We Bought a Zoo

     We Bought a Zoo, starring Matt Damon and Scarlett Johansson.

     Benjamin Mee (Damon) is a widower trying to raise two kids on his own.  He was an adventure seeker who found a way to make a living chasing adventure and writing for the paper.  When his wife passes away from cancer (I assume, the film never comes out and says what she was sick with), his life falls to pieces.  His son (Dylan) becomes disillusioned with him, and life in general, and Benjamin is doing everything he can to keep the same thing from happening to his seven-year-old daughter, Rosie.

     Dylan gets his third strike at school from stealing a cash box from the lunchroom, and is expelled.  Rosie can't sleep because the neighbors are being, "happy too loud", Benjamin quits his job because his boss is patronizing him, and everything in town reminds him of his recently deceased wife.  He decides it's time for a change, and the family goes looking for a new house.

     The only place that seems to fit their need to get away is a large, 18 acre, property, in the middle of nowhere.  Benjamin and Rosie fall in love with the place, but the dream house comes with a heavy addendum to the purchase contract; it's a Zoo.  They can only buy the place if they put forth the effort to keep up the Zoo, care for the animals, and reopen the business, otherwise the endangered animals will be put to sleep.

     The staff had all quit, save a few die-hard animal lovers.  The current Zoo Keeper is Kelly Foster (Johansson), who is under-qualified, but hopeful.  The two make a go at getting the Zoo back to its former glory.

     We watched this with the kids, and everybody liked it.  It's a heartwarming story, without getting too sappy.  Watching Benjamin struggle through his feelings over the loss of his wife was beautifully done by Mr. Damon.  To me, he's an action film guy aka Jason Bourne, but he transitioned very well into this role.  

     The story is true.  Though, the actual events were far different from the film, the family still runs the zoo (or did at the end of the filming of the movie).

     I'd give the film

The Last 5 Years

     The Last 5 Years, Starring Anna Kendrick and Jeremy Jordan.

     This is a musical... with Anna Kendrick... so I was thinking, "Awsome!"  I love her voice, and she's a great actress, and a fun person, so I came into this with really high expectations.  It wasn't bad, but it wasn't as good as I was hoping for.  I also went into it completely blind.  I didn't even read reviews before I watched it, so the timeline mix-up (which was really cool, but confusing at first) messed me up, a lot.

     Cathy (Kendrick) is an up and coming actress.  She falls in love with an up an coming, Jewish novelist named Jamie (Jordan).  Her songs start at the end of their relationship and work backward.  His start at the beginning and work forward.  The whole thing ends in the middle when he proposes.  The deconstructed timeline made the movie, once you figure it out. 

     They are two dreamy artists, so the love is fast and intense, but loses its substance when things get tough, and Jamie cheats on her, ending their marriage.  It's a bit of a cliche, but probably happens more often than not.  They are both so frustrated with their struggles in trying to make it in their perspective careers, that they lose touch with each other.  

     The music was good.  Mr. Jordan is in the new Supergirl series, so it was fun to watch him sing.  I was impressed.  Mrs. Kendrick's voice was beautiful, as expected.  However, none of the songs really stood out for me.  I love musicals because singing is a talent I truly wish I had, but truly don't.  I did theater all through high school, and my drama teacher would always make a spectacle of how horribly I sing.  So, when I watch a show like this, with talent like this one had, I want something that will stick with me.  Sadly, the repeating melody is mundanely present throughout.  There weren't any ups and downs.

     There is quite a bit of language throughout, and they even belt out the "F" word.  I'm sad that Hollywood is doing that in every PG-13 movie now.

     In all, I'd give it

Little Boy

     Little Boy Starring Jakob Salvati (as little boy), Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, David Henrie, Michael Rapaport, and Emily Watson. 

     We went and watched this with the family when it was in theaters, so it's been a while since I've seen it, but I remember it well enough to write the review.

     Little Boy is about a boy who loves his dad.  He's small for his age, and gets picked on by a lot of the kids around town, but his dad makes all his problems go away.  They are best friends.  When WWII breaks out, James Busbee (Little Boy's father)signs up to fight for his country.  He writes home regularly, but when his unit is attacked, the letters stop coming.  Most of the town assumes he's dead.

     Pepper Flynt Busbee (little boy), goes to the Father of his church to ask for a miracle.  He wants the Father to pray for God to send his dad home safe.  The Father says that miracles are rare, and he would have to complete several tasks to obtain one.  One of the tasks is to befriend the only Japanese man in town, Hashimoto.  Pepper hates this idea because he believes it's the Japanese's fault that his dad left in the first place.  To make matters worse, the whole town is pretty prejudice against the old Japanese man, including Pepper's brother, London.

     Pepper wants his father home so badly, he decides to befriend the old Japanese man.  Hashimoto, isn't too keen on letting the boy get his hopes up, and is resistant to the friendship.  Tempers flare as the town thinks Pepper is a traitor, even his own brother turns against him.  Little Boy keeps his faith through the whole ordeal, and even causes an earthquake with his faith (or perhaps the timing was just right, and it was all a coincidence). 

     This was a heartwarming movie, but they seemed to try too hard to push too many values down the audiences throat.  You can't help but get emotional over the boy's undying love and faith that his father will make it home, but they throw so many other lessons in the movie that it gets a bit sappy.  The story of the boy having faith to bring his father home would have been enough, but there is also a story of tolerance, overcoming bullies, family love bringing home the prodigal son, a mother being faithful to her husband, and on and on.  

     However, I can't say I wasn't entertained, so I'd have to give it

The 33

     The 33 Staring Antonio Banderas, was a surprising little gem for me.  I remember the news covering this miracle, but didn't remember all of the details.

     In 2010, a boulder with twice the mass of the Empire States Building shifts and causes a collapse in the Copiapó mine, trapping 33 men 2,300 feet underground.  The men have 3 days worth of food and water, but, as the movie ominously foreshadows as the new guy enters the mine for the first time, "There's only one way in and one way out... and it took them 100 years to dig that far."

     I don't know if there can be spoilers for a film which is based on real events, but all 33 men make it out alive.  Patricia Reggin (The Director) handled this beautifully by focusing on the human aspect, instead of making up false "close calls" like most directors do with based on true events stories.  The men were trapped for 69 days.  It took them seventeen days just to drill holes to the sanctuary, but that was just the beginning because then they had to drill a hole big enough to extract a person.  Once the initial holes were drilled, food was transported into the small sanctuary to keep the 33 alive until they could extract them.  The movie focuses on the volatile social structure of 33 men being cramped in a space barely big enough to contain them, with little food and water, and tempers running high.

     The comic relief was great.  Oscar Nuñez plays Yanni Barrios who has a wife and a mistress.  I know, I know, nowadays that's no big deal, what made it funny in this movie was that the two lived across the street from each other and compete for his affections.  It's a running gag through the movie, and provides great comic relief.

     The story is steady paced, and not over the top, so it keeps you entertained without making you question the validity of the based on real events claim.

     In all I'd give this movie 

Star Wars: The Force Awakens

     First off: Do not worry there are NO SPOILERS in this post.  I would never do that to anybody, no matter how much they ticked me off.

     So, what can I say about the new Star Wars movie?  Well, one word... AWESOME!

     Obviously, I'm a big fan of SciFi/Fantasy.  It's what I watch, read, and write.  So, of course, Star Wars is tops on my list.  If it weren't for George Lucas, CG as we know it would not exist.  He also proved that you don't need sex, vulgarity, and blood/gore to win in the box office.  I wish more of Hollywood would take the hint.

     Okay, so normally this is where I would review the movie, but because of the enormous efforts Disney and Lucas Films put into keeping even the plot a secret, I won't do that.  Instead, I'll tell you about my experience.  We live in a moderate-sized town, but St. George is weird because like half of the people here are retirees.  It's like a mini Florida.  On the other hand, it's also a college town, so there is a ton of stuff to do (Not to mention the red rock outdoorsy aspect of Southern Utah).  So, it is really hard to tell how busy movies are going to be.  Normally, you can get tickets for blockbuster movies at the door.  I knew this would be different, though, so I checked a week in advance.  I was almost too late.  The only show left on opening night was the 2:00 AM showing.  I bought tickets because I had to see this show opening night, before someone ruined it for me.
   
     That day I tried to take a nap so I wouldn't be tired for the show, but it was like Christmas Eve for children.  I couldn't sleep a wink.  When my wife got home from work, we watched Return of the Jedi together so she would remember where the series left off. (I had done a Star Wars marathon all by myself for the previous couple of days, but didn't mind seeing XI again).  Now, my wife is not a complete nerd like me.  She humors me most of the time because she loves me, and she lets me drag her to all my dorky movies, but her heart isn't usually in it. (Heck, I can't even get her to read my books because she really isn't in to Fantasy)  But she was kind of excited for this movie.

     The theater was only about half full, and we actually ran into a few people we knew.  Then...  The movie started and the saga continued!

     I loved the movie!  I was so scared that J.J. Abrams would mess it up, but, you guys, he did so well!  It fits perfectly with what you would expect from the Star Wars franchise.  They even went back to classic models instead of straight CG in a lot of the parts.  BB-8 is a perfect example of this.  And I still have no idea how that little droid works.  His body is a rolling ball, and his head levitates on the top.  I'm sure it some sort of magnet magic, but it was just really cool.  (And he was my wife's favorite character.  She would get all giddy and squeal that, "he's so cute" every time he was on screen)

     It was awesome to see all of the old cast.  It actually gave the film a strong nostalgic aspect.  The new cast is great, as well... for the most part.

     Daisy Ridley plays Rey (one of the new main protagonists).  She's multi-dimensional, believable, and beautiful.  I really enjoyed her role.  I love how the franchise take relatively unknown actors, and is so easily able to place them perfectly in a role, as if they were born to play that character.  Daisy hates this, but when she smiles she looks just like Keira Knightley, which made her all the more endearing to me.

     John Boyega plays Fin (The second protagonist, yes the story could follow either of these two characters, though Rey seems to be the more likely candidate).  Now, I loved the potential for Fin, as a character.  A storm trooper who runs from his duties (no, that's not a spoiler, it's in the trailers), but John seemed to only have two acting faces; bewilderment, and scared.  My wife said that that was his character, so he was perfect for the role, but it just sort of bugged me through the whole film.

     Oscar Isaac plays Poe Dameron.  Dare I say, "The new Han Solo"?  Poe is just... awesome.  You instantly love/hate him.  The best pilot the rebels have ever seen, and he knows it.  I really hope he takes a major role as the story continues.

     Adam Driver plays Kylo Ren (The new Sith).  This was the only disappointing character for me.  At the risk of saying too much: All the other Sith Lords take on two Jedi at a time (or more in the case of Anakin), and still kick butt, but Kylo has awesome new powers, and is kind of pathetic when it comes to the fights.  Plus, they unmask him way too soon.  I can't say more without saying too much, so you'll just have to see if you agree with me when you watch the film.

     Andy Serkis plays the Supreme Ruler.  I won't say anything about him.  I just wanted you all to know that they got Golem/Smeagol in The Force Awakens!

     There are two other characters who will probably play a big role in the coming films, but I didn't really pay attention to them in this one: Domhnall Gleeson (plays General Hux) and Gwendoline Christie (plays Captain Phasma).  I didn't really pay a lot of attention to them during the movie, but afterward, I watched the red carpet interviews, and apparently they were important enough to get a lot of attention.  I have no idea why.

     In short, if you are a Star Wars fan, go see it. (Like I really need to tell you?)  If you're not a Star Wars fan, go see it.  You can bring kids, it's PG-13 but spongebob has more inappropriate stuff in it than this movie.  You can take your girlfriend/boyfriend, wife/husband, grandma/grandpa, mom/dad, etc.  I think just about anyone would like this movie.  In fact, after we saw the movie opening night, we bought tickets for several family members for Christmas presents, and tickets for us and the kids to see it again in D-box.

     I can't wait until XIII comes out!

Another Seizure

     I had another seizure on Monday, and I didn't get anything posted.  I'm trying to finish up the book I'm reviewing this week and get a review written to post today.  

Meet the Mormons

     Meet the Mormons is a documentary which follows the lives of six incredible LDS members, introducing the world to everyday Mormons and dispelling a lot of rumors or myths about the members of the LDS church.

     I bought this movie for my family for Easter.  As a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, I may be a bit biased in this review, but I will try to be as objective as possible.

     Anytime I see the truly good works people (and I mean any people from any background) do, I get a little misty-eyed.  There is so much pain and hurt in the world.  The news is full of the most horrific stories you can imagine.  It's good to take a step back and remember that there are incredible people walking on the same soil the terrorists, arsonists, rapists, murderers, and thieves.  the difference is that the news reporters are looking for stories which will shock the reader, not acts of kindness and good deeds.

     In Meet the Mormons, we get an insight into the lives of six people who have done incredible things for the world around them.  Some affected the lives of countless generations, like the candy bomber, and others to just provide for their beloved children, like the single mother at the end.  The film does not preach about the LDS church, rather it follows the lives of a few members.  Anyone, religious or not, would enjoy this film.  It's about people overcoming their environment and circumstances to give something back to the world.

     When I first saw this in the theater I didn't know anything about it other than that it was a film about LDS members.  I actually didn't even know it was a documentary, so I was expecting something totally different than what I saw.  I was pleasantly surprised.  I think you will be, too.

     I give this film

Ondine

     Ondine starring Colin Farrell and Alicja Bachleda is a romantic/drama, rated pg-13 for the usual romatic/drama reasons.

     So, when you're looking for a romantic film to watch with the wife, you always hope the story will be good enough to keep your interest.  A lot of directors throw some skin in their films to keep the guys interest, but that doesn't always work.  I actually love romantic movies, and love having a wife to drag along so I don't look like a sap when I watch them, but this one caught my attention because it had Colin Farrell in it, and I love most of his movies, so I figured it would be good.  I wasn't disappointed.  This is a movie, guys, you can safely watch with your wife, girlfriend, significant other, etc.  The story is good.  There's no action scenes, though Syracuse (Ferrell) does get in a fight, but I promise you won't be disappointed.

     Okay, so a little background before the review.  I didn't know what a "Selkie" was.  I thought, mermaid, but that's wrong.  Selkies are mythical creatures of Scottish/Irish origin.  They are seal-type creatures who can come to land every so many years (there's a bit of discrepancy as to how often, and when they can come to land).  While on land, they shed their fur skins to become beautiful women.  They love to dance and frolic on the land until the sea calls them home, then they put their skins back on and return to the ocean, lake, or sea where they belong.  The pull of the sea is maddening to a Selkie, and they will break all ties, no matter how strong, to get back.  Because they are such beautiful creatures in human form, a lot of fairy tales are spun about men falling in love with the human-form Selkie, so they hide their skins so that they won't return to the sea.  These stories are always tragedies because the Selkie inevitably finds her skin, and she will return to the sea even if it means leaving a love and children behind.  So that is the set-up for Ondine.  It helps to know the folklore before watching the film.

     Syracuse is a recovering alcoholic fisherman trying to take care of his daughter Annie.  The problem is that he lives in a small town where everybody knows everything about everybody, and they stick their noses where they don't belong.  Syracuse's ex-wife has custody of their daughter.  Unlike Syracuse, the ex still has a problem with booze.  Their poor daughter, Annie, has kidney failure, and frequently has to undergo dialysis while she waits for a transplant.  Syracuse can't count on his ex to keep their daughter alive.

     When Syracuse pulls the beautiful Ondine out of the water in his nets the the troubles begin piling up.  Ondine is petrified at being found, so Syracuse hides her in his dead mother's shack.  When his daughter discovers Ondine, she decides that the woman is a Selkie.  Syracuse thinks she is running from an abusive husband or boyfriend.  The truth of myth vs. reality isn't revealed until the very end.  

     Annie and Ondine bond, Syracuse and Ondine fall in love, but unlike most sappy love stories, the plot takes a very real turn for the worse.  

     This movie really surprised me because they took what would be a fairy tale and added realistic aspects of all of the wonderful, complicated mess we call love.  You don't feel as if you're watching an Indie movie.  The acting is incredible and a bit heart-wrenching.  I'm actually surprised that Ms. Bachleda's career didn't take off more after this film.  There is a bit of a dark undertone, so just be prepared for it.  Overall, though, the film was really enjoyable.

     It's actually on netflix right now if you have an account, or you can click on the link at the beginning of this review, and get it on amazon.

    I give this movie

Napoleon Dynamite

     Napoleon Dynamite written and directed by Jared and Jerusha Hess (husband/wife duo) is an insanely popular, cult classic, indie film.  

     If, by some weird circumstance, you haven't seen this yet, I'll warn you up front; it's one of those movies which are so dumb they're funny.  The first time I watched this, I really didn't get why people liked it so much, but you watch it again, and again, and again, and it gets funnier every time.

     This is a perfect example of what makes a good indie film.  Napoleon Dynamite simply relates to a large audience on a personal level.  There are no special effects.  The "big" actors are basically D-list celebrities.  Tina Marjorino (Deb) was in a few things before-the biggest you may know her from is Water World.  Efren Ramirez (Pedro)was actually in a lot of things before Napoleon Dynamite. I didn't even know that until I did this review. Jon Gries (Uncle Rico) had been in a ton of little roles before Napoleon Dynamite, but I didn't recognize him until this movie.  And then there are the cameo-like appearances by Diedrich Badern (Rex the karate guy), and Haylie Duff (Summer), but the movie focuses on the previously unknown actors; namely Jon Heder (Napoleon) and Aaron Ruell (Kip).  

     The Hess duo made this film for the Sundance Film Festival with a budget of $400,000.  This actually kind of surprised me because I thought it was just a couple of idiots with a camera filming in Idaho.  I even went to school with a bunch of the extras in the movie.  Most of the $400,000 went to the D-list actors, though.  Surprisingly, Jon Heder was only paid $1000 for his role as Napoleon!  When the movie grossed over $46 million, he renegotiated, and received fair compensation.

     Okay, so what made this so great?  The plot was basically a loser going through the typical problems of high school in a small town.  Napoleon lives with his grandmother and 32 year-old brother in Preston, Idaho.  When his grandmother breaks her coccyx during a four-wheeling accident, their uncle Rico comes to take care of them and ruins Napoleon's life.

     I thought the movie was supposed to be set in the 80's or 90's, but it was actually supposed to be set in 2004.  The 80's and 90's apparel and ambiance was actually supposed to signify that the small town is out of touch with the rest of the world, and stuck way behind in the times.  I still like to think of it as taking place in my childhood years, though.  The directors wanted to create a feeling of nostalgia with the out of date surroundings.  They could have just as easily said that the film took place back then.

     I guess what makes this film great is the hilariously stupid one-liners.  The story is relatable because nothing fantastic happens.  It's like watching a home movie.  The characters aren't over-acted.  Like I said, I honestly thought it was just a couple of idiots with a camera shooting in the town they grew up in.  It's great because it's so bad.

     The Hess duo followed Napoleon Dynamite with Nacho Libre, with a way larger budget ($32 mil), and less return ($80 mil).  Nacho Libre also has a cult following, but not nearly as big as Napoleon Dynamite did; 2.5 x investment vs 160 x investment. It just goes to show that more money, more well-known actors, and better equipment do not equal a better movie.  

     Napoleon Dynamite taught me that with a different idea, you can be successful.  It doesn't even have to be a good idea, just something that nobody has really done, and that people can relate to.

     I recommend Napoleon Dynamite to anyone who hasn't seen it, but you have to watch it more than once to really get it.  I give it 

The Forger

     The Forger with Josh Hutcherson and Hayden Panettiere. Rated PG-13 (though I don't know why it's not PG.  There's not much language, no sexual content, and no violence, except for a fight.  The only thing I can think of which would give it a PG-13 rating is that it deals with a teenager committing a major crime; forgery.)

     The Forger is about a young homeless boy, Joshua, who just happens to be a painting prodigy.  He breaks into houses to get food, clothes, and an occasional night's sleep if the homeowner is not there.  He has a compulsion to paint.  One of the opening scenes is him painting the ceiling of the hotel room his mother abandoned him in.

     Joshua breaks into the home of a renowned artist, Everly, to get some food.  While exploring the home, he sees an unfinished picture of a turbulent sea.  He can't help but finish the painting.  After he's finished, he figures the homeowner will not be home for a while and decides to take a nap.  Everly returns home and catches Joshua.  Instead of being mad, he's intrigued by Joshua's work, and convinces the police to give him temporary custody of the boy.

     Everly turns out to be an art forger, and the painting Joshua finishes is a forgery which is convincing enough to sell for a hefty profit.  Everly enlists Joshua's talents to continue his business venture of selling forgeries.  Joshua learns all of the different techniques of painting, along with the ins and outs of producing believable forgeries.

     While living with Everly, Joshua meets another artist, Anne-Marie, whom he can relate to, and often goes to visit the older lady.  It turns out that Anne-Marie has a sordid past with Everly which is a sore subject to her.

     Joshua has a love interest, Amber, but it is an almost fill-in story, just to give the movie some sort of a romantic aspect.  It was weakly played out.

     We all know Mr. Hutcherson from The Hunger Games, but whenever I see him in anything, I think of his earlier, goofy days, like from Zathura or Bridge to Terabithia.  He seems to be the same character in all of his movies, to me.  I know, a lot of people are going to hate me for saying that, but his range is fairly limited.

     When I saw that Mrs. Panettiere was in this, I was excited.  I fell in love with her in the T.V. series Heroes, but haven't really seen any of her other films.  I was really disappointed in her role in this film.  It was non-existent, and the romance was so forced, it made the movie a little uncomfortable.

     The story-line could have been great, but I feel that the whole movie fell flat.  I don't know if it was the acting or script, but I found myself feeling very bored after the initial plot setup. 

     I'd only recommend this movie if you're fairly bored, and warn you not to have very high expectations going into it.

     In all, I'd give it

Bernie

     Bernie starring Jack Black, Mathew McConaughey, and Shirley MacLaine is loosely based on the true story of a small town mortician named Bernie Tiede who murdered a wealthy old woman.

     So, I went into this thinking Jack Black = funny.  That expectation ruined the movie for me.  It was not funny at all.  Maybe if you know that before hand you will enjoy it more, but I was totally disappointed. 

     Bernie is an almost obsessive compulsive man who takes great pride in his work as a mortician.  He's very personable, and gets along best with older people (probably because it is part of his job to comfort the closest of kin).  Black plays the part well, but it seems very unnatural for him, so the end result is an uncomfortable character.

     The movie starts with Bernie moving into a small town in Texas and taking over the old mortuary.  He almost instantly ingratiates himself into the community through several out-reach programs and acts of service.  He especially tries to get in with the old ladies in the town, and brings them meals, does service for, and befriends most of them.  There is one old lady, however, who will not allow him in.  Marjorie is the town scrooge.  Even after several attempts at cultivating a friendship, Bernie is unable to crack the wealthy old ladies stone-cold barrier.  This only prompts Bernie to try harder.  Eventually he wins her over, and she reluctantly lets him in.

     The two become than just friends, and she begins to take him on extravagant vacations and trips.  The friendship comes at a cost, though, and Marjorie begins to be possessive of Bernie.  Her cantankerous attitude resurfaces, and because of Bernie's giving nature he allows her to take more and more of his time.  He begins to be frustrated with their relationship because it is consuming almost all of his time.

     Eventually the pressure comes to a head, and in a fit of frustration Bernie shoots Marjorie to death.  He instantly feels guilty and cannot believe his own actions.  He hides her body in a freezer to preserve it because of his obsessive compulsive disorder, and goes about his life.  He decides to use her money for good for a change, and that is what draws the attention of her accountant.  Eventually the body is found, and the police arrest Bernie.

     The story turns strange when the district attorney, played by McConaughey, tries to gather evidence to prosecute.  The townspeople are up in arms against him because they do not believe Bernie could be guilty.  They disliked Marjorie so much that they believed she probably deserved it.  The whole thing causes the D.A. to request the case be moved out of the county so that Bernie will get a fair trial, but the circumstances are complete opposite than those of a case which is normally moved out of area because of biased jury members.  The people are on the side of the defendant instead of believing he is guilty before hearing the evidence.  I guess this was why the case drew enough attention to inspire a movie.

     I don't know how much of this movie is fact, and how much is the director taking liberties, but the whole thing was weird.  You can feel Bernie's frustration with Marjorie, and you can almost see why he killed her.  He made it seem almost as if it were a daydream.  But this daydream actually happened and had fatal consequences.  

     If you aren't looking for comedy you might like the movie.  I didn't particularly like it because Jack Black was a horrible fit for Bernie.  The role was uncomfortable, and it almost seemed like Black was struggling to keep the crazy inside through the whole film.  His goofy, tight-lipped smile ruined the character.  The other actors were great, and the story was pretty good.  Some comedians just can't do serious.

     In all, I would give the film

Much Ado About Nothing

     Joss Whedon's adaptation of Much Ado About Nothing is safe.  If you are watching this to understand Shakespeare's play for school, or something, than this is a good way to go.  If you are watching simply for entertainment value, there are a lot of better adaptations.

    You take a big risk when you do Shakespeare; even bigger if you try to make a modern adaptation for Shakespeare.  Most people have very strong feelings one way or the complete opposite on the spectrum for Shakespeare's work.  If you are staying true to the scripts then making a modern adaptation can be a disaster.  This one was not terrible, but it also took no risks.

     The acting, however, was spectacular.  I loved Amy Acker as Beatrice.  She had a perfect balance of disagreeable, neurotic, and contriteness.  I've seen her in a couple of other things which are way out of this genre (agents of shield, warehouse 13, etc.) so I was pleasantly surprised by her broad spectrum of acting abilities.  She was almost a bit too charming, but pulled of the character quite well throughout.

     Alexis Denisof really surprised me as Benedick.  He's been in a lot of things, but I recognized him as the idiot Sandy Rivers From How I Met Your Mother.  This was a total different role, and he played it off quite well.  I also think he was the only actor to really take liberties with the character.  He didn't stray from the script (at least not from my little knowledge of Shakespeare), but his expressions gave a more pensive portrayal of Benedick instead of the classic Benedick who is constantly performing for the sake of others around him.

     I love Nathan Fillion in everything.  I first took note of him in Serenity (probably my all-time favorite Sci-Fi film). I think Michael Keaton was my favorite Dogberry, but Fillion held his own playing the dim-witted constable. 

     In all, the movie was well acted, and true to the script.  Whedon took very little risks, but that might have been what helped pull off the modern adaptation.  At least he wasn't calling guns swords and daggers like some remakes of the master's plays .:;Coughes...Baz Luhrmann::.  Don't get me wrong, I loved Moulin Rouge, The Great Gatsby, and Strictly Ballroom, but Romeo + Juliet was just bad.  Sorry Mr. Luhrmann.

     I give this movie 

Now is Good

     Now is Good is a film adaptation of Jenny Downham's novel Before I die.  I've never read the book so I can't compare the two, but the movie was good enough.

     There are hundreds of these types of movies where a dying person tries to experience everything in life they can before they die.  Most of these books/films have a love interest, and it's heart wrenching to see the young couple separated by death.  They are great stories, and obviously have very real meanings to the author/writer.  Now is Good breaks the mold a bit.

     Despite the cover and premise for the movie, it doesn't fall into the cliche of most of these types of movies.  Tessa Scott (played by Dakota Fanning) wants to live life to its fullest during the little time she has left before leukemia kills her.  The thing I liked about this story is that it focuses more on the real emotions and frustrations which Tessa deals with.  She's a normal teen-aged girl, and will be missing out on life.  She puts on a brave front at first, but as the end draws closer her emotions boil closer to the surface, and we see the real heartache and trauma one faces when looking death in the eye.  

     I've dealt with my own struggles with health, and this movie portrays the reality behind the facade sick people display in public.  There is fear, frustration, a sense of helplessness, anger, pleading, and a sense of being alone.  No matter how much people sympathize, they really don't know.  

     Instead of doing magnificent things, which nobody could afford while paying for chemo, Tessa wants to be bad.  She wants to make all the mistakes a rebellious teen can make, and even ends up in

 jail over one of her escapades.  Her divorced parents have very different views of her behavior, but frankly when you get to that point, you don't really care.  Her dad wants to cure her, while her mom wants to ignore the problem, and all but removes herself from dealing with the situation.

     The movie has no great climax.  There is no show of the indomitable human spirit.  A girl gets sick and dies in a realistic fashion with realistic feelings.

     I love Dakota Fanning. She's an incredibly talented young actress who doesn't get near enough attention for the poignant roles in which she's played.  This is another great building block in her career. 

     In all I give this movie 

     

Mud

     Mud is one of the few Indie films with a rating.  It's PG-13.

     I usually really like Mathew McConaughey, but I felt that the plot in this movie was way to dull for even him to liven it up.  The movie started slow, the middle was slow, the climax fell flat, and the ending was disappointing.

     Two poor Mississippi boys, Ellis and Neckbone, find a boat and steal an engine to drive it out to a deserted island.  The action seems like real life.  As a kid I remember doing a lot of dumb things which I thought were amazing because I was just discovering the world around me.  So in that regard, I think that Jeff Nichols, the director, did a good job.  There was nothing magical, nothing unlikely or out of the norm in the film.  Just a couple of kids having what any young boy would consider an adventure. 

     There is some conflict because the two boys come from pretty sad backgrounds.  Ellis has parents who are always fighting, and will likely separate, and Neckbone lives with his brain-dead uncle who spends his time diving for oysters.  Neither of the boys really have a parental figure looking out for them, so the catalyst for them wanting to leave their lives and explore the world is relevant.  

     They get a boat and head out to the deserted island to explore.  They find another boat lodged high up in a tree, a subject which baffles the boys, but drives them to explore.  They decide to make the boat their new "fort".  Upon returning to the island, they find that it is already inhabited by a man called simply Mud.  The boys are instantly fascinated with him, and he feeds their curiosity with wild stories.  There are also myths about him floating around town.

     The boys feed Mud, and make repeated trips to the island.  As it turns out, Mud is wanted by the law.  He came back to their little town to retrieve his old girlfriend who got him in trouble with the law to begin with.  The magic around the mysterious Mud is peeled away, and he is revealed a lovesick, desperate man who would do anything for his love.  

     The boys are eventually followed and a stand-off between Mud and a begrudged bounty hunter who isn't on the up-and-up ensues.  The climax is fairly disappointing, however.

     I think Mud had some potential, but the realism of the situation, and cheesy acting from the two boys, made the film boring.  It's hard to criticize it though because the set-up and lack of actual action is due to the fact that the story is closer to real life than a film.

     The film was boring, but I would still have to give it 3 stars because Mr. Nichols didn't romanticize a true adolescent story of adventure.

Goodbye World

     The cover makes it look pretty good right?  Even the premise sounds promising.  When I looked at this I thought that it might be like a Walking Dead, or maybe Revolution, or Jericho, all of which I would fully recommend, but this... nope.

     Goodbye World is a perfect example of "don't judge a book by its cover".  It is absolutely horrible.  It embodies everything that gives Indie films a bad name.  

     The premise has a ton of potential.  A mass text which reads "goodbye world" goes out to every phone in America.  The text opens the door for very bad people to infiltrate the America communications network, and a virus shuts down all things connected to the web, which is just about everything.  With the infrastructure down, all chaos breaks loose.  There are riots, looting, and a generalized shutdown of society as we know it.  But then, it gets weird.

     The story follows a group of intellectualized friends who reunite at a cabin away from society, after years apart.  They each have diverse lives now, but used to be great friends.  Instead of mayhem and destruction, as the cover would suggest, you get to listen to the extremely boring politics, personal histories, and intellectualized, unrealistic ideals.  The cabin is well prepared for an apocalypse because the couple living there are completely "granola", and the house is self-sustained with solar panels, gardens, and a well-supplied basement with meds and whatnot.  There is a weak love triangle.  The dialog is horrendous.  The focus of the movie is so boring I almost fell asleep.  

     To make matters worse, the director threw a bunch of swear words in (a lot of "F" words) because the movie couldn't stand on its own.  You could almost feel the director or writer's desperation as they tried to make the movie appeal to an "adult" audience.  

     The actors were horrible, and none of the characters were believable.  I wanted to stop this movie so many times, but kept watching hoping the the group would be slaughtered by real people.  Sadly, that never happened.  What little conflict did arise was so fake, and diffused by hippy love, that it made the whole plot fall flat.

     Do not watch this movie.  Do not make your worst enemy watch this movie.  It is more than just bad.  It was one of the worst movies I've ever watched.

     I give this movie

That's 0 stars. None.  Zilch.

Haunter

     I know it's a little late for Halloween, but I've yet to watched any indie Thanksgiving or Christmas movies, at least not lately.  So, here's Haunter...

     Most indie films are not rated.  That is because it costs $3,000 to submit a movie to the MPAA to get the film rated.  Most Indie movies have very low budgets, and they have to use all of that towards the making of the movie.  Unfortunately, a lot of Indie filmmakers have exploited this and put a bunch of garbage in many of the Indie films, so they've gotten a bad rap.  There are some good ones out there, though.  Haunter would be a PG-13 not because of cuss words, nudity, or violence, but more just because it's a scary movie.

     Haunter is one of the better Indie Horror movies I've seen.  Mac Carter gives us an interesting spin on Horror.  If you read the cover, netflix description, or IMDB review, you'll learn that the protagonist, Lisa (played by Abigail Breslin ), is the ghost.  So I don't feel like I'm giving too much of  a spoiler by giving that much away.

     Lisa is stuck in a time loop.  She lives the same boring day over and over.  There are strange interruptions which become more frequent, though; banging on the walls, strange noises, stuff missing, usual haunting-type activity.  She also sees a creepy girl every now-and-then.  She wants to get away, but her repeated attempts gain her nothing.  It's foggy outside, and she leaves only to find herself walking back towards the house.  Her parents also tell her not to go out because of the weather, and you get the feeling that they know something more than what they are saying.

     One day, things change dramatically.  Her family is completely different.  Her dad is abusive, which is completely different from the loving father he was before.  Her mother plays the part of the abused wife.  Lisa is more than upset by all of this.  She tries to figure out what is going on, and tries to contact the little girl she keeps seeing. 

     Then her world is shattered as she finds out what is really going on in her house.

     The movie has some startling moments where you might jump in your seat a bit.  There is really no gore, blood, or guts (though there is a scene where people rot, like dead corpses, in a matter of seconds). But there is nothing too scary about it.  The story line is really good, and the actors, especially Abigail, are actually really good, too.  

     I would recommend to almost anyone who wants a bit of a thrill without staying up all night in fear of monsters getting you in your sleep.  

     In all, I give it

Heroic Age

     Heroic age is one of the best animes I've seen.  It was originally made by Xebec studio, as a television series.  The series was then picked up by a Manga Magazine.  The series is not rated, as many anime aren't, but if it did have a rating it would be PG, at worse.

     I'm a big fan of Japanese anime because of the visual imagery, but also because of the deep-seeded meaning behind their stories.  They can be quirky, action-packed, dramatic, or any other type of genre, but there is almost always a deep philosophy shared.  Sometimes it's hard to find, but it is usually there.  Heroic Age is riddled with it.

     The very characters are based on Greek mythology.  Age, the protagonist, is loosely based on Hercules, and the twelve labors he had to perform.  Even the title Heroic Age refers to the heroic age of the Greek heroes.  The tribes come from the Greek poet Hesiod, and his five ages of mankind.  The Golden Tribe is the Golden Age of immortals, or the gods.  The Silver Tribe is after the Silver Age of men, or those ruled under the god Zeus.  They always squabbled and lived short lives.  They refused to worship Zeus, so he destroyed them.  The Bronze Tribe was patterned after the Bronze Age where Zeus supposedly made men out of ash tree.  They had armor made of bronze, as were their tools and weapons.  They were violent, and unworthy, so they died and were sent to live with Hades.  The Heroic Tribe is patterned after the Heroic Age.  This age was not compared to any metal.  Men were made from the bones of the earth.  Men lived with demigods and heroes.  The men from this age made a name for themselves and their names were jotted down to be remembered for all times.  Most of the heroes from Greek Mythology come from this age.  The Iron Tribe is patterned after the Iron Age, which is supposed to be the age we live in; a time when the gods had forsaken men.  Man had to toil for their own support.  Men fought men, brother fought brother, and there were curses and plagues upon all men.

     So, all that depth was put into the making of this T.V. series.  Now, lets learn about the series.  It's set in a futuristic society where all of the Tribes are capable of interstellar travel, but there had to maps, or reference points, usually planets, for them to get from one place to another.  The Golden Tribe ruled supreme, but left the galaxy after they imparted their knowledge on to the humanoid Silver Tribe, the insect-like Bronze Tribe, and the greatest warriors, the Heroic Tribe.  The Heroic Tribe was so powerful that they wreaked havoc on the universe with their indomitable power.  As punishment, the Golden Tribe made them serve the other tribes as "Nodos" (giant robot-like beings).  Humanity answered the call of the Golden Tribe to follow them into the next galaxy, and they were dubbed the Iron Tribe.  The Silver Tribe does not like this, and they make it their duty to destroy the Iron Tribe. 

     The whole series is based around the two tribes fighting, with the bug-like Bronze Tribe continually attacking in swarms.  One of the last surviving Iron Tribe ships is on a mission to find a Nodos to save and protect them.  They come across a young boy, Age, left all alone after the destruction of a world.  The Bronze Tribe attacks, almost annihilating this band of Iron Tribe, when Age transforms into a Nodos and easily destroys the attackers.  Age joins the Iron Tribe, and they go searching for the Golden Tribe.

     There is constant action with the tribes battling it out.  The fighting sequences are long, but not boring.  There is comic relief as Age is in no ways civilized, and the story leaves you wanting more.

     I openly recommend this anime to anyone, especially if you have never watched anime.  It would be a wonderful introduction into the anime world.  I give the series 

     

     

Odd Thomas

     Odd Thomas really surprised me.  I've tried a lot of indie films lately and have been really disappointed.  Every-now-and-then one pops out and makes an impression.  Odd Thomas did that for me.  

     I wanted to watch a Horror, or Thriller movie for Halloween.  This show was on Netflix, and it had really high ratings, so I figured I'd give it a try.  I was not disappointing.

     First of all, this is an expensive looking indie film. I'm still a little unsure if it's completely independent or not.  It is an adaptation of a novel series by Dean Koontz.  You can find his novel series on his Amazon author's page here.  

     Odd Thomas is a nervous guy who lives up to his namesake.  He got his name from a mistake on his birth certificate, but the name holds true because he can see dead people.  I know what you're thinking... Sixth sense.  No.  It's nothing like that at all.  His mother had the gift, and passed it down to him, and he uses it to solve crimes. 

     The movie starts with a fairly intense chase scene, when a dead girl leads him to her killer.  He explains the murder in detail to the murderer, and the guy runs.  Odd chases him, and they have a far reaching brawl.  There are some cool effects in the fight scene that have a kind of unique feel to them.  The whole movie carries these types of effects (slow motion in strange places, sped up scenes, and cg where you wouldn't expect it) throughout the show.

     A strange man appears in Odd's little town, and these demon-like creatures that only Odd can see are hanging out all around this guy.  These demon creatures feed on suffering and pain, so Odd knows that something bad is about to go down.

     He works with the chief of police, and his girlfriend, to find out what, why, where, and when it will all happen.  There are a lot of twists, and the end might make you a bit misty-eyed, but there's really nothing scary about the movie.  It's more of a suspense/thriller.

     There are a few profanities in the show, but nothing major.  There is one scene with a girl in her underwear, but for the most part, there's nothing sexual about the movie.  It has a rating of NR, but if it did have a rating, it would be a mild PG-13.

     Anton Yelchin, best known for playing Chekov in Star Trek (2009), was amazing.  His character was so believable that he kind of carried the movie.  I was actually surprised to hear him speak without a heavy Russian accent.  He made Odd a lovable character, and brought you in to his plight from the very first scene.

     Addison Timlin played Odd's girlfriend, Stormy Llewellyn.  Her character was not as believable, and, quite frankly, was a bit cheesy.  She was too supportive of Odd.  I know that that my sound a bit pessimistic, but it was really bad.  Sure, I think every guy would love a woman that devoted to him, but it really came off as almost patronizing.

     William Dafoe played the chief of police.  His role kind of confused me.  I only watched the movie one time, and we were interrupted several times by trick-or-treaters, but I was unsure if he was Odd's dad, or just his mentor.  He was good, as always, and gave a performance that we have come to expect from him.

     Because it was such a pleasant surprise, I give this movie