The Ultimate Gift - 3 stars out of 10

The Ultimate Gift - 3 stars out of 10

I have very mixed feelings about "The Ultimate Gift."  At first, I was thrilled to find a highly moral film that does not shove religion down your throat but makes it very clear that we were created to live our lives in a particular way.  I was happy that the acting and script were of a much higher quality than Hallmark Channel-ish films.  I was particularly impressed to see big names like James Garner, Abigail Breslin, Brian Dennehy, and my favorite, Billy Cobbs, taking part in a great high-moral film.  But then... the main character was taken hostage by the guerilla in Ecuador (I know, right?)  What started as a real-world story about a materialistic brat learning about the important things in life began its downward descent into an unnecessary and long-winded sequence that doesn't really even make sense.  For some reason, once this random happening occurs, the quality of acting from Drew Fuller and Ali Hillis and the remainder of the story progressively fall apart.  The story was wonderful for the first half of the film, but then the Ecuador thing happens and the key component (Breslin) to Fuller's transformation disappears for a month.  That hiatus breaks the emotional attachment to Breslin and the rest of the film becomes so rushed that it never returns.  After the initial twist with Breslin I was prepared to cry buckets, regardless of the outcome of the film, but the script eliminated any sort of emotional reaction at the end.  What starts out as a strong film that can keep pace with any major studio production ends in disappointment; however, the big-name actors carry the film and it still delivers its important message of compassion and generosity.  I will still recommend this film for its great message, as long as you promise to fast-forward the Ecuador sequence.

The Great Mouse Detective - 7 stars out of 10

The Great Mouse Detective - 7 stars out of 10

"The Great Mouse Detective" is a Disney film for adults.  Kids will enjoy watching the mice and rats on the screen but the script is not written with Timon/Pumbaa characters, nor does it make use of "kid humor."  This story is one that features scary villains and relies on the deductive reasoning of Basil to engage the audience.  This Sherlock Holmes allegory constantly alludes to the world of Holmes and the characters from the stories as this detective tries to crack the case and save all of Mousedom.  This film is a great artistic achievement, bringing Victorian-era London to life (as both a real world and a mouse world), providing visual appeal through the elaborate chemistry and "mousetrap" sequences, and keeping the film kid-friendly through the use of silhouettes to mask intense content.  The most impressive sequence of animation occurs during the final showdown inside of Big Ben, with gears threatening the lives of the characters with every turn.  This is one of Disney's first ventures into CGI and produces a breathtaking effect.  Aside from the artistry and the excellent story that contains a few twists that extend the ending when all seems to be resolved, I love the voice acting.  My favorite voice from the film was Susanne Pollatschek who provided Olivia's perfectly adorable Scottish accent.  According to IMDB, this was the only role that she ever played and that's a shame, because I adored this performance.  Probably the most underrated performance comes from Alan Young (the voice of Uncle Scrooge from DuckTales, Wilbur from Mr. Ed).  His character -Flaversham- did not receive much screen time but in one emotional monologue, he really had a chance to shine.  I would be remiss if I did not mention Vincent Price, who offered his famed speaking voice to the film as Ratigan toward the end of his fruitful career.  Finally, Barrie Ingham is amazing in the title role, mixing sophistication with emotion.  I love the character of Basil because he shows real human emotions.  Throughout the film, he exudes confidence, frustration, insensitivity, defeat, and a dozen other emotions that give him life.  This film is not an epic like "The Lion King" or "Aladdin."  Instead of showing a character's progression throughout a large portion of life, this film just focuses on one event and explores its details.  I believe that this is one reason that "The Great Mouse Detective" is often overlooked as a significant installment in the Disney Canon but do not be misled - it may not have a king who is reclaiming his throne or a distraught Disney Princess but this story is unforgettable.

Source Code - 9 stars out of 10

Source Code - 9 stars out of 10

"Source Code" is entirely farfetched and yet, you won't question "how" because it is presented in such a believable manner.  Wow, this is an incredible mindbender.  After directing "Moon," director Duncan Jones needed an mind-bending story to raise the bar and he did so with success.  You might expect an "alternate reality storyline" reminiscent of "Donnie Darko" because of Jake Gyllenhaal's involvement in the film... and that would be an accurate expectation!  This is probably my favorite performance by Gyllenhaal, as I have never claimed to have been impressed by his dramatic acting in Brokeback Mountain and Brothers.  Vera Farmiga stands out as the best actor in this film, her clear blue eyes filled with emotion as her character is trapped in a heartwrenching dilemma.  Even though her screen time was far less than the other two leads, she is the one that made this viewing experience very memorable.  The thing that I love about this sort of sci-fi story is that it takes place in a real-world setting.  Elaborate fantasy costumes make me immediately think "Okay, this is unrealistic so let me prepare."  But any sort of military setting tends to be realistic as we acknowledge that in real life, we are unaware of the many advanced technologies that our govenment uses.  The story also impresses me because it is the same story 7 different times, and yet the plot continues to thicken, especially as we gain insight into the real-world fate of this soldier.  The pacing of the film is perfect as the action is balanced by the character's (and the audience's) thought process to solve this mystery.  The twist made me like this film.  The ending made me love it.  You will be confused and sit on the edge of skepticism for a large portion of the film, but it's worth it simply for these two plot twists that will leave you speechless as the end credits begin to roll.

The Jazz Singer - 7 stars out of 10

The Jazz Singer - 7 stars out of 10

"The Jazz Singer" is the experiment that changed cinema forever.  This is the first feature-length talkie and its popularity challenged every film studio to begin filming with sound, establishing talkies as the new standard.  It is actually a hybrid of a silent film and a talkie, as the musical sequences are the only sections with an accompanying vocal track.  I've seen silent films before, but the inclusion of sound really made me notice the silent moments - I chuckled as Debbie Reynolds' monologue from Singing in the Rain about "pantomime on the screen" came to mind, showing me how true that statement was and how revolutionary the inclusion of sound in film became.  This film is an accurate representation of life in the 1920's and, although I have trouble getting into silent films, I enjoyed its heartfelt conflict between honoring your parents and pursuing your dreams.  The film moved at a good pace and I was never bored with it.  Al Jolson IS this entire movie with the perfect personality (and unique voice) to bring talking into the world of film.  The beauty of his voice is reason enough to watch this film, as well as the cute love story between him and May McAvoy.  It is a true testament to their acting because, without a single word of dialogue between them, you will fall in love with their love story.  You can really see the transition between the older generation of silent film stars and the new generation of talkies during the scene of dialogue between Jolson and his mother.  He delivers all of the dialogue with vigor as she shyly sits without uttering much of anything.  She really seems to be uncomfortable with the scene, but in all of her silent sequences she shines.  My only complaint about this film is its use of blackface.  I always feel uncomfortable with anything involving blackface, but became okay with it in this circumstance for two reasons.  1. It is culturally significant to this character piece from the 1920's.  2. There is no racial mocking in the two blackface performances (unlike "Babes in Arms").  I can't give this film my highest rating because there are a ton of films that I'd watch a second time before I'd repeat this one, but I truly enjoyed this piece of cinematic history and believe that it should be seen by everyone to appreciate the progression from silent films to talkies.

Abduction - 3 stars out of 10

Abduction - 3 stars out of 10

Oh "Abduction," where to begin... The city of Pittsburgh looks wonderful on the big screen and as a native of the city, it was very exciting to see so many familiar sights throughout the movie.  This ends the complimentary portion of the review.  Enter Taylor Lautner: the worst actor since Hayden Christensen.  There must have been someone off-screen saying "Okay, now turn and look at your parents.  Okay, start walking away.  Okay, awkwardly pause and look back at your parents again."  I'm sure that teenage girls love this film because he takes his shirt off, but anybody outside of that realm will be looking to throw tomatoes at the sceen (and the occasional watermelon).  Lily Collins was better but still had her moments of bad acting.  More maddening than anything was the inclusion of quality actors Alfred Molina, Michael Nyqvist, Maria Bello, and Sigourney Weaver into this weak script.  They all should have known better, particularly when Sigourney read through the script and saw that one of her lines was "I hate balloons..."  One would think that she delivered it in the dry, monotoned voice to stress the fact that the script is absurd, but she just should have run in the other direction when offered this contract.  This script was obviously written as a vehicle to turn Lautner into a "masculine fantasy" with an unnecessary shedding of clothing, lengthy fight sequences where several punches would do, and an endless make-out scene that grows in intensity every time that it should stop.  Once again, how do you intend to make any money when your target audience cannot drive themselves to the theater and the parents will not want to sit through this?  I actually thought that the concept and twists were all very good.  It's just ruined because of a poor script that becomes more farfetched by the moment, and this is coming from a guy who loves to suspend his disbelief for a great action flick!  I just couldn't see this high school student destroying a ton of professional killers.  The action truly is enjoyable but too unrealistic.  The film does a good job of explaining how he knows how to fight, but asks too much of the audience during the fights in the house and on the train.  Not to mention the 22-hour timeframe from the house to the hospital to the woods to Virginia back to Pittsburgh to a train ride to a train escape back into the woods.  Honestly, this is merely a weak film trying to capitalize on the success of Twilight and your best bet is to read a synopsis on Wikipedia and then watch the final 20 minutes at PNC Park.  There is little to gain from this story but everything to gain from seeing a chase scene through the ballpark and a slide down the glass about the escalators.

The Muppet Movie (1979) - 5 stars out of 10

The Muppet Movie (1979) - 5 stars out of 10

In their first feature film, the Muppets tell the story of how they got their start... "sort-of."  The puppetry in this film is amazing, with Kermit the Frog sitting on a log in a pond playing a banjo (which is the first time that a hand-puppet appeard on-screen with its entire body showing) and then riding a bicycle down the street..  These special effects are what set this apart from other films of the same ilk.  As far as story is concerned, it's okay but sometimes feels as if they were trying to squeeze in as many cameos as possible.  Every huge actor that you can imagine appears, EVEN BIG BIRD, but sometimes it felt like too much.  My other complaint is that there are too many songs.  I do love the song Rainbow Connection and am happy that it was recognized with an Oscar nomination; however, when there are 11 songs squeezed into 90 minutes, they keep coming one after another without enough space between them.  There were multiple times when I had the thought of "Another song?  Really?"  I like how the writers created some backstories to show how all of these Muppets came together to take over the entertainment industry, and I wonder if its "Wizard of Oz-ish storyine" was intentional.  In the end, "The Muppet Movie" will appeal to any fan of The Muppets, particularly because of the cool puppet effects and opportunity to learn the beginnings of each character.  Personally, I feel as if the film had the potential to be a lot funnier, with Statler and Waldorf (and a bunch of the other characters) being underused.  Expanding the film to 100 minutes would have taken away the rushed feel.  It is designed to be a children's movie and these shortcomings will not matter to a child who will love the catchy songs and comedic characters.  If given the choice between this film and 6 episodes of The Muppet Show, I'll take the tv program any day, but I am glad that this film was created.  It paved the way for the Muppets to move beyond the television and establish a place in media history that will make them familiar to children past, present, and future.

Moneyball - 7 stars out of 10

Moneyball - 7 stars out of 10

"Moneyball" is an enjoyable film for any fan of baseball as it offers an opportunity to see what happens behind the scenes.  I tells that amazing true story of the 2002 Oakland Athletics whose general manager used an unorthodox approach to putting together a winning team on a very limited budget.  As a warning, the movie does move very slow for the first hour and might lose you if you aren't interested in baseball.  I attribute a lot of the slow pace to a lack of musical score to create a flow in the film.  Once the baseball sequences, the film gains momentum that lasts until the very end but the slow pace of the first half made the film seem really long.  Brad Pitt is excellent as Billy Bean and he can chalk up one more successful role on his long resume.  The screenwriters wanted this to be a dramedy, making Brad a perfect candidate to create both comedic and dramatic moments, but I don't believe that the comedy translated very well.  There are definitely "amusing" moments but the majority of the film reads as drama.  That's actually okay with me, since the dramatic difficulties faced by the main character emphasize the themes of failure in his life and the need to provide for his daughter.  Jonah Hill is perfect in the role of Peter Brand (who is actually a composite character primarily based on the assistant general manager to the A's).  He brings the necessary geekiness to the role while selling the audience on this philosophy of creating a team.  The other actor of note is Philip Seymour Hoffman, who gives a performance far below his standard.  It is really interesting to see familiar baseball players portrayed on the screen and the entire film has a magical feeling as you realize that this unlikely scenario actually occured.  I'm not sure if I would recommend this to non-baseball fans but the drama is great and it properly explains this unlikely (but successful) story.

The Third Man - 7 stars out of 10

The Third Man - 7 stars out of 10

"Like the fella says, in Italy for 30 years under the Borgias they had warfare, terror, murder, and bloodshed, but they produced Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, and the Renaissance. In Switzerland they had brotherly love - they had 500 years of democracy and peace, and what did that produce? The cuckoo clock. So long Holly."  The Third Man was a very enjoyable movie, with an amazing villainous performance by Orson Welles (but then again, when is he anything less than amazing?)  A great feature is that there are no subtitles when characters speak in a foreign language.  Since Holly is a foreigner, it helps us to relate to him and to grasp what he experienced.  Post-war Vienna is a great setting for a murder mystery.  And of course, it features an outstanding twist that you will never anticipate.  Though this was a great movie overall, it bothered me that the music didn't quite line up with the mood of the movie.  It almost sounded more like the soundtrack from Spongebob Squarepants than a murder mystery.  Though I wouldn't put this movie up there with Hitchock's movies, The Third Man  provides a great mystery that is fun to experience with well-written characters.

Pete's Dragon (1977) - 5 stars out of 10

Pete's Dragon (1977) - 5 stars out of 10

I have to begin my review of "Pete's Dragon" by saying how amazed I am at Disney's ability to make a cartoon dragon interact with live characters for the duration of the film.  Disney has always been an innovative company and films like this show us why.  I highly recommend watching the bonus featurette on the "Pete's Dragon" dvd to understand the complexity of the process to bring this film to life.  "Pete's Dragon" is the story of a boy and his friend Elliot (who happens to be a dragon), and the small town that believe him to be an imaginary friend.  The idea to portray this "imaginary friend" with animation in a live-action world is the perfect visual concept.  The actual animation of the Dragon is very expressive and this is a reminder of why it was a huge loss for Disney when Don Bluth went his own way (and proceeded to create classic flims like Rock-A-Doodle...).  At first, I was annoyed that the dragon couldn't talk and instead behaved like a dog, but in the context of the story those were the perfect attributes for Elliot.  I wouldn't say that any of the acting is excellent but it is generally above average.  I absolutely adored Helen Reddy in this role with perfect maternal instincts.  Mickey Rooney made a good comic drunk and Sean Marshall had a beautiful singing voice.  The highlight for me was Jim Dale as "Dr. Terminus" (a.k.a. Doc Ter-Menace), not only for his clever name but because his acting was the perfect amount over the top.  Even though I was a bit disturbed that he was singing a song detailing how they will kill and chop up a dragon, “Every Little Piece” is incredibly catchy and was my favorite moment of the film.  It's definitely not "Mary Poppins", but I was surprised and impressed with how good the music was.  This film has a very child-friendly feel to it, but the Oscar-nominated song “Candle on the Water” is obviously intended for adults.  This beautiful and moving piece of music gives us a short moment to forget about the dragon and get lost in the themes of loss and love before returning to the main story.  "Pete's Dragon" isn't one of my favorite Disney movies and cannot compare to other live-action Disney films like "Mary Poppins," but the impressive animation and catchy music make this a film worth watching once.

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - 7 stars out of 10

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer - 7 stars out of 10

How do you rate an iconic Christmas classic?  It would be unfair to grade it purely on "quality" because a film like this is so near and dear to our hearts that the warm-fuzzy-factor must be included.  The stop-motion animation from the 1960's may be outdated but there is something to be said for catchy music and loveable characters.  Burt Ives has the perfect voice to narrate this film and the reindeer are very cute.  This movie is unique because it stretches the original story to include the Island of Misfit Toys, which allows comic characters (like the Charlie-in-the-Box and Hermey) to join in the plot.  Interestingly, the original 1964 broadcast ended with the fate of the Misfit Toys remaining unresolved, and an alternate ending was filmed (and broadcast ever since) due to protests that all of the toys deserve to be enjoyed by children.  This review would not be complete without mentioning the best character: Yukon Cornelius!  If you ever find yourself face-to-face with an Abominable Snow Monster, just remember that "Bumbles BOUNCE!"  Most importantly, this film carries the Christmas spirit and the theme that no matter how different we may be, we should accept others for their differences.  Everybody has a place in this world and I'm thankful that nearly 50 years later, Rudolph continues to remind us each Christmas.

Fred Claus - 2 stars out of 10

Fred Claus - 2 stars out of 10

"Fred Claus" is sort of like a Christmas movie for adults, only shot like a children’s movie.  Yeah, it doesn’t really make any sense to me, either.  The constant shift between child-pleasing visual gags and humor intended for adults make it difficult to identify a target audience.  If they were trying to make it appeal to adults and children, they failed as it doesn't really appeal to either.  The film provides an interesting look into life at the North Pole but I just don't like the story.  It was an interesting concept to have Santa reconnect with his estranged brother, but then it became an awkward mess of elves learning to dance and an auditor trying to shut down Christmas.  Paul Giamatti, I love you as an actor, but you make a horrible Santa Claus.  Vince Vaughn delivers his typical comedic role.  And that's not a compliment.  This brand of humor works perfectly in "Wedding Crashers" but feels annoying in a Christmas movie.  The film is filled with stars like Kevin Spacey, Rachel Weisz, Kathy Bates, and Paul Giamatti but the lack of a quality script hinders them from performing to their potential.  I know that some of them probably signed on with the opinion of "It'd be nice for us to be in a family film that we can show our children," but they chose the wrong one.  The film does have a few positive aspects.  They convincingly turned John Michael Higgins into an elf, to the point that I was contemplating "I think that's Wayne Jarvis from Arrested Development, but that's probably just a midget that reminds me of him."  I'll admit that the "Silent Night" sequence is amazing (but not worth watching the 90 minutes prior to it).  We always think about how excited kids are when they open their gifts on Christmas morning, but has anybody ever portrayed the satisfaction that Santa would have if he could see the excitement of all of the children opening their gifts?  The brotherly moment at the end of the scene is also pretty awesome.  AND I have to give bonus points to Fred Claus for taking those kids to Gino’s deep dish pizza.  That being said, I now understand why this film has nearly been forgotten after only four years and can safely say that it will not be added to my list of Christmas movies that I look forward to each year.