Darkness Falls

Released: 2003

Reviewed: 12.29.09
Star Rating: 3 out of 5

Chaney Kley (Kyle), Emma Caulfield (Caitlin), Lee Cormie (Michael), Grant Piro (Larry), Sullivan Stapleton (Matt), Joshua Anderson (Young Kyle), Emily Browning (Young Caitlin).

Like most of us Kyle grew up with the Tooth Fairy and was told not to look at her. So when Kyle looks one night and sees her he learns that once you see her she can kill you. Now all grown up, Kyle is returning to his hometown to help defend them from the Tooth Fairy who has focused her evil upon them.

This one starts off with some nice background that sets the mood and plot for the rest of the film. After a brief lull, the film picks up the pace right up to the end. I enjoyed the twist on the Tooth Fairy story being that once seen she could kill you since I was raised to believe she simply wouldn't leave you money if you saw her. It made for a nice horror plot and BOO moments even if it wasn't completely solid.

Acting was good from Kley and Caulfield with nice energy. Cormie, Stapleton, Anderson and Browning all did nicely in supporting roles. Camera work, sets and backgrounds were all appropriate and added to the feel of the film. Special effects and CGI were fairly simple but supported the story perfectly without trying to steal the spotlight. Dialogue and sound were also nicely done.

Overall this is a decent horror flick with some good BOO moments. Those with some fear of the dark or fond of BOO scares will probably enjoy this the most while the rest will find it a middle-of-the-road film. The nice thing about this one is that it keeps the story and effects simple while sticking to the plot rather than taking trips down dramatic side-roads with the characters.

With scary supernatural horror and images and some brief language save this for teens and above. Definitely not for children who still believe in the Tooth Fairy as it will scare them silly!

Madagascar 2: Escape 2 Africa

Released: 2008

Reviewed: 12.28.09
Star rating: 3 out of 5

Ben Stiller (Alex), Chris Rock (Marty), David Schwimmer (Melman), Jada Smith (Gloria), Sacha Cohen (Julien), Cedric (Maurice), Bernie Mac (Zuba), Alec Baldwin (Makunga), Sherri Shepherd (Mom), Will I Am (Moto Moto).

A rescue attempt to save Alex and his friends instead leaves them stranded in Africa. As fate would have it though, Alex finds his family in the process and struggles to rejoin the pride led by his father. All the while his friends try to find a way back to the zoo in New York.

I actually enjoyed this one as much as the first if not more. It felt like in this one they focused on the things from the first movie that people enjoyed. The plot, although a bit immature, is more solid than I expected and helped to move the film along. There isn't much character development up front though it really isn't needed, but the main characters do develop throughout the film. Although this is mainly about the laughs, there are a few tender moments and the requisite happy ending.

Acting is hard to critique with animation but the voice-over work was very well done. Animation was nice and easy to watch. Dialogue was good although some mild crude humor was a surprise. Soundtrack was nicely done with some good tunes.

Overall a decent flick for kids 6 to probably 13 or so. Adults may find it a bit boring but the humor helps keep things alive. My favorites are the penguins which are absolutely hysterical. A good choice for family movie night.

Transformers II: Revenge of the Fallen

Released: 2009

Reviewed: 12.28.09
Star rating: 3 out of 5

Shia LaBeouf (Sam), Megan Fox (Mikaela), Josh Duhamel (Lennox), Tyrese Gibson (Epps), John Turturro (Simmons), Ramon Rodriguez (Leo), Kevin Dunn (Ron), Julie White (Judy).


Once again the Autobots are calling on Sam to help them battle the evil Decepticons who are returning to Earth in search of an energy source. Unfortunately for Sam the location of the source currently resides in his brain.

Surprisingly the plot made sense to me with this one. I liked that there was some history around the origins of the Transformers and their time on Earth which made the plot feel like it actually had some meat. Aside from that, this is all CGI once again. Not being a huge franchise fan it is difficult to know which robot is which and on which side they are fighting when you only get a clear view of them for milliseconds. My take: If the CGI is so bad you are afraid to show it, then don't use it. We got to see the actors faces just fine, why not the Transformers?

Acting was a bit disappointing. LaBeouf isn't bad but he isn't great either. Fox has no real skills other than impressing us with her body, and letting us know she is impressing us with her body, and needs to get over herself. Duhamel, Gibson and Turturro all did very well but their parts were so brief they couldn't save this one. And what was up with the idiot Autobot twins? Was there a point?

Camera work was good, as were sets and backgrounds but CGI ruined it for me. Scale was off in more than a few scenes and the constant movement of the Transformers to avoid showing them in detail was just annoying. Sound was also artifical sounding with extreme differences between lows and highs. I understand it was done for impact but it is still a bit extreme.

Overall, great movie for teenage boys who will also appreciate and giggle at the crude sexual humor such as humping dogs and robots. Unfortunately, they will also enjoy the cursing by the idiot Autobot twins that seemed inappropriate for a PG-13 rated film. For adults, mildly entertaining at best.

Violence, foul language, crude sexual references, and brief drug but be real, your preen boy is going to watch this whether you allow it or not.

Twilight

Released: 2008

Reviewed: 12.28.09
Star rating: 4 out of 5

Kristen Stewart (Bella), Robert Pattinson (Edward Cullen), Billy Burke (Charlie Swan), Ashley Greene (Alice Cullen), Peter Facinelli (Carlisle Cullen), Anna Kendrick (Jessica).

Based on the Stephenie Meyer novel, Bella moves to a small town to live with her father and falls in love with classmate Edward who she realizes is a vampire. As their relationship is growing Bella falls into danger when a rival vampire clan challenges the Cullen family.

This one starts off a bit slow but steadily increases pace until it is flying. This is the best vampire movie I have seen in a long time due to the romanticizing of the vampires rather than portraying them as blood thirsty monsters and using tons of special effects. There is still some great action and thrills including some nicely done CGI. Basically a teen movie, Twilight is a good mix of drama, High School angst, first love energy, sci-fi, and suspense. A very refreshing change from the blood and guts vampire monster movies usually spewed from production studios. I haven’t read the books yet but understand they are better than the movie which explains many of the bad reviews.

Acting was pretty good from everyone however I think they could have cast Stewart better. She just doesn’t show much emotion throughout the movie though she was playing a highly emotional role. Despite her lack of energy, this was still a very good film. Pattison played his part very well but it was Facinelli I thought did exceptionally well and made a wonderfully creepy yet likeable vampire Dad.

Camera work, effects, sound and dialogue were all well done. Sets were great with excellent forest shots and background scenery.

Overall, this was a very good vampire movie even if it did have an After School Special type ending and high teen appeal. I will enjoy seeing this one again in the future. Some violence and sensuality but preens and above will be fine with this one.

Foul Play

Released: 1978

Reviewed: 12.28.09
Star rating: 3 out of 5

Goldie Hawn (Gloria), Chevy Chase (Tony), Burgess Meredith (Mr. Hennessey), Rachel Roberts (Delia/Gerda), Eugene Roche (Archbishop), Dudley Moore (Stanley), Brian Dennehy (Fergie), Billy Barty (J.J.).
 
Gloria is a sweet, happy librarian who uncovers a plot to kill the Pope. Fearing for her life she stumbles across Stanley and enlists the aid of local cop, Tony. And while Tony and Gloria fall in love the mystery gets more and more strange.


This one kicks off with some silliness and mystery and just keeps the silly coming throughout the film. There is a plot but really it is just an excuse for some comedy. With a bit of slapstick, one-liners, sexual innuendo, and racism there is a bit of something for everyone to laugh at and be offended by. There isn't anything complicated here, just fun energy between the characters and plenty of laughs.

Acting was okay but this wasn't so much about performance as it was comedy. It was nice though to see Hawn and Chase when they were both younger. Hawn was so cute back then and Chase was great at delivering lines with a straight face. Moore was hilarious in this one as well.

Film quality is 1970's at its best. Soft filming, steady camera work, with decent sets and backgrounds. There were some bonuses like Hawn driving down the coast. The soundtrack was good with some songs by Manilow.

Looking back at this film now it is amazing how many awards it won at the time. Although a good 70's genre film along the lines of Overboard or Modern Problems, I think there were others that were better.

This is a good choice for family movie night or if you just want something light and fun without all the CGI and special effects for a change. No nudity, foul language, or much of anything else to limit the audience so preens and above should be fine with this one.

Brokeback Mountain

Released: 2005

Reviewed: 12.27.09
Star rating: 3 out of 5

Heath Ledger (Ennis), Jake Gyllenhaal (Jack), Randy Quaid (Joe), Michelle Williams (Alma), Anne Hathaway (Lureen).

In 1963 it wasn't very safe to be publicly gay, even more so if you were a cowboy working with other cowboys and roughnecks, so when Jack and Ennis begin an affair while working as sheepherders they decide to keep things secret. Even from their wives. But as their relationship becomes more passionate, things become more and more difficult.

The critics loved this one and it got a ton of awards. Yet when I look online, a lot of reviewers are disappointed with the film and wondering how it won so many awards. That's also where I'm landing with this one. Yes, Ledger and Gyllenhall put forth pretty impressive performances assuming they are both straight and had no interest in each other. And yes, the scenery was gorgeous throughout the film. And although the plot was pretty simple, yes it was solid. But beyond that the film just didn't have much. The Ennis character was flat, largely unemotional, uncommitted to the relationship, and uncommunicative. Then there was Jack who seemed much more physically oriented, dominant to the point of aggressive, and very committed to the relationship. The two just didn't seem to fit other than being gay. I found myself looking for the emotional connection to the characters in what was supposed to be a love story and it just wasn't there.

Otherwise the film was a quality production. Good camera work, scenery, sets, backgrounds, sound, and dialogue all added to the feel of the film.

Overall this was a good film with decent acting and plot. It just didn't deliver the energy the hype suggested it would have. I enjoyed it, just not as much as I expected I would. If you enjoy dramas, or gay drama you might find some pleasure in this one. With some sexuality, nudity, foul language and brief violence save this for older teens and above.

Robinson Crusoe

Released: 1997

Reviewed: 12.24.09
Star rating: 3 out of 5

Pierce Brosnan (Robinson Crusoe), William Takaku (Friday), Polly Walker (Mary), Ian Hart (Daniel Defoe), James Frain (Robert), Damian Lewis (Patrick).

Robin has the worst luck. Having to kill his friend in a duel over the woman he has loved since he was a child he has to escape his homeland on a cargo ship. The ship then crashes during a storm leaving Robin stranded on a deserted island. As he tries to survive, natives from a neighboring island arrive to practice human sacrifice and he ends up befriending one of them.

I don't do comparisons to either other films or books so if that is what you want, move along.

This one kicks off in the english countryside with some good background and character development before moving to the water for an adventureous boat ride. From then we see Robin on a beautiful island where he manages to build a lovely home. When natives from a nearby island show up Robin is exposed to a religion he has never seen which apparently renews his faith in his own. After befriending one of the natives the story gets a bit more interesting right up to the happily ever after type ending.

Acting was decent with Brosnan putting forth and acceptable performance. Takaku also did nicely and seemed to fit his role well. The rest of the supporting cast also did a good, if brief, job. Camera work, sets and backgrounds were all well done and helped set the film tone. Dialogue and sound were also well done and the film seemed to have the needed budget.

Overall this was a nicely done action adventure flick that represented the story as I remember it pretty well. There wasn't a lot of fluff here, just a simple story with simple performances. I think if you want a recreation of the book you better skip this one but if you just like the story, check it out. With mild violence and brief sensuality this should be fine for preens and above.