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James Cameron’s ‘Titanic’ in 3D

James Cameron’s cinematic epic Titanic has returned to the big screen converted to 3D. Cameron has once again engineered the rare effective — and even tasteful! — use of 3-D technology. In the early underwater scenes, when a robot-cam pokes around the wreck of the Titanic, with Bill Paxton and his team of hipster techies hovering in anticipation, the ocean debris flies right out at the audience. That, however, is the only time in the movie that Cameron uses 3-D to conjure a comin’-at-ya View-Master effect. For the rest of Titanic 3D, he employs the technology in a ‘’subtle” way: to heighten the images and lend them a bold sculptural clarity. For once, the visuals in a 3-D movie don’t look darkened or distracting. They look sensationally crisp and alive. Titanic was the film that established Cameron’s reputation as a classic Hollywood megalomaniac. These days, he’s largely regarded as an heroically obsessive outsider. Revisiting this gloriously grandiloquent movie now, with an $18 million 3D conversion that took longer to add in than the original film took to shoot, provides cheering proof that he’s still very much both.

Let the Games Begin “The Hunger Games”

Lionsgate has debuted, via Yahoo, the final trailer (and Super Bowl spot) for Gary Ross’ The Hunger Games, based on the popular book series, and it’s shorter than the last trailer and doesn’t reveal much we haven’t seen yet. Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss, and she’s joined by Josh Hutcherson as Peeta, Liam Hemsworth as Gale, Elizabeth Banks as Effie, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch, and Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, who gets some good lines in this. I’m glad they’re not showing too much with this, because I’m excited, it looks awesome and I can’t wait to see it!

Jennifer Lawrence stars as Katniss, a 16-year-old living in the post-apocalyptic country of Panem. Every year, one boy and one girl are chosen from each of Panem’s 12 districts to fight each other to their death. Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta, the boy chosen from District 12 for the Hunger Games with Katniss.

The Hunger Games is both written and directed by Oscar nominated filmmaker Gary Ross, director of Seabiscuit and Pleasantville previously, but also writer of Big, Mr. Baseball, Dave, Lassie, Pleasantville and Seabiscuit. It’s adapted from Suzanne Collins’ popular series of novels, first published in 2008. Lionsgate is bringing Hunger Games to theaters everywhere March 23rd, 2012. May the odds be ever in your favor.

Project X is a one of a kind

Project X is the latest effort from Hangover director Todd Phillips. It’s a rowdy, over the top comedy about a group of high school friends who set out to “change the game” by having the ultimate house party for their friends 17th birthday party. The movie centers on three high school “geeks” who are trying to come up in the world. Thomas Kub (Thomas Mann) is the birthday boy whose parents leave “home alone”, Costa (Oliver Cooper) is the “Hugh Hefner wanna be” who’s in charge of the party plans and JB (Jonathan Daniel Brown) is the fat, but lovable, friend who’s just along for the ride.

I couldn’t help but notice a few of my colleagues in the press screening who were seemingly disgusted with the actions of the teens on the big screen. (I’m predicting a lot of negative reviews from the mainstream press.) I don’t know about you, but I go to the movies to escape reality for a couple of hours. I would never condone the actions of this group of high school aged kids drinking, drugging and swimming naked in the backyard pool. But, suspending reality for the short period of the movie, it was a crazy good time. I’m not suggesting kids should behave like this. I’m just saying I had a good time watching this apocalyptic party unfold before my eyes. Now, if these were MY kids…oh, this would be an entirely different story!

The party starts out with invitations going around to kids by texts to being broadcast on the radio and finally people start arriving after seeing the party advertised on Craig’s List. It is an out of control good time. Topless girls swimming, kids playing drinking games and, just for good measure, a “little person” getting stuffed into the oven is all part of the mayhem that passes for a “party”!

Project X is not a movie for anyone with mild sensibilities. If you are that person who gets offended when an off color joke is told in the office; Project X is not for you. But, if you are the kind of person who posts that same joke on Facebook, this is your movie! It’s rated “R” for nudity, drinking, harsh language, and drug use hope you enjoy it.

Act of Valor Movie Review

Act of Valor is a new action adventure film that takes the realism to a new level by using actual active navy seals, instead of movie actors portraying them. A few recognizable movie stars are thrown into the mix, like Rosalyn Sanchez and Nestor Serrano, but the heart of the movie is carried by the real men who put their lives on the line to protect our country.

The movie is directed by Scott Waugh and Mike “Mouse” McCoy, two former stunt men who go by the moniker “The Bandito Brothers”. The two men began researching the navy seals four years ago and after meeting the actual seals and hearing their stories they decided to make a “quasi-documentary” using the seals, their stories and their families. The end result is the most realistic combat movie you’ll ever see on the big screen. The directors say real ammunition was used whenever possible to give the movie the most realistic effect possible.

Wow! The seals are amazing. Act of Valor shows the mobility and skill of this highly trained fighting group. In the film we see the team go on missions in hot spots around the world with clock like precision. They drop out of planes; they travel in boats, they rendezvous with submarines. These boys are some bad motor scooters! Act of Valor is a real tribute to the men and women (and their families) who serve our country. Forget foreign policy, forget politics and enjoy this “slice of life” about the real defenders of America.

Act of Valor takes audiences deep into the secretive world of the most elite, highly trained group of warriors in the modern world. When the rescue of a kidnapped CIA operative leads to the discovery of a deadly terrorist plot against the U.S., a team of SEALs is dispatched on a worldwide manhunt. As the valiant men of Bandito Platoon race to stop a coordinated attack that could kill and wound thousands of American civilians, they must balance their commitment to country, team and their families back home. If it’s action you like this movie has it so give it a try this weekend.

Denzel Washington’s Safe House

In the opening scenes of Safe House we see Matt Weston (Ryan Reynolds), a wet behind the ears C.I.A. agent, cooling his heels in South Africa. After a twelve month assignment as a “house keeper” he’s seen no action in the Safe House and is itching for a transfer to an assignment with a little more action. He gets his wish when an unexpected house guest arrives; Tobin Frost (Denzel Washington), a former C.I.A. agent who’s been “off the grid” for the past ten years.
While a special team is “interrogating” (more like torturing) the fugitive they are interrupted by uninvited guests to the safe house; a team of hired killers who want to make sure whatever secrets Frost has remain a secret. With the help of the young, inexperienced agent, Washington’s character escapes and the two try and figure out who tipped off the assassins to his location at the Safe House. That’s when Safe House jumpstarts into a non-stop action adventure spy caper.
Things are not exactly what they seem and Weston has to decide if he should trust a man who’s been selling secrets to the enemy or tow the company line of The Central Intelligence Agency. While on the run the two men try to unravel the secrets while being confronted by both “good guys” and “bad guys” and trying to figure out; which is which.
Washington is extremely cool as the rogue agent. He is grace under fire and able to keep his wits, even while being tortured by his own government agents. His every move is a well thought out chess move. He’s a very cerebral killer.
Ryan Reynolds (The Green Lantern) also gives a fine performance as the young agent who discovers the world of espionage is far from black and white. He soon discovers there are many shades of “grey”.
Safe House is rated “R” for a lot of killing and violence great movie hope you enjoy it.

The Grey Movie Review

The Grey is a “man vs. nature” action thriller with Liam Neeson and a group of Alaskan pipeline workers fighting the elements, and a pack of hungry wolves, to survive in the wilderness. Neeson’s character (John Ottway) works for the oil company protecting workers from wolf attacks; but after a plane crash the group of workers are thrust into a frigid and hostile environment where they become the hunted instead of the hunters.
When the movie begins we see Neeson’s character as a broken man. After losing his wife he contemplates suicide in the movie’s first scene. The irony of the film is how a man who considered suicide fights so hard to stay alive when he is faced with the challenge of survival in the wild.This is a very dark and disturbing movie. The images are graphic and some pretty dark subject matter is addressed. It’s definitely not the “feel good movie of the season”. However, I have to admit, it was an entertaining movie. Liam Neeson gives a stellar performance. He handles the sensitive side (consoling a dying man at the crash site) as well as the action part of the role with equal ease. I couldn’t help but wonder if his personal experience of losing his real life wife; actress Natasha Richardson, in a skiing accident a few years ago gave him some insight into his character.
The ending of the film was very unsatisfying but there is a short extra bonus scene at the end of the credits that helps a little bit with the way you may perceive the movie so, don’t leave until the very end.

Redtails True American Heros.

Red Tails tells the true story of The Tuskegee Airmen, a highly decorated unit of African American fighter pilots who flew combat missions over Germany in World War II. The “negro” pilots were thought to be inferior to white pilots because of a 1925 War College study that said “blacks were mentally inferior to the white man”. Red Tails tells the story of the squadron of African American pilots whose achievements were a moving force in the desegregation of the U.S. military. It’s a story which almost didn’t make it to the big screen.

Executive producer George Lucas had the project in development for several years but he found that movie studios were reluctant to “green light” the funds for a “blockbuster film” with an all African American cast. So, the Star Wars producer used his own money to finance the film and enlisted a first time African American director to tell the story. The making of the movie sounds like the plot of a movie in its own right.

Red Tails is beautifully directed by Anthony Hemingway, who directed the award winning TV series The Wire on HBO. Terrance Howard and Cuba Gooding Jr. lead the ensemble cast in the telling of a historic story who’s telling has been long overdue. It’s an inspiring story about overcoming obstacles and about courage. The ironic part of the Tuskegee Airmen’s story was their loyalty and patriotism to a country which would still deny them equal rights once they got back home.

Red Tails is a movie about the American military’s belief that people of color could not do something that their white counter parts in the military could do; fight combat missions. I find it ironic that today, in 2012, its still a story about what America thinks people of color cannot do; support an “expensive film” (a blockbuster) with an all African American cast. I’d like to urge you to pack the theaters this weekend and prove them wrong, once agai

Movie Review For Contraband

Universal has debuted the official trailer for Contraband, a new action-thriller starring Mark Wahlberg that yes, is actually a remake of another foreign film, from Iceland, called Reykjavik-Rotterdam. The cast includes Kate Beckinsale, Ben Foster, Giovanni Ribisi, Lukas Haas and J.K. Simmons. It’s one of those crime movies about a former criminal-turned-good who has to do one more job to save his brother, who botched up another job. Of course, everything goes wrong and it all gets crazy, but the last half of the trailer actually looks pretty cool.

In the film, Chris Farrady is a legendary smuggler who has gone legit for his wife (Kate Beckinsale) and two sons. But when his wife’s brother screws up a drug smuggle and ends up in debt to a crazy local gang leader (Giovanni Ribisi), Farrady must go to Panama for one last big score to save everything he loves. Contraband is directed by Icelandic filmmaker Baltasar Kormákur, an actor and director of films including 101 Reykjavík, The Sea, A Little Trip to Heaven, Jay City, Brúðguminn and Inhale previously. This is a remake of the 2008 film Reykjavik-Rotterdam, which Baltasar Kormákur also appeared in, featuring a new screenplay adaptation by Aaron Guzikowski (Prisoners). Working Title & Universal will release Contraband in theaters everywhere starting on January 13th, 2012.

The film also earns points for its procedural-style approach to smuggling, a less-cliched option for crime movies. While smuggling is probably much more involved than portrayed here, the screenwriters did seem to have a suspicious working knowledge of the craft, which lends an entertaining authenticity to the action. Wahlberg pulls of Farraday’s nice-tough-guy just as well as he has in countless other movies, but maybe with an extra scene or two of convincing fear and vulnerability. He is surrounded by strong performances in roles that usually get short shrift in similar action pics, including Diego Luna‘s insecure gang leader, David O’Hara as a sympathetic mob boss, and J.K. Simmons‘ blustery corrupt captain. Ribisi is maniacally wheedling and over-the-top in the kind of performance that is either loved or hated, and Ben Foster is great and understated as always.

Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol

OK, before you groan and roll your eyes saying, “Not another Mission Impossible movie?” (This is the 4th one in case you’ve lost count) let me just say this…Wow! In Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol Tom Cruise goes back to the well one more time and delivers an action packed thriller! Also, with the addition of Paula Patton (Jumping the Broom) and Simon Pegg (Shaun of the Dead and Paul) to his IMF team the movie adds some sexiness and some comedy to the mix.

The movie starts with Ethan Hunt’s new team breaking him out of a Russian prison. The explosions get louder and the action gets more intense from that point on. For the rest of the movie his team goes rouge while they chase an arms dealer all over the world to prevent him from launching a nuclear attack on the U.S.

Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol is rated PG-13 for action and violence. This movie has everything you’d want in a big blockbuster movie; Car chases, exciting fight scenes, exotic locations, daring stunts and plenty of explosions! Mission Impossible-Ghost Protocol is directed by Brad Bird. His previous directing experience has been primarily with animated movies (Ratatouille and The Incredibles). He’s an excellent choice for an action adventure movie. The action has the feel of an animated film and it makes you constantly say to yourself, “How did they do that?” this is a Great Movie hope you go out to see it.

George Clooney The Descendants

The Descendants
George Clooney seems to pop up about as often as Punxsutawney Phil but instead of predicting the weather, Clooney comes out with movies every year that are Oscar contenders. “The Descendants” is his latest offering. In “The Descendants” Clooney plays Matt, a hard working husband who considers himself “the back-up plan” for raising his two daughters. While he was busy with his law practice his wife was busy having an affair and making plans to leave him. It seems everyone knew about the situation, including his two daughters, except him. He discovers the truth while his wife is laying in a coma after a boating accident. Oh yeah, by the way, this movie is a comedy.

It’s hard to believe that anyone could find laughter in such a tragic situation but Clooney plays the entire movie for the yucks! Considering the tragic subject matter there are also some sad and serious moments in the film. “The Descendents” is brilliantly balanced with tragedy and comedy to make it the prefect “dramady” and a sure Oscar contender for best movie.

As a side plot Matt (Clooney) is also the executor for a large partial of land in Hawaii which the family has up for bid to developers. There’s a real irony to how the multi-million land deal works out and it involves the characters that are involved in the personal tragedy he and his family are experiencing. “The Descendants” is a real emotional rollercoaster but it all comes together very nicely in the end. This is a great movie for the whole family.