Gavin Grades The Movies |
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| Posts from June 2010 |
Toy Story 3
by Gavin
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posted Nov 2 2011 7:20PM
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 Can you believe that it's been 15 years since Toy Story came out?!  That's an insane amount of time to pass in between segments of a trilogy.  However the company that brought us the first computer animated feature film in 1995, has finally gotten around to rounding out the story in the way that only Pixar can.  Toy Story 3 picks up in real time from when we last saw toys, Woody (Tom Hanks), Buzz (Tim Allen), Jessie (Joan Cusack) and the rest of the toys.  But time has passed by and now it's time for their boy Andy, who's now 17, go off to college.  Alone, that premise chokes up adults while making them laugh when we see the family dog Buster, who was a puppy at the end of Toy Story, has become a slow, grey senior dog.  That simple story of the passage of time turns into one of the most creative "Prison Break" films I've ever seen  It's also the best film of 2010 so far and the MOST satisfying ending to a trilogy I've ever seen in my life.  Pixar doesn't make films, in my opinion; they make pure art.  There are other children's movies that are fun and funny but nothing can even come close to a Pixar film.  This is their 11th movie and all but one (Cars) have a 90% or higher on RottenTomatoes.com and they keep getting better and better.  They do things that no other children's films can and that's touch the soul in all of us no matter what age we are.  Seeing adults and children crying together at a Pixar movie is common place, but that's fine for two reasons; one, you do much more laughing and two, it's okay to have kids feel for characters on a deeply emotional level...in fact it might even be good for them since they seem to do it so seldom anymore.  Toy Story 3 introduces us to the voice work of Ned Beatty (Deliverance) as Lots'O'Huggin' and Michael Keaton (Batman, Beetlejuice) as Ken among many other new characters.  Not all of them are good though and they put our group of friends in very dangerous situations.  It's because of that that we see some very adult themes shine through that kids won't pick up on.  We see an ending that consists of so many epic moments that the 3D glasses come in handy for hiding your tears as well as adding spectacular depth to the film.  There is a moment that deals with excepting your fate and saving your dignity that is wrapped in such symbolism that even most adults won't pick up on the masterful storytelling that went into it.  These initial endings will lead to what is ultimately a bigger theme that pulls the whole trilogy together, it hammers the feelings we all have inside, regardless of our age at the moment, for the importance of friendship and letting go of the past.   Don't get me wrong though, the film isn't all serious and full of heavy thematic elements.  There are countless scenes that had me laughing harder than any Rated-R film in the past year and excited my nerves with thrilling action that lacked in almost all live-action thrillers recently too.  What I'm trying to say is that Toy Story 3 has miraculously raised the already sky-high bar again by making not only a perfect ending to a trilogy I'm sad to see end but by making an overall perfect film.  Bravo, Pixar!  I can't wait to see what you do next.
Toy Story 3 (Rated PG)
Gavin Grade: A+ | | | Tags : Social: 107.9 the End, Gavin, Grades the Movies, Michael Keaton, Movie Reviews, Ned Beatty, Pixar, Tim Allen, Tom Hanks, Toy Story, Toy Story 3
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Jonah Hex
by Gavin
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posted Nov 2 2011 7:20PM
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 For those of you who love it when comic book movies come out and blow the socks off you like Iron Man or The Dark Knight, you have to know that it comes at a price. Â What cost do we have to pay for such fun at the cinemas? Â It's called Jonah Hex. Â This represents many, many, many subpar, horrible, unknown comic books and graphic novels that movie studios have gobbled up in hopes of cashing in on the next big thing. Â At this point you can guarantee that Batman or X-Men will bring in a crowd but movies like 300 prove that you never know when one that no one has ever heard of outside the geeky basements of comic book fans will make hundreds of millions of dollars. Â The movie studio that bought the rights to DC Comics' John Albano and Tony DeZuniga comic, Jonah Hex, knew somewhere during filming that this was not going to be "the next big thing." Â That's why they cut the film down to such a short runtime that I can't remember the last live-action, non-children's movie I saw that was this short. Â It came in at about 75 minutes long, which still, AMAZINGLY, dragged. Â Even more amazing than that though was the number of respectable actors they got to agree to be in this crap. Â Not just respectable, but actors associated with Oscars! Â Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, W) plays the title character and he's joined by John Malkovic (In the Line of Fire, Being John Malkovic), Michael Shannon (Revolutionary Road, Bug) who has two freaking lines, Wes Bentley (American Beauty), Michael Fassbender (Inglorious Basterds), Will Arnet (30 Rock, Blades of Steel) and Megan Fox...okay maybe not everyone is so impressive. Â How did this happen? Â The production value seems relatively high considering it's a period piece that takes place right after The Civil War. Â But the script is as disfigured as Jonah Hex's face. Â The direction is from Jimmy Hayward who is also from good stock. Â He was from the ranks of Pixar and this was his first live action film. Â It was almost as if the movie was made and the studio had zero faith in it, so they sliced and diced it until it was a puny 75 minutes, cut their losses and shoved it out there. Â I'm not going to say it's a shame that this happened though. Â This was an example of a movie that probably should have stayed on the pages of the comic books and was never brought to life. Â It's a pretty mindless story of confusing revenge, that mixes the paranormal with history in a tale that's pitiful and painful. Â There are moments of action that got my pulse elevated to the equivilant of a brisk walk. Â I'm also a Civil War junkie and loved the post-war world the characters lived in. Â However the overall product called Jonah Hex will definitely be the black mark on most of these actors' resumes and, yes, that even includes Megan Fox.
Jonah Hex (Rated PG-13)
Gavin Grade: D | | | Tags : Social: 107.9 the End, Gavin, Jimmy Hayward, John Albano, John Malkovic, Jonah Hex, Josh Brolin, Megan Fox, Michael Fassbender, Michael Shannon, Movie Reviews, Tony DeZuniga, wake up call, Wes Bentley, Will Arnet
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The A-Team
by Gavin
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posted Nov 2 2011 7:20PM
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 When I was a kid I would watch the show this movie is based on by the same name.  I would watch it in secret; not because my parents thought it was inappropriate for kids, but because they thought it was stupid.  They would make fun of the show to the point where I was embarrassed for liking it.  I don't know if it's their lasting insults or what, but that shame follows me to my enjoyment of this film too.  The movie put together a pretty cool cast that consisted of Liam Neeson (Taken, Schindler's List) as Hannibal, Bradley Cooper (The Hangover, Wedding Crashers) as Face, Sharlto Copely (District 9) as Murdock and UFC fighter "Rampage" Jackson as B.A.  Good rule of thumb is whenever you see a movie staring an athlete of any kind you should avoid it at all costs and yes that includes movies staring The Rock.  In a recent interview, "Rampage" Jackson said that he considers acting to be "gay," which is too bad because he's not bad at it.  He steps into the role immortalized by Mr. T. with complete ease.  Once I realized that that wouldn't be a worry, I could enjoy the movie.  I never had a doubt about the rest of the cast.  Bradley Cooper is a pitch-perfect Face.  Liam Neeson is the fatherly ass-kicker Hannibal that was needed. But stealing the show was South African actor Sharlto Copley doing a hilarious job as the mentally ill, Murdock.  After seeing him dazzle in District 9 and crack-up in The A-Team, it makes me feel like I have stock in the corporation that is Sharlto Copley and hope to see it rise over the next decade.  Directing the whole film is Sacramento native, Joe Carnahan (Smokin' Aces), who has been rather disappointing  so far in his career other than putting together impressive mega-casts.  However, he gets a good stride going in The A-Team and allows it to move like an Oliver Stone or Guy Richie film with fast edits, cutaway scenes and camera trickery.  He also brings the humor the show had to the front of the stage never letting this movie take itself too seriously.  If it had done that, it would've been a disaster.  But it doesn't lampoon it either, which is just as equally important.  Carnahan was also one of the writers on the film and there is an arena he still might need to get his sea legs on.  The script is inexplicably complex in the plot.  The film that's based on a ridiculous TV show that starred Mr. T. doesn't need to have a storyline that unfolds like a Robert Redford political drama or Grisham thriller.  Because of that, it might have some people get caught up in the weeds along the way and not make it to the extra explosive ending.  However it's great in the way that just when you think it's about to become absurd in trying to be a military drama involving high ranking cover ups and governmental back-stabbings, it has a scene where The A-Team is driving a tank out of a plane and shooting bad guys down in the sky with it, which couldn't have been more stupid and fun at the same time.  The "A" in A-Team stands for "Alpha" but as far as I'm concerned it stands for the letter grade it earned by exceeding my expectations by leaps bigger than the realism that exists in the film.
The A-Team (Rated PG-13)
Gavin Grade: A-
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Get Him to The Greek
by Gavin
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posted Nov 2 2011 7:20PM
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 Seems like it was just yesterday that Forgetting Sarah Marshall was in theaters and had me wondering why everyone liked it so much. Â Well, now some of the same creators have created a loosely-based sequel on that movie that makes me wonder that all over again. Â Get Him to The Greek is about Russell Brand's rock star character, Aldous Snow, being ushered from London to L.A. to play a concert at The Greek Theater. Â Joining him on this trip is the ever-growing Jonah Hill. Â Brand's character is a crazed, drug-filled lunatic and Hill's is a straight-laced, stuffy Every Man. Â This premise has been around for as long as we've had comedy and in the shadow of such "parties that got out of control" films like The Hangover, it's not even very creative. Â But is it funny? Â Yes it is...at times. Â The movie starts off very weak trying to build the characters of the leads that we understand in the first five minutes. Â Then it builds to some scenes that crescendo into cough-inducing comedy. Â But sadly it ends on notes that are so flat and sour it soils some of the triumphs it had. Â Jonah Hill is someone who must know someone powerful in Hollywood to continue getting leads because he's gone beyond being totally unattractive to almost repulsive to watch. Â The look he's gone with for Get Him to the Greek is 325 lbs of unshaven ugly that's being held up by a 5'5" frame that waddles around the set like an angry little dwarf. Â I know he has fans out there. Â Hell, I even used to call myself one; but I feel like that was before I knew he was a one-trick-pony and apparently after he devoured all 150 lbs of Michael Cera. Â Russell Brand, on the other hand, is more subdued in this film than he usually is but for a guy who almost showed off his vagina on the cover of Rolling Stone and is a bigger one-trick pony, it's still too much. Â I almost felt like I was seeing a home movie of the two of them making the trip and characters, acting and fiction weren't needed. Â Again, I remind you though that doesn't make parts of it unfunny. Â I would say that the party scenes were perfect in their morbid dance of disturbingly shocking and fantastically funny. Â The addition of cameos from notable TV celebrities to child stars keeps you on your toes to play a Where's Waldo game during the entire film. Â However the movie ends with a three punch combo where all three jabs miss. Â One ending is confusing, the other is uncomfortable and the last is just boring. Â The film tries so hard to become what the Judd Apatow movies are and that is comedy with heart; a feeling of frat boy humor that can still make a lady go "aww." Â Those moments in this film were forced and contrived. Â It made me sad that a film that wanted to just be scenes of debauchery felt the need to muscle in the sentimentality so much that it had no place in the story. Â If you enjoyed The Hangover but wanted to see what the party night scenes looked like acted out by two guys who play themselves better than anyone else could have, then Get Him to The Greek is the movie for you. Â But if you're someone who feels like that premise is tired, uncreative and miles from inspired, then you're better off having one of those parties yourself.
Get Him to The Greek (Rated R)
Gavin Grade: C+
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