Liz

“Just Go With It” surprises



I like Jennifer Aniston and Adam Sandler, but Sandler’s movies usually end up being hilarious or really dumb. “Just Go With It,” however, ended up surprising me; it was a lot better than I thought it would be, based on what I saw in the trailer. I didn’t know that Nicole Kidman stars in the film either, so that was an added plus, as I like her a lot.

Danny (Adam Sandler, “Grown Ups”) is set to marry at a young age when he finds out his fiancee is only marrying him because he’s going to be a doctor. He drowns his sorrows at the bar one night, while still wearing his wedding ring, and finds out that, strangely enough, women are attracted to a guy wearing a ring. He then uses this as his “game plan” to pick up women, and for the next 20 years or so it works, until he meets someone that he thinks he can settle down with long-term, Palmer (model Brooklyn Decker). She finds the wedding ring in his pocket, however, and Danny lies and says he is getting divorced; she’s satisfied with this but wants to meet his soon-to-be-ex wife. Danny begs his assistant, Katherine (Jennifer Aniston, “The Switch”) to pose as his former wife, and she agrees, but soon the web of lies begins to expand more and more, and both Danny and Katherine have trouble keeping up with what is fact and what is fiction.

The movie has a lot of laughs but unfortunately is a bit long (117 minutes, or about a 2-hour runtime) and tends to drag; this could have been kept to an hour and a half or hour and 45 minute movie. Like I said before, I was pleasantly surprised to see Nicole Kidman (“Rabbit Hole”) pop up in the film as an old sorority sister of Aniston’s character, one whom she hates. Aniston and Sandler do have good chemistry, and the majority of the movie focuses on them rather than Sandler and his young girlfriend, Decker’s character. The scenes that take place in Hawaii are beautiful as well.

Maybe see this movie. If you like Jennifer Aniston or Adam Sandler, you will probably like this film. The kids in the movie (Bailee Madison, “Conviction,” and Griffin Gluck, “Sideways”) are really cute and good at their roles, and Aniston, Sandler, and Kidman all play good parts here too; if the movie had not slowed down as much and/or been as long, I might have given it a “Yes” review. This is definitely one of the better Sandler movies I’ve seen in the past few years, so if you are looking for a good comedy to see, you most likely will not be disappointed in choosing to “Just Go With It.”

“Just Go With It” will be released in theaters on February 11th.

via Yes/No Films

“No Strings Attached” leaves us wanting more



“No Strings Attached” is one of two movies coming out this year that look very similar to each other. The second, “Friends with Benefits,” arrives in late July, and stars Mila Kunis and Justin Timberlake. Personally, I thought Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher would make the better pair in “No Strings Attached”, and they did have good chemistry; however, the film started off strong and then dwindled off until the laughs were no longer as funny.

Normally, it’s the girl in the relationship who might be clingy. In the case of Adam (Ashton Kutcher, “Killers”) and Emma (Natalie Portman, “Black Swan”), who first meet as teenagers at summer camp, it is actually Adam who wants to move things further. They agree at the beginning of the film, however, to be “sex friends,” or “friends with benefits.” Emma works 80 hours a week as a resident at a nearby hospital, so she doesn’t have time for such frivolities as relationships – or so she says. Adam is an assistant on a major TV show, and is constantly living in the shadow of his father, a former hit TV star who is still recognized on the street today. So the arrangement is perfect for both of them – right? It is at first, but then Adam starts wanting something more.

Portman and Kutcher have chemistry together, and the beginning of the film is hilarious – he gives her a balloon after they sleep together for the first time, which of course she and all of their friends think is weird (“Who are you, the old guy from ‘Up’?” one of Kutcher’s friends demands). Unfortunately, the laughs start to get fewer and farther between, and although I was never bored during the movie, the ending was very predictable. There are some good supporting actors in this movie as well – Kevin Kline (“The Conspirator”) as Kutcher’s father, Lake Bell (TV’s “How to Make It in America”) as a coworker of Kutcher’s, and Greta Gerwig (“Greenberg”) as a friend of Portman’s – but unfortunately, they don’t add much to the mix.

Maybe see this film. I can’t say I didn’t enjoy it, but I wish the second half of it had been as funny as the first. Ashton is his usual endearing self, and we see a different side of Portman (fresh off of “Black Swan”) here, which is always refreshing, but the movie just didn’t live up to my expectations based on the trailer. See this movie if you are looking for a mostly fluffy chick flick, but otherwise pick a different film to see.

“No Strings Attached” will be in theaters on January 21st.

[via Yes/No Films]

“The Green Hornet” only stings lightly



“The Green Hornet” used to be a radio show many years ago, and it was also a short-lived TV series starring Bruce Lee. This is the first movie adaptation of it, however, and with Seth Rogen as the title character I thought it would have a good combination of humor and action. Unfortunately not: there only a few choice action scenes, and far too little comedy.

Britt Reid (Seth Rogen, “Observe and Report”) is a spoiled party boy whose father owns the Daily Herald, a newspaper in Los Angeles. When his father passes away from an allergic reaction to a bee sting, Britt inherits his father’s gigantic house, all of its employees, and, of course, the newspaper. When he fires most of the employees and then wakes up one morning to find that his coffee has been made poorly, he demands to know who usually makes his coffee, and finds that it is Kato (musician Jay Chou, “True Legend”), who also has been maintaining and upgrading the bevy of luxury cars that sit in his father’s garage. Kato is re-hired and he and Britt soon embark on their adventures as crime-fighters; however, they decide to confuse the city and police into thinking that they are the “bad guys,” and soon both the police AND the “real” bad guys are after them.

Seth Rogen does an okay job in this movie but Kato, who is skilled in martial arts, really steals the show. If it wasn’t for Kato, Rogen’s character (Britt Reid, aka The Green Hornet) would have been killed off at the very beginning of the movie. Cameron Diaz has a supporting part as Lenore Case, Reid’s secretary at the newspaper, but her part really isn’t necessary, and to be honest I wasn’t that impressed with her performance. There’s also an A-lister that has a small cameo at the beginning of the film (which isn’t even listed on IMDB, actually) and he was amusing to watch, but unfortunately he gets killed off about five minutes into the film.

Maybe see this movie. Near the middle of the film, I was actually leaning towards giving it a “No” review, because it didn’t really impress me at all, but the action sequences in the last half hour are definitely worth seeing. I still don’t understand why they would want the police to think that they are the bad guys, but it’s possible I’m just missing something. Kato is fun to watch in action, but next to him Rogen’s character appears to be just a bored billionaire with too much time on his hands.

“The Green Hornet” is in theaters on January 14th.

Yes or No: “Season of the Witch” Movie Review



The trailer for this film makes it look like it’s going to be a good action film, set in the 13th and 14th centuries. However, beware – it ended up being more of a horror film than action, although we get plenty of action as well. It also should have been rated “R” instead of “PG-13,” in my opinion, as there is a ton of gore and scary elements present.

Behmen (Nicolas Cage, “The Sorcerer’s Apprentice”) and his friend Felson (Ron Perlman, TV’s “Sons of Anarchy”) have just deserted the army during the Crusades and are looking for provisions in a small town when they are arrested. The town has been infested by the Plague, and the church officials have determined it is the Black Witch (newcomer Claire Foy) who has brought it upon them. The leader of the town, currently dying of the Plague, offers Behmen a deal: if they bring the Black Witch to the monks at a monastery many leagues away, they will be absolved of their crimes and will be free men. Behmen and Felson take him up on their offer, with the provision that the witch will get a fair trial by the monks, and it is then that their journey begins.

One of the friends I went to the screening with mentioned that he thought it was a horror movie, and within the first few minutes of the movie he proved himself to be correct. There are definitely a bunch of “jump in your seat” moments at the beginning of the film which scared me silly, but by the middle of the movie I was getting used to them. The two characters who stole the show were actually Ron Perlman and the girl playing “The Witch,” because throughout the movie – at least until a twist mid-way through – the audience is wondering if she is actually a witch or not; Cage’s character seems to think not. Perlman’s character has many comedic lines throughout which lightens the mood, as well.

Maybe see this movie. It definitely wasn’t what I expected, and the film’s plot doesn’t really make any sense, but there were supernatural elements in it that I couldn’t take my eyes off of; whether this was because the film was a bit of a train wreck or because it was justthat captivating is up to you to decide. This film was really hard to pin down for a Yes/Maybe/No rating, and I have no doubt that other critics will eviscerate it, but for what it was worth, I enjoyed most of it, even though parts were really farfetched.

(via Yes/No Films)

Sundance films come to the Michigan Theater



photo via concentratefilms.com

The Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor will play host to two Sundance films on Thursday, January 27 and Friday, January 28. “Win Win,” starring Paul Giamatti, will premiere on the 27th at 7:30pm, and “Cedar Rapids,” with Ed Helms, John C. Reilly, Anne Heche, and Sigourney Weaver, will be shown on the 28th, time TBA.

For the 2010 Sundance festival, the theater featured the film “Cyrus” and star Jonah Hill was in attendance, as his girlfriend was attending the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor at the time.

• For more information about the films and the Michigan Theater, click here.
• To buy tickets for “Win Win,” visit Ticketmaster. Tickets are $15 plus a $4 online convenience fee, and are available for Michigan Theater members at a reduced price. (see the theater link above)

[originally posted at examiner]

“Tron Legacy” creates an enthralling world



I have seen the original “Tron,” albeit a while ago, but I remember that it was in 7th grade, in my computer class. My teacher wanted to show us the movie because when it came out in 1982 it was new and exciting, in that it was the first computer-animated movie of its kind. I know Jeff Bridges was in it as well, but other than that, I don’t remember much about it; after seeing the dynamic “Tron Legacy,” however, I am going to have to re-watch it.

Sam Flynn (Garrett Hedlund, “Country Strong”) idolized his father Kevin (Jeff Bridges, “True Grit”) – until the night he disappeared, when Sam was twelve. His father was a technological genius who used to disappear into a computer game called “Tron,” and he used to tell Sam how one day he would take him with him to “the Grid,” where Tron was played. Fast-forward to fifteen years later, when Sam is twenty-seven, and the main shareholder of the company his father once led, now a multimillion dollar corporation. His father’s old business partner gets a mysterious page from the old Flynn arcade, where the number has been disconnected for twenty years, and Sam goes there to check it out. What he finds in his father’s old office, however, sets off a chain of events that he can’t control, and he soon finds himself living the game that his father has created.

Jeff Bridges technically plays two parts in this movie – his normal self and “CLU,” his evil nemesis that is actually a younger version of himself – and it was crazy to see him look so young (I’m not sure how they did that, but some intense computer generation must have been involved). Olivia Wilde (TV’s “House”) has a nice supporting part as Quorra, and Michael Sheen (“Beautiful Boy”) has an interesting role as a crazy Willy Wonka-type man in the game. We all know that we aren’t exactly seeing this movie for the acting in it, though – more so for the special effects and 3D, anyway, which ended up being really nice.

Yes, see this movie. I saw it in 3D and IMAX, and the 3D was really nice and did add a lot to the movie; the IMAX, however, can probably be skipped, though it was nice to see it on such a big screen. The graphics and computer animation in the movie are amazing, and are among the best I’ve seen lately. I was a little confused throughout the movie because it doesn’t explain much plot-wise, but I do enjoy a good sci-fi movie every once in a while, and one will most likely be as enthralled with the world of “Tron” as I was.

“Tron Legacy” will be in theaters on December 17th.

[via Yes/No Films]

Newest Chronicle of Narnia is not as enchanting as the previous two



I have seen the first two “Narnia” movies, but have not read any of the books. However, I have heard that they have condensed five of the books into the three movies, so I am assuming that they are not very similar. I enjoyed the first two “Narnia” movies greatly so I was hoping this one would be the same; unfortunately, it tends to drag a lot more and the plot was not as interesting.

Edmund (Skandar Keynes, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”) and his sister Lucy (Georgie Henley, “The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian”) are staying with their dreadful cousin Eustace (Will Poulter, TV’s “School of Comedy”) and their aunt and uncle while their parents and older siblings are abroad in America. It looks like their time there is going to be awful, until they are all transported back to Narnia, where they meet up with King Caspian (Ben Barnes, “Dorian Gray”) who is on a quest. People have been disappearing, and he must find the seven swords, belonging to seven lords, and lay them at the Table of Aslan in order to restore peace to Narnia. Edmund, Lucy, and Eustace sail with him on the Dawn Treader, as they try to help him find the swords and battle the obstacles that get in their way. 

Maybe see this film. This movie was different from the previous two in that the two older children (Susan and Peter) were not really involved in it – there were maybe one or two scenes involving them, but they weren’t a major part of the story. Also, the plot was a little tenuous, and I couldn’t help thinking how similar this “Narnia” movie was to the Harry Potter films (their ship was very Hogwarts-esque and dragons were involved), but that HP was better. The film was screened for us in 3D, and although there is one cool scene where the 3D works really well, for the most of the time it seemed a bit choppy. I would recommend this film to diehard “Narnia” fans (tip: save yourself the money by seeing it in 2D) but keep in mind that you may be disappointed, as it was not as enchanting as the previous two.

“The Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader” will be in theaters on December 10th.

[via Yes/No Films]

“Black Swan” is a work of art



NYC magazine editor and fellow blogger Rachel Zar was able to see a special early advanced screening of “Black Swan” in New York City about a month ago. See below for her thoughts on the movie.

A dancer myself, I’m always first in line for a new dance movie. “Center Stage” fans be warned, however, as “Black Swan” is nothing like the sappy love stories you’ve seen in the past. This movie will keep you guessing until the end, and seriously questioning your grip on reality; I certainly never stopped gripping my seat. In true Darren Aronofsky form (think “Requiem for a Dream”), the film, at times, goes over the top with disturbing, bloody scenes, but juxtaposed with stunning ballet choreography by New York City Ballet’s Benjamin Millipied, you won’t be able to keep your eyes covered for long.

The story is of sheltered ballerina Nina (Natalie Portman), who struggles to embody both the innocent White Swan and sensual Black Swan characters in a fictional NYC ballet company’s production of Swan Lake. Her fellow dancer and rival, Lily (Mila Kunis) embodies the Black Swan’s persona perfectly, and drives delicate Nina to the edge—of both fear and desire. If you’ve seen the gripping scene in the “Black Swan” trailer of Portman pulling a bloody feather from her shoulder blade or heard of an intense girl-on-girl love scene between Portman and Kunis, that’s only the beginning of where this psychological thriller will go.

Yes, see this movie – just remember that it’s creepy. I went with a fellow writer who had nightmares the next night about waking up with webbed toes … while some of the gore seemed unnecessary and the white vs. black imagery sometimes seemed a tad redundant, this movie is truly a work of art. Dancers won’t be disappointed with the impeccable technique of American Ballet Theatre’s Sarah Lane (Portman’s dance double) and others will be blown away by the beauty of the music, cinematography, costumes and sets. All of the hype and Oscar buzz is not for nothing, this film is a must see. Personally, I can’t wait to see it again.

“Black Swan” is in select theaters on December 3rd and will be released on either December 10th or December 17th in additional cities. It is scheduled to release on 12/10 in the Detroit area. Click here to see the full list of release dates from Fox Searchlight.

[via Yes/No Films]

“Burlesque” is everything it promised to be



I had wanted to see “Burlesque” ever since I saw its trailer, and so I was pleased when a Detroit-area screening became available approximately two weeks before it comes out in theaters. I expected that the combination of Cher and Christina Aguilera would be explosive, and it turned out that I was right.

Ali (singer Christina Aguilera) is working a dead-end job at a restaurant in her Iowa hometown when she decides to hop on a bus to Los Angeles, where she hopes to make it as a singer. She goes to a few auditions and then she sees a burlesque club, and decides to venture inside. She is amazed by the dancing and singing, and tries to get a job there; however, the proprietor of the club, Tess (actress/singer Cher, “Stuck on You”), says that she’ll have to wait for auditions. Instead, she just picks up a tray and starts waitressing, and eventually Tess hires her as a waitress and, after they need a replacement dancer, a burlesque girl. Meanwhile, she’s living with a bartender at the club, Jack (Cam Gigandet, “Easy A” and the pony-tailed hunk from “Twilight”), who is engaged, until she can find a place of her own, while being pursued romantically by Marcus (Eric Dane, TV’s “Grey’s Anatomy”), who wants to buy the club from Tess.

The singing and dancing in this movie were phenomenal. It reminded me of “Chicago” combined with “Moulin Rouge,” although the setting was modern-day. It was refreshing to see Cher back on the big screen, and she had a few numbers as well as a solo that she sings. This is Christina Aguilera’s first feature film as an actress, and you would never know it – she sings her heart out throughout the movie. When you add such supporting stars as Stanley Tucci (“The Lovely Bones”) as Cher’s gay best friend, Peter Gallagher (TV’s “Covert Affairs) as her ex-husband, and Kristen Bell (“You Again”) as another burlesque dancer who becomes jealous of Aguilera’s character, you are practically guaranteed a hit movie, and “Burlesque” definitely makes ample use of these A-listers.

Yes, definitely see this film. It runs a little long – it’s about two hours – but everything about it was excellent: it had a plot, it had singing and dancing, and the characters were even a bit complicated. I am sure Christina Aguilera will be booking many more movies after this one, and I would love to see Cher in another singing part again soon too.

“Burlesque” will be in theaters on November 24th.

“Tangled” is a great Disney rewrite



Usually a trailer for a movie ends up making the movie seem better than it actually is, but the trailer for “Tangled” actually doesn’t do it justice. We get that it’s going to be a story about Rapunzel, and that it’s Disney so it’s probably going to be good; the actual story, however, was much more complicated, and the movie was much better than I thought it would be.

Rapunzel (voiced by Mandy Moore, “License to Wed”) is about to turn 18 years old and has lived in the same tower with her “mother” (voiced by Donna Murphy, TV’s “Trust Me”) her entire life – or for as long as she can remember, anyway. Every year on her birthday she sees mysterious flying lanterns from her window, and so for this year, on her 18th birthday, she wants to go outside and see them in person. Her “mother,” however, tells Rapunzel that the world is not safe and that she will never be allowed out of the tower. When Flynn Rider (voiced by Zachary Levi, TV’s “Chuck”) climbs the tower in order to hide from some people that are chasing him, he meets Rapunzel, and she blackmails him into taking her outside and being her guide so that she can reach the lanterns. There is a lot she doesn’t know, however, and she’s about to discover everything she’s been missing out on.

I only vaguely recalled the story of Rapunzel so I headed to Wikipediato check it out. The Disney version pretty much takes the original Grimm Brothers story and turns it upside down, though a few things remain the same (ie, “Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair” is used here as it was in many of the previous versions). In this Rapunzel, her hair is magical (it’s cooler than it sounds, trust me) which is why her “mother” kidnapped her from the palace when she was a baby – her mother is actually quite old but has been using Rapunzel’s hair’s magical powers to stay young. What I also liked about this version is that Flynn Rider can’t really be clarified as a “prince” – he’s more of a thief, actually – so unlike the original “Rapunzel,” she is the one who decides to leave her tower with him; it’s not because he rescues her, although Flynn does help her escape.

Yes, see this movie. The characters in the movie were hilarious and memorable. Rapunzel has an adorable pet chameleon, and her “mother” (Mother Gothel) reminded me of a cross between Cruella de Vil and the witch from “Snow White,” with a bit of Bette Midler thrown in. True to its form, Disney manages to make yet another movie that kids will enjoy and that parents/older people will enjoy as well. There were definitely many funny moments throughout the film, and it’s actually the supporting characters (Mother Gothel, Flynn Rider, etc.) who end up stealing the movie, although Rapunzel is great also (and Mandy Moore’s voice shines here too, throughout Rapunzel’s songs). “Tangled” is a film geared towards all ages, and I predict it does well at the box office when it opens in November.

“Tangled” will be in theaters on November 24th.

[via Yes/No Films]

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