To dream or not to dream…

This summer’s movie to see is Inception. Although a fight to the death between wolves and vampires might seem very enticing, Leonardo DiCaprio’s newest thriller, Inception, has taken the cake.

The movie explores dreams and whether the ability to plant a thought in someone’s mind exists, as well as the consequences that occur if inception is possible. Leonardo DiCaprio is amazing in this movie, and I think it’s the best performance I’ve seen from him. Leo plays Cobb, the best in the business of traveling deep into people’s minds to extract thoughts from whomever he is paid to extract from by the competitive corporations in the corporate world.

Cobb and his partner Arthur, along with the architect of the dream, have failed an assignment to extract information from a powerful business man Saito, played by Ken Watanabe (Last Samurai). The mission fails in part to Cobb’s wife Mal. Although the assignment failed and the architect suffers the consequence at the hands of the corporation that hired them, Saito offers Cobb and Arthur a job, but instead of extraction, he wants them to perform inception on the heir to a company that could put Saito’s company out of business.

With some careful planning, the addition of a new architect (Ellen Paige), a chemist, and a grease man (Tom Hardy), the plan is set. The only thing in the way of another failed assignment is Mal. With Aridene as the only one who knows of the danger Cobb has put everyone in with Mal, they must race against the clock to complete the inception and get out alive.

Out of 5 popcorn balls, I give this movie a full 5!

Go see it!

I am a big fan of Greek mythology. When I found out about the Percy Jackson and the Olympians movie, I was excited. I didn’t know it was a book already so I had no idea what it was all about.

Percy Jackson is a demigod, the half-human, half-god son of Poseidon, god of the sea. But he didn’t know that until Zeus accuses him of stealing his lightning bolt – a weapon of mass destruction. With his life in peril, his best friend Grover takes him to Camp Half Blood. At Camp Half Blood, he trains with Grover, who turns out to be his protector, to harness with new powers and prevent a war among the gods.

There are a lot of things I loved about this movie. Casting was great. It’s an all-star cast. Sean Bean was cast as Zeus, Kevin McKidd as Poseidon, Catherine Keener as Percy’s mom, Uma Thurman as Medusa, Steve Coogan as Hades and even Pierce Brosnan as Percy’s trainer. But the three main characters were filled in by relatively lesser-known actors, who were able to compete with the more famous stars.

Script and editing was exceptional. Great pacing all throughout. The movie flowed smoothly and was never boring. Every scene will make you jump out of your seat. It’ll definitely keep you awake all throughout the movie.

It’s a definite must-watch for anyone who loves Greek mythology, a little adventure and watching great movies. This movie contains all three elements. It’s now out on DVD and Blu-ray so don’t miss your chance to watch it!

With all of this talk of new superhero movies coming out in the next few years, The Avengers, Thor, Green Lantern, I had an urge to watch two superhero movies from the mid-90s that seem to slip under everyone’s radar.  In a time where movies are weighed by the actors, effects and extravagant powers of the heroes 1994’s The Shadow and 1996’s The Phantom are a welcome vacation.  Each movie is an update of an older comic book hero, and the movies do nothing to embellish the powers these heroes possessed.

The Phantom, aka ‘ghost who walks’, is based on an old African legend. He is a normal guy that is carrying on a family tradition of fighting crime.  He has to stop the villain from obtaining the ‘Skulls of Power’ and also rescue the girl.  There are no special effects, but the story is easy and you have to love the locations.  It has Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson and Catherine Zeta-Jones all having fun on a movie that doesn’t take itself too seriously.

I think Alec Baldwin is hysterical on 30 Rock; however, one of his best roles was as The Shadow.  Able to ‘cloud men’s minds’ he can invade your mind to alter your thoughts.  Based on an old pulp comic, this story is darker and is set around the same timeframe as The Phantom, but is a great bit of action.  Shadow must defeat an old nemesis from obtaining an explosive device before it is unleashed in New York.  Besides Mr. Baldwin, we have Penelope Ann Miller, Peter Boyle, Ian McKellen and Tim Curry.

Both movies are great fun, and you can see how these characters could have long ago influenced Batman, Superman, Spiderman and countless other heroes that swing into popular culture.  Both movies are tame compared to today’s standards. If you are looking for an escape to a simpler time, seek these out.

I took my son, or I should say my son dragged me, to see The Karate Kid last weekend. I went in with low expectations and came out happy. It was one of the most pleasant surprises I’ve had in the movie theater in quite some time.

The movie is 140 minutes long, but there isn’t a wasted minute in the whole picture. The new Karate Kid is essentially an homage to the original. All of the major plot points are the same, but the details are very different. In the first minute of the original movie, we see Daniel and his mother getting ready to move across the country from New Jersey to California. In the updated version, Dre and his mother are about to move across the world from Detroit to China.

The Karate Kid falls somewhere between a remake and a reimagining. The story will feel very familiar to anyone who remembers the Ralph Machio / Pat Morita version. But it also feels fresh and new. The change of locale from California to China really adds additional depth to Dre’s fish-out-of-water experiences.

My only problem with The Karate Kid was the age of the protagonist and primary antagonists. Dre was explicitly stated to be 12, and the bullies appeared to be the same age or not much older. Several scenes and themes would have been better served if the characters were about four years older.

Without giving away too much, just like in the original movie there is a scene early on in which Mr. Miyagi / Mr. Han comes to the rescue of young Daniel /Dre. Unlike the original, the updated version has Jackie Chan’s character fighting off a horde of prepubescent Kung Fu warriors. There is also the matter of the romance between Dre and an equally young Chinese girl, which would have been better suited for say, sixteen-year-olds than tweens.

Despite this one detail, The Karate Kid is a very good family film and appropriate for young audiences. As long as it is, the film keeps a good pace and held the interest of my nine year old (and his thirty-nine year old dad) for the duration.

Twilight: Eclipse, starring Robert Pattinson and Kristen Stewart, is the third movie of the Twilight Saga. If you don’t know yet, it’s the story of Bella Swan (Stewart) who moves to Forks, Washington, from Phoenix to be with her father. She meets Edward Cullen (Pattinson) and falls in love with him. But he’s been hiding a big secret from her, his identity as a vampire.

In Eclipse, Edward and the Cullen family are concerned when they get visions of a newborn army of vampires being formed in Seattle, just a few hours from Forks. And they all have one target: Bella Swan. Together with the werewolves, led by Jacob (Bella’s best friend), they must stop the newborn army from getting what they want.

Eclipse is the kind of movie that will bring you a lot of disappointment if you expect too much from it. Fans of the book will definitely love the movie. There are so many swoon-worthy scenes with Bella and Edward being all romantic and lovey-dovey. Even Jacob and Bella had a lot of the same scenes for the Team Jacob members. Screenwriter Melissa Rosenberg and director David Slade stayed as true to the book as possible for the millions of fans everywhere.

It’s hard not to look at this movie as something else besides a fan movie. Pacing is a little slow and there are a lot of scenes that could have been cut in the editing room. The acting could have been better and the lines could have been less cheesy.

As long as you enter the movie theater, not expecting it to be the greatest movie ever, you’ll be fine. You’ll actually be able to enjoy the movie. Just don’t take it too seriously.

In reference to a term that came up a lot in the movie, I am a “newborn” when it comes to the Twilight Series. I saw the first movie, Twilight, back in early November just as the sequel, Twilight: New Moon was about to come out. I was forced by a roommate to watch it because minus Kristen Stewart’s performance in it, the movie was amazing. A few weeks later I saw New Moon and thought it was okay. Robert Pattinson was gone for most of the movie and Kristen Stewart’s character spends most of the movie depressed by his absence. Finally after months of waiting Twilight: Eclipse premiered June 30.

This was the best one so far, and I personally think the first one was great. Bella and Edward find themselves in danger once again when they see that Victoria (played by Bryce Dallas Howard) has returned to seek vengeance for the Cullens killing her mate James in the first movie. Victoria, knowing that Alice would be monitoring her decisions and would be able to see her coming, turns a young man named Riley, who is also from Forks, into a vampire and uses him to recruit an army of “newborn” vampires to kill the Cullens so that she would be free to kill Bella. Unknown to Victoria, due to Bella’s annoyance of Jacob and Edward fighting over her, she convinces both the wolf pack and the Cullens to put their differences aside and fight together to stop the newborns. In addition to all this, the movie gives a back story on Jasper and Rosalie, as well as a proposal, and a declaration on love between Bella and Jacob and probably once of the most EPIC fight scenes I’ve seen in a really long time.

As previously stated before, this was, hands down, the best of the three so far. Based on the plot of the fourth and final book of the series, it may also be the best of the four, but we will see in November 2011. I really liked that the movie gave a back story on Rosalie and Jasper, mainly Rosalie, because I had always wondered what her deal was ever since the first movie. She had this unspoken distaste for Bella, and it was never really explained in the first two movies. After seeing the movie, I have a new found respect for Roasalie…and Jasper too! The movie also did a great job of building up to the fight scene between the newborns and did not disappoint when the actual battle ensued.

Overall, the movie was great! Great enough to the point where I am actually reading the first book of the series so I can get even more of the thirsty vampires.

Oh yeah… TEAM EDWARD!

Spoiler-Free

The Wolfman recently hit DVD. This reimagining of the original Lon Chaney Wolfman is faithful in some respects while taking liberties in other areas. This is not an update for modern times; the story still takes place in 19th century England. Nor is it a strict remake, this is a far more violent, animal Wolfman than the original.

The thing that struck me was the visual image of the wolfman himself. This version looks far more like the original than many of the more modern counterparts, such as An American Werewolf in London or The Howling. With no discernable snout, and wearing human clothes, this looks more like a wolf-man than the monstrous wolf-creatures that have been portrayed in big screen werewolf stories for the last thirty years.

Benicio Del Toro plays a dark and brooding Lawrence Talbot with much darkness and brooding. His sunken eyes and sulky voice served well in homage to Lon Cheney and his performance as the original wolfman. Made up as they are and playing in a dark time, Del Toro and the normally lovely Emily Blunt make up the homeliest on-screen couple I’ve seen in years. Anthony Hopkins is just terrific in everything he does. His turn as Talbot’s depressed, emotionally-stunted, grieving father stands out as praise worthy among the performances.

I watched The Wolfman with some reservation, fearing that it would devolve into what passes for modern horror movies – a blood soaked gore-fest. While the movie does have its share of blood and some excessive violence, it isn’t forced or glorified. It works because it flies by fast and serves to underscore the ferocity of the beast that plagues the moors.

The Wolfman is an unpretentious horror movie throwback to the pre-1980s genre, made with 2010 production values and a top-notch cast. If you took a pass on The Wolfman while it was in theaters, it’s worth a look now that it’s on DVD.

Micmacs is Jean-Pierre Jeunet‘s (Amelie) latest film. Micmacs stars Dany Boon as Bazil, a grown man, who never grew out of his childhood. He was accidentally shot while working at a video store. When they bring him to the hospital, the doctors decide not to take out the bullet, arguing that he may die if they don’t. He survives with the bullet in his hand but becomes homeless and jobless because of the accident. He starts to think of creative ways to make money until another man in the name of Slammer (Jean-Pierre Marielle) takes him in his wing and introduces him to his scrap-making family.

While looking for scraps they can make into something usable, Bazil happens upon the headquarters of the bullet and mine that caused his accident and his father’s death. Together with his new family, they execute a creative plan to exact his revenge on the company’s CEOs.

The film does not lack the colorful, creative and playful world that has always dominated Jeunet’s previous films. The whole mood and atmosphere is still timeless and universal and it always feels as if we’re transported to another world, and even another dimension. There is a distinction between the good guys and the bad guys and we never replace them with each other.

It has to be noted though that, despite its playfulness, the film still lacks the same color and amazement as his other films. The story was clear enough once we knew what was going on. The set-up wasn’t quite clear why he wanted to exact revenge on the mine company when we weren’t quite sure with the relationship with father.

But despite the large number of characters in the movie, Jeunet manages to create and maintain their different personalities while working with the other characters in the film.

Micmacs is a nice and creative film about revenge but don’t expect it to have the same aura as his earlier films.

It’s been more than 1o years since Toy Story 2 came out and 15 years since the first Toy Story was first shown in theaters. I actually didn’t think they were making a third one until previews and news started coming out early last year. Imagine, for a fan, waiting for a year for the next movie. Torture!

But Toy Story fans do not need to wait any longer because it’s finally here!

WARNING! Spoilers ahead.

It started out with a bang, Woody on a rescue mission with Buzz, Jessie and Bull’s Eye. And then it shifted to Andy in his room, reenacting the scene. And then it became a home video and we realize it’s an old video and that Andy is no longer a kid. He’s about to go to college and he needs to figure out what to do with his toys. He packs them up but they get mistakenly donated to a day care center. Now the toys must find a way to get back to Andy.

Just like the first two Toy Story movies, there was never a dull moment in the movie. I felt it lasted longer than 109 mins. They introduced a lot of characters here including Lotso, Ken, Baby and a lot others. One of the funniest moments in the movie was Ken, emerging from his dream house to introduce himself and noticing Barbie for the first time. Ken was, I must say, very well-developed. They instilled insecurities (“I’m not a girl’s toy!”) and weaknesses, especially with clothes (“No one appreciates clothes here like I do.”) Well done, you guys.

Now, when I heard Andy was going to college in Toy Story 3, I was a little worried about the story. I didn’t know how they would play with it. And then they introduced the day care center and Bonnie. Then it became clear, it was a movie about moving on and new beginnings. And the toys were given a chance to begin and lead a new life.

Toy Story 3 had so many funny moments. Even if someone didn’t like how the story progressed, the funny moments were enough to keep them in their seats. The opening scene with Woody’s rescue mission was reminiscent of the ones before but is more familiar now. And the forces of Woody and Buzz in the Wild West against One-Eyed Bart, One-Eyed Betty and MISTER Dr. Evil Porkchop was classic. And the special appearance of Spanish Buzz was unexpected but hilarious!

It was heartwarming, touching and a perfect ending to a great trilogy. I read a Lee Unkrich (director of Toy Story 3) interview and he said this is the absolute last Toy Story movie. And I’m glad because it will definitely lose its appeal if they drag out the story too much. Oh, I will miss Woody, Buzz, Jessie, Mr. & Mrs. Potatohead, Rex and the rest of the toys. It was such a great adventure knowing all of you.

But don’t worry fans, in the same Lee Unkrich interview, he also said this will not be the last we’ll see of them. He’s planning, along with the team at Disney Pixar, to develop shorts featuring the toys of Toy Story. Something to definitely look forward to!

Toy Story is now out in theaters.

Summer is usually the time when all the blockbuster movies hit the screens. I’m talking about your full-on superhero / alien invasion / epic disaster movies that have to be seen on the big screen to fully appreciate. In comparison to recent years, 2010 just doesn’t have much to offer.

Iron Man 2 was great. The Marvel Comics icon hit the screens in May, which is traditionally the start of the big summer season. The season started with a bang, but then… nothing. Comic books, usually the source material for the big summer superhero movies, are represented after May only by Jonah Hex – an old west bounty hunter with no super powers, no high-tech weapons, not even a skin-tight leotard – just a cowboy with a scarred face and an attitude.

The Last Airbender may hold some promise. It is evident that M. Night Shamalan has run out of ideas after such a promising start to his career. Maybe he can make movie magic using someone else’s story. I’m hoping that The Last Airbender will be worth the big screen ticket price, but it is such an incongruous pairing – M. Night, master of slow, plodding character-driven suspense and a Nickelodeon cartoon popular with the under-10 year old set.

If The Last Airbender works, it will be the icing on a banner year for the kiddies. There are some real winners for the youngsters this summer – Shrek 4, Toy Story 3, the Karate Kid. It seems that the studios are gearing this summer’s offerings to the kids at the expense of those of us past puberty.

Unless there’s an under-promoted hit in hiding, 2010 looks to be a summer with no James Bond, no Batman, no alien swarms, no worldwide disaster, no time travel, no bigger than life explosions. I’m already looking forward to 2011 and its promise of Green Lantern and Thor movies. Throw in a couple of time-traveling, exploding alien superhero disaster movies and that will be a summer to remember.