero movies coming out this summer. The special effects laden super-hero action picture has become a summer staple since Batman in 1989, and every year the studios search for a new character to launch a franchise with. The crash and burn pile is littered with the bodies of Dick Tracy, The Shadow, The Rocketeer, The Phantom and Daredevil. 

Fortunately for Warner Brothers The Green Lantern avoids death in his first outing. The film has made $101 million dollars in it's first 17 days of release so The Green Lantern may survive to appear in a sequel about three years from now.

The Green Lantern is not a terrible movie, it's just a terribly predictable movie. I had to control myself to not blurt out lines of dialogue or state obvious events that were about to happen. But at this point aren't all super-hero movies predictable? The film is a full blown summer popcorn picture, a spectacular show of sight and sound without a lot of substance. The substance that is there is found in the charm of Ryan Reynolds performance. As test pilot Hal Jordan and then later as the newly christened Green Lantern he brings a freshness and sincerity to the movie that rises above the predictable stuff.

Like any first super-hero film, the movie is bogged down with telling the origin of the super-hero and filling in a lot of back story which can slow down the pacing. Hopefully if Warner attempts a sequel, they can create a faster paced adventure for The Green Lantern with the same balance of action and comedy that worked for this film.

Once again the 3D technique is used to full advantage to add spectacular depth to the film, especially in the scenes on planet Oa and enhance the movie going experience.

if you enjoy super-hero movies, big summer action pics or you are under the age of 21 you'll have a fun time at The Green Lantern other wise you should skip this film and wait for Captain America later on this summer.

At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars - recommended with reservations

Cars 2


Cars 2 is the latest full length animated feature from the creative geniuses at Pixar. It is a sequel to the 2006 hit Cars and features all the favorite roadsters, except the Hudson Hornet played by Paul Newman, and introduces a couple of new characters.

Lighting McQueen (Owen Wilson) has had a successful career as a stock car racer, but know he has excepted a challenge to participate in an international Grand Prix. His best friend Tow Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) travels along as part of his pit crew and becomes mistaken for an American spy.

Cars 2 is a spoof on the James Bond Movies of the 60's with the cars having unique gadgets of their own. The new cars are a Finn McMissle (Micheal Caine) a British secret agent and Holly Shiftwell (Emily Mortimer) his able bodied assistant. 

Mater is the real star of the movie as the British agents mistake him for an American spy in disguise. When his antics embarrass McQueen and cause him to lose the first race in Tokyo, Mater and Lightning are on the outs. It's not until they reach London at the conclusion when they repair their friendship and save the day.

Many critics have given the film poor reviews because they compare it to Pixar's outstanding films such as Up, Toy Story 3, Wall-E and Ratatouille, and that's not really fair. Each film should be based on it's own merits not the merits of previous work. The movie is fast paced, highly inventive and has lots of funny moments. Kids should love it, but for me a little bit of Mater goes a long way. The film lacks the originality of the first film and the story while the spy story is a funny satire, the relationship story between the two buddies felt old and tired. Good but not great work from Pixar.

The Pixar team does an excellent job of using 3D technology to great benefit and I saw the film in IMAX 3D and from that aspect it was great experience.

At The Movie House rating **1/2 stars. Recommended with reservations.


The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King


Time to catch up on my movie notes. Last week I saw the final installment of the NCM Fathom's presentation of Lord of the Rings. This is the first time I have seen the extended version of The Return of the King and I can say, without a doubt, even at almost four hours long, it is a better film. I understand the restraints of not being able to release films that 240 minutes long, but by extending the three films director Peter Jackson has created a truly epic masterpiece. The added footage adds nuances and depth of character that were missing from the shorter films. The Two Towers is a much better film because of the added footage and to be honest I was so engaged with Return of the King I could not tell you what was original and what was added. Nothing felt out of place. The flow of the narrative was so smooth that it felt as if the movie was always assembled this way.

If you missed seeing these three great films in their theatrical debut this month I highly recommend you go out and purchase the newly released Blu-ray versions immediately.

At The Movie House rating - LOTR: Return of the King **** stars.