Red Dawn (2012) - 2 stars out of 10

Red Dawn (2012) - 2 stars out of 10

The production team of “Red Dawn” has somehow managed to take an already far-fetched concept and blow the top off of it.  The opening credits bring this story into modern times by establishing our current political climate and showing North Korea as a worldwide threat.  It is all downhill from there.  If you aren’t rolling your eyes at North Korea’s sudden occupation of the United States, the group of teenagers who train in the woods in order to fight back, or their convenient access to weapons, ammo, and explosives, the frequent (and extreme) cheesy moments will certainly ruin it for you.  It is almost comical as the teens represent themselves with their high school mascot, the Marines act so impressed, and the brothers share a moment.  The dialogue is rough although the action sequences are pretty cool.  I do applaud the writers for not being afraid to kill off some of the main characters.  That is probably the most realistic part of this teenagers-turned-soldiers story.  Chris Hemsworth must have owed someone a favor when he agreed to star in this film amidst his success with “Thor” and “The Avengers.”  My best advice is that, unless you owe someone a favor yourself, don’t let anybody talk you into this one.

[Pictured: The access to advanced weaponry is quite convenient under the circumstances]

As Good As It Gets - 8 stars out of 10

As Good As It Gets - 8 stars out of 10

“As Good As It Gets” is really good, but certainly not as good as it gets.  The story is unique and interesting, complete with Oscar-winning performances by Jack Nicholson and Helen Hunt, but I found a lot of the comedy to lie in an awkward area between serious social issues and ironic dark humor.  I don’t know if it is the fault of the writers or the difficulty of writing a racist, homophobic, OCD character, but the tone of the film seems inappropriate at times.  Still, there cannot be enough praise given to the acting.  Nicholson and Hunt are magical together, to the point where the creepiness of their extreme age difference is barely an afterthought as the story progresses.  Hunt has a great crying scene, Nicholson flips out on a bunch of people, and that’s what we really want out of this film.  Their chemistry is everything that you would expect from these great actors, but Greg Kinnear is a great surprise.  His emotional and unfortunate existence earned him an Oscar nomination (which will also probably be his last, due to his sour grapes toward not winning).  The film contains one of my favorite lines of all time: “You make me want to be a better man.”  It might not seem like much out of context, but its simplicity is perfectly matched with Nicholson’s delivery in the film.  It isn’t my favorite film and definitely did not deserve to beat “Titanic” in the 1998 Academy Awards, but “As Good As It Gets” is one of those films that has become a staple in the repertoire and everybody needs to see it at least once.

[Pictured: Three Oscar nominees, a perfect motley crew]

Unleashed (2005) - 7 stars out of 10

Unleashed (2005) - 7 stars out of 10

“Unleashed” blends kung fu and drama into a truly fascinating story.  It contains all of the action that you hope for in a Jet Li film but weaves that action around a worthwhile plot.  Martial arts films have the negative connotation of using a low-quality storyline for the sole purpose of stringing together several fight scenes, but this concept is so interesting that I legitimately like “Unleashed” for its story more than its awesome fight scenes.  The concept seems a little ridiculous as this fighter is raised like a dog and trained to turn into a killing machine when his collar is removed, but the film executes it in a way that makes it surprisingly believable.  Li’s character shows a convincing transformation through culture and music, aided by Morgan Freeman’s soft-spoken character and contrasted by the raw aggression of Bob Hoskins.  You always expect greatness from Freeman, but all of these actors provide better performances than your typical martial arts cast.  I was particularly taken with Kerry Condon, who somehow manages to keep up with Freeman and serves as a convincing role model for Li.  The story isn’t perfect as it drags at a few points, but the progressive revealing of information and action sequences always pick the tempo back up.  It isn’t often that you combine blood and weapons with a Mozart Piano Sonata, but the odd combination works perfectly in the context of “Unleashed.”

[Pictured: Bonus points to using music to help him find his humanity]

The Maze Runner - 6 stars out of 10

The Maze Runner - 6 stars out of 10

“The Maze Runner” is the latest in the string of teen-targeted dystopian adventure films.  It is impossible to avoid comparisons so, to be blunt, it is not as good as “The Hunger Games” or “Divergent”; still, the story is interesting and the intrigue will keep you watching until the end.  Unlike the aforementioned series’, this film doesn’t have any big-name actors (aside from Patricia Clarkson who is on-screen for less than 5 minutes).  The cast won’t be your reason for seeing this, but it also allows the story to develop without being distracted by the actors.  The plot leaves a lot of loose ends and its reliance on a sequel makes it a very disappointing stand-alone film, but it also has me so anxious to get some answers to my long list of questions.  Dylan O’Brien carries the momentum from the unexpectedly intense opening to the final Griever battle.  The boys also develop a strong Lord-of-the-Flies chemistry as if they were truly in this survival situation.  The movie reminded me of M. Night Shyamalan’s “The Village” from the start, but I was relieved to see that the Grievers are real to dismiss the possibility of it being a stolen concept.  I love that the time period is left ambiguous between the lack of technology provided to the boys and the complex robotic appearance of the Grievers.  I even began questioning whether the boys were on Earth.  The story is dark, the action is intense, and “The Maze Runner” will keep you curious from start to finish (and until the sequel is released).

[Pictured: The scenery may be the coolest part of this film!]

Big Eyes - 8 stars out of 10

Big Eyes - 8 stars out of 10

“Big Eyes” is the fascinating true story of artist Margaret Keane and her big-eyed artwork.  Her unique style is unlike any other, but the story of her jealous husband is even more exceptional.  This is a pretty big change of pace for Tim Burton.  It seems that he has traded in long, spider-like legs for big eyes as he tells the story with accuracy and restraint.  The script carefully paces the events so that each new development is a surprise.  These surprises create some strong emotional responses as our perspective allows us to see what the rest of the world could not.  This well-written script set the film up for success, but the heart of the story lies in the acting.  I won’t spoil the story but I will say that Christoph Waltz’s characterization is so good that you will be torn between loving him and hating him.  Likewise, Amy Adams delivers a performance that allows us to really cheer her character on through her challenging predicament.  These two actors steal the show and really create a slice of reality before our own big eyes.  I greatly appreciate that “Big Eyes” is cleaner than many of its competitors and this is definitely a film that can easily be recommended to a wide audience.

[Pictured: Waltz and Adams carry the entire film on their shoulders from start to finish]

District 13 (Banlieue 13) - 6 stars out of 10

District 13 (Banlieue 13) - 6 stars out of 10

“District 13” is pretty much what you expect from a dystopian French action film.  The plot is interesting, the characters are pretty standard, but the thing that makes this film special is the use of parkour in its action sequences.  Parkour (aka “extreme running”) has seen various waves of popularity since its conception in the late 80’s but this film has been a window to the extreme sport for the next generation.  The film stars David Belle, the founder of parkour, as a vigilante who tries to cleanse his Parisian suburb of gang violence.  I enjoyed the story, but not nearly as much as I enjoyed watching Belle get chased around buildings and over rooftops by various bad guys.  Naturally, he ends up being paired up with Cyril Raffaelli (another insanely awesome parkour guy) so that they can get chased around together.  Bibi Naceri plays a pretty despicable bad guy and Dany Verissimo provides the damsel in distress.  A lot of the story is predictable and far-fetched, but it’s worth it for the action sequences.  “District 13” isn’t an amazing film, but it is an important preservation of parkour with unbelievable stunts that were filmed without wires or CGI.

[Pictured: It seems like every other scene sports a cool stunt or a long string of stunts by the cast]

Signs (2002) - 7 stars out of 10

Signs (2002) - 7 stars out of 10

“Signs” is a thought-provoking thriller that creates most of its scares through the things that you do not see.  M. Night Shyamalan harnesses his “inner Hitchcock” to capture the story from creative camera angles and unexpected perspectives.  This is a great scary movie for beginners because it gives you the adrenaline rush without many nightmare-inducing images.  James Newton Howard’s creepy score sets the tone for the entire film from the first moment of the opening credits.  The dissonant chords put us on edge, which is a necessity since much of the horror is implied instead of shown.  As a spoiler-free warning, realize that this story does not contain the expected Shyamalan twist.  The “twist” is the misdirection of our expectation: this film is not about the aliens.  Rather, it is about a family’s attempt to cope with the death of their mother.  The title is also misleading, as the crop circles are not the “signs” that are most important in the end.  Quality acting is what really helps us to feel as if we are a part of the events.  Mel Gibson and Joaquin Phoenix carry the film with veteran acting chops while the innocence of Rory Culkin and Abigail Breslin create the sense of helplessness.  They act far beyond the expectation of a 12- and 6-year-old.  The film has several unforgettable moments (particularly the birthday party footage, the fingers under the door, and the dinner scene), while mixing in comedy to relieve the tension.  The film does move a little slow at the beginning and the end, and there were a few scary moments that were interrupted by comic relief too quickly (though it made me feel better about the 11-year-old in the room who was very nervous).  Some have criticized the lack of a pay-off at the end, but the ambiguity is what makes you realize the most important theme of this story.  “Signs” isn’t my favorite film by Shyamalan, but it is a classic that everybody should see at some point.

[Pictured: I always love seeing stories through the unique perspective of M. Night Shyamalan]