The Losers: It's like The A-Team lite

After their handler Max sets them up and tries to kill them a group of CIA operatives go into hiding in order to plot their revenge. Their chance to settle the score arrives with the appearance of a mysterious woman who offers them the opportunity to capture the elusive Max. But can they trust her?

The Losers did not carry the darker tone of some of its comic book adaptation brethren. The characters were not gloomy, brooding types that dressed up like winged creatures or awkward teenagers that were bitten by radioactive spiders. They were a group of regular people, albeit regular people who happened to be highly trained CIA operatives. In this way, the film felt less like a comic book film and more like an ordinary action thriller. Between comedic quips about how their boss Clay always fell for women that were “volatile” and the usual cool swagger that one would expect to see from a group of CIA guys with nifty codenames such as Roque, Cougar, and Pooch, there were a myriad of stylized action sequences which capitalized on their comic book source material be more outlandish than run of the mill and keep action junkies satisfied (for an example of this, see the ending showdown between Clay, a motorcycle and a plane). Chris Evans shined in his role as Jensen, providing the bulk of the laughs with well-timed smart ass remarks, Zoe Saldana sizzled as Aisha and Jason Patric almost stole the show as Max, channeling all of the best bits of all those old time James Bond villains with just a tinge of Dr. Evil kookiness.

It is certainly not going to evoke comparisons to The Dark Knight or other heavier comic book films but The Losers does its part by keeping you entertained for about an hour and a half.


Grade: C

Black Dynamite: He's superbad, He's out of sight!

When his younger brother is murdered, former CIA agent Black Dynamite swears vengence. His pursuit to discover the killer leads him into a deeper conspiracy that not only threatens him, but his friends and neighborhood as well.

Just as the Austin Powers movies playfully paid homage to a specific genre of film, (the spy/secret agent film), Black Dynamite paid homage to a film genre, the blaxploitation films of the 1970’s. And what a tremendously entertaining homage it was, full of camp, action, martial arts and one bad dude in Black Dynamite. Michael Jai White played the title character to the hilt. Dynamite had the muscle to back up his promises to find the people responsible for his younger brother’s death, clean up the drug infested streets, plus the smooth game to make any woman his. The fact that White played the part seriously made one want to laugh even harder at his exploits. Everything else one would expect to see in films like Super Fly or Foxy Brown (two blaxploitation classics) was featured prominently in Black Dynamite as well. There was a conspiracy by “The Man” to hold the black community down, colorful characters with imaginative names that incited uncontrollable giggling, (Chocolate Giddy-Up and Cream Corn were two of the better ones), and the kind of street slang that only makes sense when the characters spouting it are decked out in wide-lapelled mack daddy suits that all of the cool cats sported back in the decade of disco. Even if a person was not familiar with the movies White (who co-wrote the script) and director Scott Sanders were lampooning, there was still plenty which could keep them laughing hysterically. Boom mics appeared in frame at random points, actors that were present at the beginning of a fight scene were suddenly replaced about halfway through by another actor who, although wearing the same costume, looked nothing like the first actor, the final showdown featured Black Dynamite facing off against Richard Nixon (no joke!), heck there was even a catchy refrain of “Dynamite, Dynamite” sung every time Black Dynamite would dramatically walk into a room or take out another jive turkey.

Hands down Black Dynamite was a fun film which reminded the audience that sometimes a little silliness can go a long way. Can you dig that suckas!

Grade: A-

Hot Tub Time Machine: Not so hot!

Four friends travel to a ski lodge they used to frequent when they were younger to relive their glory days. But after an alcohol and energy drink fueled night in a hot tub, they discover that they have traveled back to the year 1986.

Hot Tub Time Machine was like most recent gross out comedies. It featured a group of friends that faced a dilemma and had to rely upon one another (thus rediscovering their friendships) to succeed. And while there were some hearty laughs to be had, most of which were supplied with sarcastic bravado by Clark Duke who played Jacob, most of the jokes and pratfalls had that “seen it before” feeling to them. Rob Corddry’s performance as Lou stood out, but only due to the fact that it was so over the top, one either thought he was a comic genius or he took things a tad too far and distracted from the film (which is the way this reviewer felt). There is nothing wrong with unleashing a flurry of f-bombs or being somewhat crude but when a character seems to do things simply for shock value, as Corddry did throughout the movie, then it comes off as trite more so than genius.

One walks into Hot Tub Time Machine expecting to see a silly little comedy. But it needed a few more laughs and a little more class to make it something beyond run of the mill.

Grade: C

Heat: Pacino vs. De Niro, what more do you need?

The lives of two men, at the opposite sides of the law, intersect when one, Neil McCauley, pulls off a heist which catches the attention of Lt. Vincent Hanna. Each one becomes obsessed with defeating the other while trying to maintain a semblance of a normal life.

The joy in watching a film like Heat comes from witnessing a pair of actors and a director at the top of their respective individual games. Though top heavy in characters, depth of story and plot, director Michael Mann masterfully orchestrated every facet of the film and unleashed an impressive crime thriller. A prime example of this was the bank robbery shootout sequence, which was set in downtown Los Angeles, between the cops and Neil’s crew. Not only was it epic in its scale, intensity and realism but it was an integral part of the plot and moved the story forward rather than serving as a useless action piece (which seems to be a normal occurrence in most recently released crime thrillers). For their parts, Pacino and De Niro elevated the film, turning it into an almost mythical showdown between good and evil. Pacino’s Lt. Vincent Hanna snarled and stomped his way through his scenes, never apologizing for what he was, a man on a mission to stop the bad guy no matter what the cost. De Niro’s Neil McCauley was just as intense as Hanna, but never let that intensity get the best of him because he was a professional. True film scholars could spend pages upon pages pontificating upon the scene where Hanna and McCauley chat in a diner but it is easiest just to say that it was incredible to witness two actors take a simple scene and turn it into something more, a pseudo - showdown in which both confess respect for the other but promise to show no quarter when the time comes for a final confrontation.

Both Pacino and De Niro could have carried the movie on their own, their individual performances were that good, but together they combined to make Heat something more than the typical crime thriller.

Grade: B

Kick Ass: Take it or leave it

Inspired by his love of comic books, high schooler Dave Lizewski decides to become a masked super hero himself named Kick Ass. Soon he becomes a media sensation and he inspires others to do as he has done. But his fame also makes him the target of the evil crime boss Frank D'Amico, who wants him dead.

The bright side to Kick Ass was the story of Dave Lizewski (or Kick Ass as he is known to his adoring fans). His intentions in taking up crime fighting were pure (i.e. to do good) and provided the back bone for the story. It was absorbing to watch him wrestle with the problems one always thought heroes like Spider - Man or Batman had, but never got the chance to explore on the big screen. It made him a character one could easily identify with and root for. The film got sketchy however when Kick Ass' story was hijacked by that of Big Daddy and Hit Girl. Inspired by Kick Ass, these two decided to don costumes as well and pursue vengence at one specific target, crime boss Frank D'Amico (an underused Mark Strong). Big Daddy and Hit Girl were not burdened with the sense of "doing the right thing" like Kick Ass, rather they simply went about their business in an ultra-violent fashion that mirrored the other comic book anti-heroes like The Punisher. The most unnerving part of their pursuit was the fact that Hit Girl was 11 years old, and doing and saying things that would make even The Punisher blush. It was almost surreal to see her whirl around in those John Woo inspired slow motion shots, guns blazing, spouting curse words but after a while, it became almost abhorrent and made one wish the film had continued to focus on Kick Ass' internal conflict. Instead the filmmakers tried to mask the holes in the plot with the insanity of more shoot outs and four letter bombs involving a girl who should have been more worried about getting the latest Hannah Montana cd instead of storming the strong hold of the city's most nefarious crime boss.

There was a time, years ago, when I would have lauded Matthew Vaughn's Kick Ass as a well deserved jolt to the comic book adaptation genre for it did not shy away from breaking the well worn standards of said genre  in order to bring fresh new verve to it. However I am older and wiser (though my family and friends would probably tell you differently I imagine) and that "fresh" new verve in the film seems more unnerving and lazy to my weathered eyes.

Grade: C-

The 5 Levels of Inception Chart: A Cliffs Notes for those who have and have not seen the film

Inception has become such a worldwide phenomenon and sparked a good deal of debate as to what exactly happens during the film. The below chart cleverly summarizes just what (we think) is happening at each level  and can be used as a handy guide to try and understand the where, why and how of the movie.

Sherlock Holmes: More brawn than brains

Another day, another reboot. This time around it's the erstwhile detective from the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle novels that gets the Hollywood retreatment.

The game's afoot as the brilliant detective Sherlock Holmes and his faithful sidekick Dr. John Watson tackle another mystery. The nefarious Lord Blackwood has apparently risen from the grave after he was hung. He intends to create a new world order in which he and his evil group will rule. Can Holmes and Watson stop their seemingly supernatural adversary?

While this reimaging of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson might be missing the usual verbal hyperboles such as "elementary my dear Watson," the fashionable deerstalker hat that became a costume trademark of Holmes during the Basil Rathbone films of the 1940's and a plausible mystery which an audience had a chance in hell of figuring out, it did feature a number of good things. Robert Downey Jr. excelled in the title role, creating his own unique take on the classic detective. He was a scatter-brained sleuth who could cleverly deduce the evil plans of a villain before thoroughly kicking his butt and describing how he was going to do so in detailed fashion via internal monologue and oh so cool looking slo-mo shots (the boxing match in the middle of the film is a prime example of this). His interaction and chemistry with Jude Law (as a tougher than nails Watson) gave the film a much needed emotional backbone. Director Guy Ritchie infused Sherlock Holmes with his signature visual style of quick cuts, slick editing and fight sequences which were extremely intense. For all of its imagistic bluster however, it felt as though he sacrificed too much of the story and Holmes' intellectual persona, a persona that audiences are accustomed to seeing from the Holmes character, in favor of more brawls, scraps and explosios. Lord Blackwood's evil plan for world domination seemed to have gotten lost between the fisticuffs and the subplot of Watson's plans to walk away from the mystery solving gig in order to wed his lady in waiting Mary (and Holmes many attempts to stop Watson from leaving). There was so much going on and so many holes in the plot that when the audience got to the climax of the film, they might not have been entirely sure just what Blackwood was trying to do or how Holmes was going to be able to stop him.

Sherlock Holmes might have been more brutish than brainy, but it was still a lot of fun to watch.

Grade: B-

Sunshine: Brainy sci-fi at its finest

We as human beings like to believe that we control our own destinies and, if threatened by something such as mass extinction, we would do everything in our power to stop this. But there is also another school of thought which posits that perhaps a threat such as mass extinction is beyond our control and it should be left to a higher power to decide if mankind goes the way of the dinosaur. No, I am not starting a theological debate, merely outlining what the film Sunshine attempted to explore.

Eight astronauts take off in a spacehip called Icarus II to deliver a nuclear bomb to the sun's core in order to restart it. They not only face the usual dangers associated with space travel, but their journey is also complicated by the fact that they discover Icarus I (the spaceship which made the first attempt at restarting the sun) abandoned.

Beyond the solid acting provided by the international cast, the filmmakers are to be commended for creating a sci-fi film that was not only entertaining but also challenged the audience to think about just what Sunshine was trying to show/say. Director Danny Boyle's stunning visuals and screenwriter Alex Garland's smart script were able to draw the audience in by presenting them with an intriguing sci-fi plot. They then ratcheted up the intensity, both action and thrill-wise, during the final quarter of the film before the decisive showdown between Kappa (Cillian Murphy), the scientist and Pinbacker (Mark Strong), the man of religion which was essentially a philosophically-driven throwdown for the fate of humanity. It is hard to believe that filmmakers would tackle a complex debate like science vs. religion and how each could figure in destroying or saving mankind but Boyle and Garland did it in such a way as to not seem preachy or overbearing. They utilized the sci-fi genre to explore this matter and did so with tremendously effective gusto. There are probably naysayers that will point to the lack of sustained action or the somewhat obvious visual cues Boyle seemed to borrow from another thriller set in space (i.e. Alien) as detriments to the film but Sunshine was never meant to be seen as a monster movie.

Sunshine was a bombastic journey that did not shy away from exploring the type of philosophical debate one would not expect to have after the credits rolled.

Grade: B+