Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince

The Harry Potter film series has been inevitably divergent from the books they share namesake with, it is simply too difficult to cram everything that occurs in the thick novels into a feature film and make it work. What the filmmakers, up to this point, have decided to do is to slim down the films to the more basic elements and present a streamlined version of events therein. For the most part this has worked, the films, while lacking some elements, capture the core of each book and create a Potter world almost no one could be disappointed with. The case of Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is no different, while the film differs significantly from book, leaving major portions out, the general feel and events are intact and this is what makes it a truly entertaining experience.

I must admit that it has been some time since I ventured into the Harry Potter world via the books so my knowledge of anything more than the basic plot may be lacking. What certainly is intact is the darker tone this book had, the film feels menacing from the opening sequence to the final scene, a tone that fits the source material quite well given Harry's attempts to discover more about Voldemort. The film also prominently features the coming of age of its main characters as Ron, Harry, and Hermoine all deal with relationship drama throughout. This aspect of the film is not as successful as the rest mainly due to the performances of the cast. While none of the actors or actresses are particuarly bad they all do a less than satisfactory job of portraying their characters conflicted emotions. This leaves the relationships feeling hollow and somewhat forced, a shame considering that these characters interactions drive the books and give them added appeal.

A film about wizards is always going to succeed or fail on the strength of its effects and Harry Potter is no different, the magic must look believable for the action to carry any weight. Fortunately, this has never been a problem for these films and has steadily improved since The Sorcerer’s Stone. In this film the effects become somewhat of a centerpiece as memory sequences are an important aspect of the plot. These sequences are fantastically done, as the black liquid memories become the buildings and people they represent it is impossible not to feel a sense of awe. The magic, as well, has improved as the battle between Harry and Draco as well as the one between Harry and Snape certainly have a sense of believability to them.

There are, however, two glaring omissions from the novel to film transition which may disappoint fans of the Rowling series. The two casualties are that of Dumbeldore’s funeral and the battle at Hogwart’s . These sequences are, for better or worse, completely removed. The Hogwart’s battle was most likely removed due to a similar battle occuring in the next film. As for Dumberldore’s funeral that may be used to establish tone in the next film and could open Deathly Hallows I.

What this film ends up being is one of the first, great, successes of the summer movie season. While it may lack some elements and have an uneasy feeling during the relationship scenes, Harry Potter and company still bring the magic and in the end that is what these films are all about. If you are a fan of the series or are looking for a magical adventure that will please across the board you can’t go wrong with Harry Potter and the Half Blood Prince.

Score:8/10

Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen

New format, I am not bothering with listing stars or directors and will just get to the point....the review.

The Transformers films are largely about marketing, the films are meant to work as cash cows on their own while, simultaneously, serving as a 2 hour commercial for action figures. The first Transformers film did a fabulous job of combining these two aspirations, with the capable Steven Spielberg behind the scenes pulling the strings.

The latest film, with Michael Bay given free reign, takes a decidedly different course, one that is not necessarily for the best. It is difficult to say that any film with giant alien robots could be genuinely unwatchable but, Transformers:ROTF certainly skates terrible close to that line.

The film has several glaring issues that make for a less than stellar viewing experience. The film is overlong at around two hours and thirty minutes and tries to do far too much. The storylines are pieced together and at least one of them could have been removed or all of them could have been edited more successfully. The first specific problem with the film is it introduces a number of new Transformers. Typically the addition of new characters would not be an issue but, these additions are handled poorly, at best. Almost none of the new bots are introduced, much less given names. Rather, they are thrown into battle, without the audiences having a clue who they are, much less caring about what happens to them. The only two that get any sort of screen time are the twins and they are more annoying than useful and serve as another misfire by Bay and the producers akin to the break dancing Jazz from the first film.

Another issue that hampers the film is the lack of clear direction it takes. The film seems to fly by at break-neck speed, going in multiple directions at once but, getting nowhere. Not only is a new villain introduced, The Fallen, but, the film also attempts to deal with multiple other storylines at once, causing serious problems for the flow of the film as it jumps from the issues between the Transformers and the Government to the Fallen's attempt to destroy the world to Sam's struggles at college; all these events are connected but, they are done so loosely and the film suffers from it.

The filmmakers himself, Mr. Bay, also becomes a problem. Bay's lust for explosion and action is certainly more noticeable in this film as he throws robot fight scene after fight scene onto the screen presumably in hopes that he can beat the audience into submission. What it really accomplishes is burnout for the audience as Bay manages to actually make a giant robot fights so repetitive and prevalent throughout that they lose that spectacular and impressive feel they should have. Bay also seems to rear his head in the new character development as the most prominent new members, Mudflap and Skid, are horrible charactures lacking in depth and overall purpose a signature of Bay's filmmaking resume.

Megan Fox somehow manages to impact the films quality negatively in her limited screentime. She is so utterly inept at acting that she ceases to be believable whatsoever and actually becomes distracting, in a bad way. She delivers lines without any sort of appropriate emotion or any emotion at all, opting to delivers them in a flat, almost disinterested tone. Fox is clearly in the film as eye-candy as she is in seemingly EVERY slow motion running scene there is film but, this does not excuse her clear inability to properly deliver her lines.

While there are a lot of problems with the latest Transformers, it is not bad enough to warrant skipping it altogether. The robots once again look great, with the ever capable ILM once again managing to make them very believable. The fights scenes, while excessive, are well done and the fight between Optimus and the Decepticons in the forest is a must see. If you aren't expecting a complete film like the first Transformers, and just want to see some giant robots throw down than Transformers: ROTF may be enjoyable, just keep your expectations low.

Score: 6/10

Terminator Salvation Quick Review

Director: McG

Starring: Christian Bale, Sam Worthington 

Terminator salvation is a film moving at breakneck speed, loaded with action.  This can be seen as either a good or bad thing, depending on your tastes.   The film, in its swift pace, barely leaves time for character or plot development, opting for explosions over exposition.  What this creates is a film that is fun to watch but, is ultimately hollow.  If you are going solely due to Christian Bale's involvement, you will be left dissappointed.  Bale's time on screen is limited with newcomer Sam Worthington dominating the screen time and stealing the show as the man who is neither man or machine.  If you are looking for a movie where plenty of bullets fly and things blow up this is it, just don't expect much plot with your action. 

6/10  

Up Review

Director:  Pete Docter

                Bob Peterson

Starring: Edward Asner, Christopher Plummer, Jordan Nagai

 

Cinema is a rare form of entertainment that can do wonderful things, when used effectively.  Put in the hands of capable individuals, it can provoke emotions from seemingly nowhere, making sets of completely random people care about imaginary individuals who they have no reason to.  The people at Pixar are certainly some of those capable individuals.  Whether it be inanimate objects, plastic toys, or monsters, Pixar has the unique ability to create characters that audiences can connect with, and that ability makes their films must see cinema. 

                The story is no different in Pixar’s newest film, Up.  Up tells the story of Carl Fredrickson, a man who always wanted adventure but never got the chance.  As a child Carl idolized the famous adventurer Charles Muntz, but Muntz, was shunned by society.  Stripped of his prestige and favor for seemingly fabricated finds, vowing to restore his name, Muntz leaves for isolation.  Carl, not wanting to see his hero as fallible, believes he must travel to Paradise Falls and assist his idol.  That day Carl meets Ellie, a fellow Muntz enthusiast, who accepts Carl into her “special” club.  From that day on the two form an inseparable bond, eventually getting married and planning their trip to Paradise Falls but, life got in the way.  Days and years went by and little things sidetracked the adventure, as Carl and Ellie grew older and older and the dream soon became impossible.  When a new building development threatened Carl’s home and his freedom, Carl takes matters into his own hands and decides to fly his house to paradise falls, using balloons. There is one thing he did not count on, Russell, an over achieving Wilderness Explorer who needs a merit badge for assisting the elderly. 

                The most incredible thing about Up is Pixar’s ability to quickly make the audiences connect with the characters.  Within the first ten minutes of the movie I felt completely invested in Carl and Ellie, and genuinely cared about what happened to them.  Despite Carl’s, old, crotchety behavior I wanted him to succeed and to see his dream through.  At two points, during the film, many will be and were on the brink of tears, a testament to the emotional punch this film packs.

                Overall the movie was fantastic, the voice acting was well done and Edward Asner did a tremendous job voicing Carl, managing to perfectly convey Carl’s never give up, do what it takes attitude.  Jordan Nagai, voice of Russell, is a worthy compliment to Asner and he performs well in his role as the rambunctious explorer. 

The animation, as is always the case with Pixar, looks fantastic even with the boxy Carl, making him a believable broken down old man .  The supporting characters in the film work well, as Kevin the bird and Dug the dog do their part providing comic relief, when necessary.

What Up manages to do is engage the audience in a familiar, real world, story, about life getting in the way of dreams and dealing with growing old, but, they do so with such perfect exaction, that it jumps off the screen and comes to life.  Up deserves its place among the Pixar collection of films and may come to be one of the best they have ever made, as it is a heart-wrenching, funny, action-packed, film with a big heart underneath.  It is sure to please the entire family and almost anyone that pays the price of admission.

 

Score: 10/10       

Star Trek

Director: JJ Abrams

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg

Space the final frontier; these words describe perfectly the essence of what Star Trek the original series was, an exploration of Gene Roddenberry’s vision of space and the future.  What Roddenberry, and those involved with Star Trek, created was a frontier of space that was new and completely different from anything during its time.  Star Trek’s technology inspired much of what we have today by sparking the imagination of those who viewed it.  JJ Abrams has decided to revive the Star Trek franchise with his new film, bringing the beloved characters into the new age, while attempting to tell an origin story.

                I was skeptical of the films premise immediately, as it intended to tread over territory that had been already covered while injecting a new character, Nero, into the mix.  Rather than ruining how they pull this off I will just say that the Star Trek film Abrams has created, while possessing the same characters, occupies a completely different universe. 

                The film primarily focuses on Kirk and Spock’s early experiences in fleet, their budding relationship, and his ascension to Captain of the enterprise.  Many trekkies will be severely disappointed with the decisions made in the film.  While the character’s personalities and look are the similar their origins have been largely changed.  At first I wondered why this would be, but the answer is a rather clear one.  Abrams and Paramount are attempting to please two separate audiences, they are attempting to attract hardcore trekkies with the characters they know and love while making it simple for newcomers to enjoy the film without having to backtrack.

                What this does, however, is create an unsatisfying movie experience, while the actors are largely convincing in their roles, with Pine and Quinto excelling in the roles of Kirk and Spock, the film feels very different from the series it emulates.  This film focuses on action, attempting to please the summer moviegoers, rather than being about space adventure or futuristic technology.  The action sequences are undoubtedly great, with the ever talented ILM handling the CGI duties, creating believable space battles that pop off the screen.  These scenes by themselves are terrific but it seems as if Abrams would have been better served creating his own sci-fi series rather than taking elements of a beloved one and creating his own film.  The plot device that allows this is absurd, even for the Star Trek universe, and drags the plot down with it.  The performances, as good as they are, cannot save the script and Star Trek ends up being a summer sci-fi action movie that is without a heart, a shiny film lacking the punch that it could have had.

                If you are looking for a movie, set in space, that looks great and has plenty of action Star Trek probably will not disappoint and if you are a Trek fan that can forgive the plot, and enjoy an alternate take, it is an enjoyable film.  If you are looking for an origin story that sets up the previous Trek films this is not it. 

Score: 7/10          

        

X-Men Origins Wolverine

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Live Schreiber

 

Fox’s X-men franchise is a curious beast, the first two films in the series X-Men and X2: X-Men United, directed by the very capable Bryan Singer, were widely regarding as tremendous successes, managing to capture the feel of the comics and create an engaging cinematic experience.  Singer, however, could not to return for the third film, due to his commitment to Superman Returns.  Fox turned to the decidedly controversial Brett Ratner for the third film, X-Men: The Last Stand, the film was widely considered a failure due to its lack of clear direction and extreme diversion from the source material.  Three years later Fox has once again released an X-Men film, this time under their new Origins banner and involving the ever popular Wolverine character.

Fox has opted, this time, to go with a director possessing serious credentials, nabbing the Academy Award winning Gavin Hood(Tsotsi) to bring Wolverine’s origins to life.  Hood makes an admirable effort with the film, attempting to ground Wolverine firmly in the real and opting to focus on character relationships, at least for the first half. 

This film opens in the backwoods of Canada in the 1850’s.  Young wolverine, James Logan, is sick in bed with Victor Creed chastising him for his apparent lack of health.  Soon an altercation ignites between the fathers of the young boys, during which Logan’s father is mortally wounded.  Logan, thrown into a wild rage, discovers his bone claws and uses them to kill his father’s attacker, only to find that the man he has killed was his biological father.  Logan, fleeing from the scene, is tracked down by Creed who tells Logan their father had it coming and proclaims they must stick together as brothers should.

This scene sets up the beginning of the film with Logan and Creed battling through various wars side by side.   Eventually Creed’s sadistic tendencies get the best of them as Creed murders several officers who attempt to stop him from having his way with a foreign girl.  The two are sentenced to death by firing squad, which due to their healing abilities fails.  Enter William Stryker, who recruits the two for his mutant squad.  The squad, including Logan, Creed, Wade Wilson, John Wraith, Fred Dukes, and David North serve as Stryker’s personal mercenary squad, helping him pursue the adamantium he desperately wants.  Logan, no longer agree with Stryker’s do anything necessary approach, quickly leaves the group. 

Logan begins a new life with a school teacher, Kayla Silverfox, in the back country of Canada, working as a Lumberjack and struggling with his past life.  Stryker comes calling again, needing Logan’s help to hunt down someone who is killing their old team.   Logan refuses, but it forced into action when his Silverfox is murdered by Victor.   Logan, seeking revenge, goes after Creed but ultimately is defeated, leading to his agreement to help Stryker and enter the weapon X program yielding his new adamantium body. 

What follows Logan receiving his adamantium body feels and plays like a completely different film.  The first half of the film strongly focused on the relationships between Logan, Creed, Stryker, and Kayla and this part works well on its own.  There is a strong sense of why the characters do the things they do and the connections between them are believable and entertaining.  In particular the relationship between Logan and Creed is a highlight of the film with Schreiber and Jackman truly embracing their roles as Sabretooth and Wolverine respectively.   The interactions between their characters jump off the screen and highlight Hood’s ability to develop character relationships.    

The problems with the film really start to occur immediately after Wolverine gets his shiny new body.  The pace of the film goes from moderate to breakneck with dialogue and character development  shelved, exchanged for explosions and action sequences.   The rest of the film involves a motorcycles chase scene; a boxing match between Fred Dukes and Wolverine; a street fight between a criminal underused Gambit, Wolverine, and Sabertooth; and a fight scene between Weapon XI, Wolverine, and Sabretooth.  The entire second half is made up of action scenes or scenes to set up action scenes.  These scenes are not particularly effective either, Hood obviously is not in his comfort zone directing action sequences and it shows.  The scenes are cliché ridden and while they aren’t bad, feel like they are following along familiar territory which is disappointing considering the potential opportunities Wolverine presents.

Another problem for the film is what can only be described as horrible CGI, I do not know if Fox was just lazy and hired the first name on their list or if the companies who created the CGI are just terrible but, the results on screen are less than stellar.  At times Wolverine's claws look so fake it is distracting and entire CGI sequences look like they could have come from a direct to dvd film, for a summer blockbuster this is less than acceptable.

What Wolverine ends up being is a seriously missed opportunity, while the first half of the movie is passable on its own the second half manages to take what is good, blow it up, and continue blowing things up and smashing them until the end credits roll, reducing the movie to a mindless action film.  While the film manages to cram some fan favorite mutants into the film they are given very little screen time, Gambit and Deadpool are barely on screen, fading into the background for extensive periods of time.   If you are looking for a movie with explosions and mutant fights, this may satisfy your appetite, but if you are looking for a return to form for the X-men franchise this is not it.

For those interested, the film is only marginally different than the work print released online, while the polished version is an improvement it is probably not worth the cash, unless you are a hordcore wolverine fan.  Wait for the dvd to see the easter eggs endings, they are sure to show up as they set up sequels.

 

Score: 5/10        

Fast and Furious Review

Director: Justin Lin

Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker

                The Fast and Furious series has been in a tail spin since the first film was released to theaters back in 2001.  Neither 2 Fast 2 Furious or the third installment Tokyo Drift were able to catch lightning in a bottle like the first one was able to.  I suppose Universal realized that the popularity for their franchise was slumping and so the original cast members were rounded up and the result is Fast and Furious. 

                The movie picks up sometime between the second and third films, taking place before the events in Tokyo Drift.  Dominic(Vin Diesel) and his gang, are in Mexico stealing gas, and O’Conner(Paul Walker) is in California chasing down thugs, attempting to bust up illegal drug rings for the FBI.  After learning that the cops are after him, Dom decides to leave his crew and return to the US, saving them from sharing in his demise.  When tragedy strikes, the same old players are thrown into the underground street racing scene once again; Dom to out for revenge, and O’Conner looking for a big bust.

                Fast and Furious is not going to be a film for every one, I will make that clear up front.  This isn’t the Citizen Kane of car flicks, the story won’t blow you away, and no one is going to win a academy award for their effort.  That isn’t what this movie is attempting to be, Justin Lin has a fairly good idea of what his audience wants to see, and he brings that vision to the screen.  People go to see Fast and Furious movies to see cars go fast and get smashed and the movie does not disappoint in this regard.  The racing sequences are edge of your seat thrill rides, with plenty of speed and destruction along the way and the story does just enough to keep it interesting in between the next action sequence. 

                The story in this F&F film is definitely an improvement over the last two and manages to keep the film from being just about the car chases, if you saw the first film, and are invested in the characters, the story is sure to keep your interest and provide a decent amount of entertainment value.  The acting can best be described as serviceable, Vin Diesel does a good job as Dom, but Walker can be somewhat wooden at times, in particular his early exchange with Jordanna Brewster’s character, Mia, feels awkward.  The scene is supposed to be an emotional charged one and Walker’s delivery is distracting and devoid of emotion. 

                The race sequences look great, and are well executed, with CGI being used sparingly, a welcome change.  In particular the tryout race, is a joy to watch, feeling like it is a real life representation of something you would seen in the Burnout video games series.  In these scenes Walker really comes into his own, as he really seems at home behind the wheel.  There is quite a bit of CGI at other times, but the CGI is necessary in those instances. 

                This installment in the F&F franchise is definitely the best so far, the story is good, they have quite a bit of actual car stunts, and none of the actor are major detriments to the film.  If you are looking for a movie where things go fast and stuff blows up then this is it.   Fast and Furious is a sure fire guilty pleasure.    

 

Score: 7/10