Fast & Furious 6 (2013)

FastFurious6Starring: Vin Diesel, Paul Walker, Dwayne Johnson, Jordana Brewster, Michelle Rodriguez, Tyrese Gibson, Sung Kang, Gal Gadot, Chris ‘Ludacris’ Bridges, Luke Evans, Elsa Pataky, Gina Carano, Kim Kold, Thure Lindhardt, Shea Whigham, John Ortiz.

Director: Justin Lin
Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of violence and action and mayhem throughout, some sexuality and language.)
Running Time: 130 Minutes
Release Date: May 24, 2013

Etalon Film, Original Film and Universal Pictures.

Written by: Craig Morgan; based on characters created, in part, by Gary Scott Thompson.
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Rating: ★★★½☆ 

Just gonna put this out there right from the get-go: God bless Fast & Furious 6.

Few films are as goofy, illogical, sloppy, and altogether ridiculous as this one, but it doesn’t give a damn about your opinion because it is going to do what it wants to do and have the greatest time of its life in doing so. Honestly, we should all be as comfortable in our own skin as this film is, and the lack of timidity or apprehension in what it throws at you is simply refreshing.

As I say that, I should be allowed to walk back a few steps, because, again, this movie is not really all that “great” per se. Dumb as a box of rocks, this sixth film in the Fast & Furious franchise is a wildly entertaining one with far too many moments hitting their mark as to not recommend the film as a whole.

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Hangover Part III, The (2013)

Hangover3PosterStarring: Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms, Zach Galifianakis, Justin Bartha, Ken Jeong, John Goodman, Melissa McCarthy, Jeffrey Tambor, Heather Graham, Mike Epps, Sasha Barrese, Jamie Chung, Sondra Currie.

Director: Todd Phillips
Rating: R (for pervasive language including sexual references, some violence and drug content, and brief graphic nudity.)
Running Time: 100 Minutes
Release Date: May 23, 2013

Green Hat Films, Legendary Pictures and Warner Bros.

Written by: Todd Phillips and Craig Mazin; based on characters created by Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
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Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

What started in Vegas, nearly destroyed Thailand and now returns to Sin City, by way of Tijuana, The Hangover Part III presumably puts to bed the story of the self-anointed Wolf Pack. Three irresponsible manchildren, who cannot control themselves when in each other’s company, have provided countless cringeworthy and groan-inducing moments over the first two films in the Hangover franchise. The Golden Globe winning first film introduced us to Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms) and Alan (Zach Galifianakis), who accidentally lost Alan’s soon to be brother-in-law Doug (Justin Bartha) on the eve of his Vegas wedding. In Part II, Stu’s pending nuptials in his wife’s native Thailand only led to more drunken and drug-induced debauchery – always accidental of course, never on purpose.

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Epic (2013)

EpicPosterStarring the Voices of: Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, Beyonce Knowles, Jason Sudeikis, Christoph Waltz, Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowd, Pitbull, Steven Tyler, Blake Anderson, Judah Friedlander.

Director: Chris Wedge
Rating: PG (for mild action, some scary images and brief rude language.)
Running Time: 102 Minutes
Release Date: May 24, 2013

Twentieth Century Fox Animation, Blue Sky Studios and Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.

Written by: Screenplay by James V. Hart, William Joyce, Daniel Shere, Tom J. Astle, and Matt Ember; Story.by William Joyce, James V. Hart and Chris Wedge; inspired and based on the children’s book “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs” by William Joyce.
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Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

For budding filmmakers, a word of caution: If you choose to name your film Epic, you may be raising the expectation bar somewhat high. Also, if you achieve a level of success in your life that affords you the privilege to write, direct, and/or animate for one of the three highest profile animation production companies in the world, and you have created a project entitled Epic, it would be a good idea to make the film retain some level of originality and distinction from its peers.

I have no idea where Twentieth Century Fox and Blue Sky Studios went wrong with their latest film, but Epic is anything but emblematic of its name. Meek, Timid, Sleepy, Does Nothing…all would perhaps serve as better descriptors of this big budget letdown, set to be foisted on unsuspecting families and younger viewers in a gloriously unnecessary 3D presentation.

Let me back up a little bit. I will concede that Epic is well animated and well intentioned. Embellished from an impressive and beautifully drawn children’s book by William Joyce, The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs, Chris Wedge’s film is based on well, lots of things not really present in the book and ideas which have appeared in countless animated films before this one.

"Epic" (20th Century Fox)

“Epic” (20th Century Fox)

In short: A dastardly villain (Christoph Waltz), appears, threatens, and disappears for much of the film, despite his race of menacing Boggans threatening to eradicate a tiny kingdom below the leaves. This tiny kingdom has been doggedly pursued by Professor Bomba (Jason Sudeikis), whose tunnelvision focus on proving his discoveries for several years has led to his wife leaving him and snuffing out any connection with his 17-year old daughter, Mary Katherine (Amanda Seyfried). We get a slug and a snail cracking wise (Aziz Ansari, Chris O’Dowd) and even a queen (Beyonce Knowles) tasked with trying to hold off the looming war between her Leaf Men and the advancing Boggans.

Nothing is unique and therein lies Epic‘s biggest problem. Without there being anything new or tangible to point to as interesting, novel or organically inspired, we sit unimpressed, thinking of films like The Lion King, Ferngully, The Secret World of Arrietty, The Borrowers and The Spiderwick Chronicles, which all work far better than any of this.

William Joyce served as one of five screenwriters on this project and I would love to know how all of these individuals came to the project. In constant tonal agitation, Epic feels like a film that was rewritten so many times that whatever voice it may have had is lost far too early on in the story. It comes as no spoiler to reveal that Mary Katherine finds a glowing leaf and becomes a member of the Leaf Men community and kingdom, but I cannot think of a more lackluster delivery of a potentially compelling plot point in a children’s movie in recent memory.

One of the things I hear often from people who routinely attend children’s movies at the theater is that it does not really matter if the adults in attendance liked the movie, because, you know, it’s for the children after all. Fair enough. Except we have seen far too many films figure out how to entertain across all demographics. Epic wants to be that film that makes young and old smile but has no idea how to get there. Something always gets in the way of making this enjoyable.

Photo: 20th Century Fox

Photo: 20th Century Fox

Beautifully drawn scenes, with rich forest-laden color and design, become darkened into ambiguity in 3D. Inexplicably and inordinately frustrating is Wedge’s decision to bathe many of his scenes is a faux-natural sunlight, which actually washes out much of the beauty he has been given to work with. In terms of its story, Epic is even more of a mess. This gaggle of writers have engineered their story around Mary Katherine as a big person shrinking down to help the little people, but then shifts the focus on Ronin (Colin Farrell), the Leader of the Leaf Men who has his own parent/son conflict with his son Nod (Josh Hutcherson). The efforts to synchronize the parent/child relationship conflicts between Mary Katherine and her father and Nod and his dad are never really explored, and thus, the action sequences begin to feel like nothing more than filler.

Beyonce’s voice is simply too deep and husky to fit the softly drawn Disney-styled queen whose storyline is designed to kick the film into high gear. Christoph Waltz sounds like he is having fun playing the bad guy, but he is in the film so little his performance just feels wasted. Jason Sudeikis does infuse the film with a madcap energy as the zany father, but his obsessions with proving his theories and remaining ignorant of what that has cost him, make him actually quite unlikable more than goofy or endearing.

So what exactly is Epic about then? A fantastical adventure about saving a kingdom from vicious villains? A father’s reconnecting with his estranged daughter? The giving up of one’s own interests for the greater good of those in need? The sense of self in the grander scheme of things? The joy found in casting Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler as a caterpillar and electro-pop rap star Pitbull as a toad?

Yeah, you know what…not even gonna try and figure out those casting choices.

I understand that 2013 has been a desolate wasteland for animated family films which typically arrive in a much more plentiful bounty than we have found this year. And as the landscape lies ahead of us, Epic has a virtual month in the multiplex all to itself. Try and hold the kids back. Wait a bit longer. The choices should get better, as opposed to this mesmerizingly boring and lackluster Epic failure of a film.

SHOULD I SEE IT?
YES
  • Chances are your children, nieces, nephews, etc. have been clamoring to go see a movie and this is our next contestant.
  • The film looks beautiful and richly detailed (save a few sunlight-drowning shots) and is visually speaking, a wonderful film to look at and watch.
  • Prepare to fall in love with Ozzie, a dog custom-made to win the hearts and minds.
NO
  • You so deserve better. We all do. Epic is a retread of countless other films, some of which the younger viewers may have already seen, and feels ponderous and overly long and a slog to get through because of it.
  • The story is a mess and fitfully frustrating in how it cannot commit to one theme or any message whatsoever. Too many chefs in the kitchen, perhaps?
  • Read or experience the wonderful, 40 page picture book which upon one read and then one viewing of this film, makes youl wonder how William Joyce let his story get torn apart and why he had a hand in destroying his own source material. How did this happen?

 

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Frances Ha (2013)

FrancesHaPosterStarring: Greta Gerwig, Mickey Sumner, Michael Esper, Adam Driver, Michael Zegen, Grace Gummer, Charlotte d’Amboise.

Director: Noah Baumbach
Rating: R (for sexual references and language.)
Running Time: 86 Minutes
Release Date: May 17, 2013

Pine District Pictures, RT Features, Scott Rudin Productions and IFC Films.

Written by: Noah Baumbach and Greta Gerwig
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Rating: ★★★★☆ 

One of the movie industry’s best kept secrets is Greta Gerwig. Quietly and largely under-the-radar Gerwig has amassed an impressive resume of independent dramas and comedies, spiking in a walkabout with Woody Allen in To Rome With Love and a supporting turn in the Natalie Portman/Ashton Kutcher friends with benefits romantic comedy, No Strings Attached. She still remains largely unknown to mainstream audiences, but Gerwig is far too talented to stay so hidden. In Noah Baumbach’s punky and soft-hearted Frances Ha, Gerwig soars in the title role and delivers a performance every bit as engaging and rewarding as those of her A-list, high profile peers.

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What’s Seattle Saying? – May 17, 2013

WhatsSeattleSayingLogoEach week, Should I See It will be looking to its left and to its right, collating the thoughts of many of the film reviewers and writers located in and around the Seattle community.

OPENING/EXPANDING IN SEATTLE – MAY 17, 2013:

  • At Any Price
  • The Iceman
  • Star Trek Into Darkness

See what the Seattle critics say about these films…after the cut! Continue reading

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Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

StarTrekIntoDarknessPosterStarring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Peter Weller, Alice Eve, Noel Clarke, Nazneen Contractor, Chris Hemsworth, Jennifer Morrison, Leonard Nimoy.

Director: J.J. Abrams
Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence.)
Running Time: 132 Minutes
Release Date: May 16, 2013

Skydance Productions, Bad Robot and Paramount Pictures.

Written by: Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof; based on the television series, “Star Trek” created by Gene Roddenberry.
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Rating: ★★½☆☆ 

I cannot recite anything to you in Klingon. I am not intimately familiar with the layers and layers of storytelling that comprise all the various incarnations of Star Trek and its spinoffs, reboots, and parallel universe storytelling. I remember the mind-controlling eel creatures from Wrath Of Khan. I recall the whales. I may not have ever seen the four Star Trek: Next Generation films and if I did, I have lost any memory of them whatsoever. Watching the series on television was a rarity. I love George Takei and retweet and Facebook share his view of the world often. I do love me some Tribbles.

You see, at the end of the day I have no investment in the Star Trek canon, other than a fleeting knowledge of a few things Trekkie. I do not say this to appear high brow or somehow above the fray. Quite the contrary. I simply come to Star Trek Into Darkness as a regular moviegoer with nothing vested in the franchise. I really did have great fun with 2009′s Star Trek, J.J. Abrams’ thrilling and captivating reintroduction to the canon. Because of that film, I brought some high hopes with me.

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In The House (2013)

InTheHousePosterStarring: Fabrice Luchini, Ernst Umhauer, Kristin Scott Thomas, Emmanuelle Seigner, Denis Menochet, Bastien Ughetto, Yolande Moreau, Catherine Davenier, Jacques Bosc.

Director: Francois Ozon
Rating: R (for sexual content and language.)
Running Time: 105 Minutes
Release Date: April 19, 2013

Mandarin Cinema, Mars Films, France 2 Cinema, FOX, Canal+, Cine+ and Cohen Media Group.

Written by: Francois Ozon; adapted from the stage play, “El Chico de la ultima fila” by Juan Mayorga.
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Rating: ★★★½☆ 

What a pesky and unnerving little gem Francois Ozon’s In The House turns out to be. Is the film a thriller? A comedy? A psychological mind-bending mystery? In short, the answers are yes, yes, and yes, and at the end of the day, it could probably exist in a few other genres as well.

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What’s Seattle Saying? – May 10, 2013

WhatsSeattleSayingLogoEach week, Should I See It will be looking to its left and to its right, collating the thoughts of many of the film reviewers and writers located in and around the Seattle community.

OPENING/EXPANDING IN SEATTLE – MAY 10, 2013:

  • The Angels’ Share
  • The Great Gatsby
  • Tyler Perry Presents Peeples

See what the Seattle critics say about these films…after the cut! Continue reading

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Great Gatsby, The (2013)

GreatGatsbyPoster3Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire, Joel Edgerton, Elizabeth Debicki, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Amitabh Bachchan, Max Cullen, Jack Thompson, Adelaide Clemens, Gemma Ward, Kate Mulvany.

Director: Baz Luhrmann
Rating: PG-13 (for some violent images, sexual content, smoking, partying and brief language.)
Running Time: 143 Minutes
Release Date: May 10, 2013

Village Roadshow Pictures, A&E Television Networks, Bazmark Films, Red Wagon Entertainment and Warner Bros. Pictures.

Written by: Baz Luhrmann and Craig Pearce; adapted from the novel “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
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Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

Long delayed and highly anticipated, Baz Luhrmann’s epic, bombastic and expansive take on F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby is finally ready for its three-dimensional closeup. With its extensive trailering and marketing, moviegoers began drawing immediate comparisons to Luhrmann’s seminal work, Moulin Rouge!. Hearing that thunderous Jay-Z orchestrated soundtrack, seeing those dizzying camera sweeps and swirls, witnessing the opulence and grandeur of the set design; this Gatsby looked larger than life, timeless, big and bold and fearless. Primed to be an Oscar contender in 2012, the film was inexplicably pulled from the film calendar, delayed until the summer of 2013. Reports were that Luhrmann wanted more time to fine-tune everything after shooting the entire film in 3D. And now May 10, 2013 is upon us. Was it all worth the wait?

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What’s Seattle Saying? – May 3, 2013

WhatsSeattleSayingLogoEach week, Should I See It will be looking to its left and to its right, collating the thoughts of many of the film reviewers and writers located in and around the Seattle community.

OPENING/EXPANDING IN SEATTLE – MAY 3, 2013:

  • Iron Man 3

 

See what the Seattle critics say about these films…after the cut! Continue reading

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