Django Unchained (2012)

I saw "Django Unchained" over the Christmas break with my family. Although it's not what many would consider a holiday film, my family tends to be somewhat offbeat and we thoroughly enjoy Tarantino flicks.

Suffice it to say, we loved the movie! I'd say this is one of Tarantino's best movies, at least in recent memory.

First of all, it's got a solid cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jamie Foxx, Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz (my personal favorite in this film). And the storyline was so.... Tarantino. Meaning if you enjoy Tarantino movies, you won't be disappointed with this one. It's got all the classic elements -- violence, epic storyline, humor, more violence, good music, did I mention violence?

The story takes place in the South a couple of years before the Civil War. Christoph Waltz plays Dr. King Schultz, a bounty hunter who purchases the freedom of and partners up with former slave Django (Jamie Foxx) in order to find a particular pair of murderous brothers. Schultz agrees to help Django find his wife, whom he's been tragically separated from in the slave trade, once Django helps him find the band of brothers. DiCaprio plays Calvin Candie, a despicable and infamous plantation owner who enjoys buying strong male slaves for the sole purpose of having them fight to the death. As it turns out, Calvin Candie is also the current owner of Django's wife. As you can imagine, Django and Schultz have to go to some extreme measures in their attempt to rescue Django's wife.

Before seeing the movie, I heard people say this is Tarantino's most brutal and violent film. Maybe so, and I agree the faint of heart should not see this film. There was a great deal of violence, blood and disturbing content (which isn't hard to imagine when you combine Tarantino with a storyline set in the antebellum South, when slavery was commonplace). However, if you're used to his other films, I don't think this movie is going to bother you (I mean come on... remember Kill Bill? I think it's impossible to count the number of people who died in that film). It's what you should expect from a Tarantino depiction of pre-Civil War Mississippi, which is kind of awesome in its grittiness. I tend to really enjoy Tarantino's films that are set in certain horrible periods in history, such as Nazi Germany in "Inglorious Basterds." Those were horrific times, and he makes sure we remember that. And he has a brilliant way of making the viewer a nervous wreck one minute and then has them laughing in the next scene.

One of the things I really enjoyed about "Django Unchained" was the relationship with Schultz and Django. An unlikely duo, they were mesmerizing on screen and their interactions were often humorous. I've been a fan of Christoph Waltz since "Inglorious Basterds." Whereas he played a sinister and devious character in the latter, in "Django Unchained" he plays the good guy (and convincingly so). I initially feared he might end up typecasted as the bad guy, but I am pleased to say I was wrong. The guy's got range. I don't know what it is about him, but he's got great presence on screen. 

The movie is definitely a must-see for all you Tarantino buffs out there. As one myself, I was thoroughly entertained.

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R, 2 hr. 46 min.
Western, Drama

Directed By: Quentin Tarantino

Written By: Quentin Tarantino

In Theaters: Dec 25, 2012 Wide
Box Office:$106.4M

The Weinstein Co.

Final Destination 5 (2011)

I have to admit, these movies are a guilty pleasure of mine.

The only reason I really watch them any more is to see the interesting new ways they decide to kill off the characters.

Other than, I can pretty much recite the basic script for one of these films before I even see it.

Lead character has a vision of a terrible tragedy that results in the gruesome death of his friends and himself in some horrifying and highly unrealistic way -- Character realizes it was a vision, but things start playing out just as they were in the dream so character makes a scene and gets his friends and a few other 'believers' out of the situation -- Horrible situation actually happens -- People are like "Woah, how did you know that was going to happen?" -- Character becomes chief suspect in police investigation -- Survivors start dying off in same order as they would have died in the tragedy -- They realize they can perhaps 'cheat death' if they kill someone else -- It doesn't work -- They all die. 

Somewhere in there is a weird cameo from the dude who played "Candyman," who I guess is supposed to be Death. He always gives them the same warning about no one being able to cheat death, although the teenagers always seem to think he's crazy.

I feel like the screenplay writers are literally just filling in blanks for the names and locations.

Again, the only thing that changes with these films are the death scenes, but I do admit, those can be entertaining. And the ending on this one was a nice touch for those of us who have been watching these from the beginning.

"Final Destination 5" is nothing to write home about (although is a 5th of any series ever going to be?), but if you're bored and are in the mood for a predictable horror flick, it's perfect.


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R, 1 hr. 32 min.
Horror

Directed By: Steven Quale

Written By: Eric Heisserer

In Theaters: Aug 12, 2011 Wide
On DVD: Dec 27, 2011
Box Office:$42.6M

Warner Bros.

Ted (2012)

Much to my surprise, "Ted" actually turned out to be one of the funniest movies I've seen in a while.

I recently took my parents to see this film because we had no desire to see the new Spider Man movie, at least not until it releases on DVD (there's something about rebooting a movie that was made in the past 10 years that seems so ridiculous to me), and nothing else of interest was playing. I didn't go into it expecting much, which is probably why I ended up loving it as much as I did.

The movie is about the relationship between a guy named John Bennett, played by Mark Wahlberg, and his teddy bear Ted, who came to life after John made a Christmas wish as a little boy. The two are inseparable, but John's girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis) tests their friendship when she asks John to do some growing up. Blah blah blah - comedy and hijinks ensue.

This was Seth MacFarlane's big movie directing debut, and I certainly hope this will be the first of many for him. I do have to say, I think you need to enjoy the humor of his show Family Guy to enjoy "Ted." Much of the humor is similar, and by that I mean raunchy and irreverent. Luckily, that stuff is right up my alley. Speaking of Family Guy, many of the show's cast are actually in the film, including Kunis (who voices Meg), MacFarlane obviously, Alex Borstein (Lois), and Patrick Warburton (Joe). Basically, if you enjoy Family Guy, you're going to love "Ted." 

A lot of what Ted and John do is sit around and get high while telling profane jokes (what's not to enjoy with a plot like that?). They are both kind of stuck in this state of arrested development and tend to enable each other's bad behavior. They manage to get themselves into some pretty ridiculous situations along the way, which gives the viewer some pretty consistent laughs throughout.

While their relationship is funny to watch, it was actually endearing at times, too. The two have been best friends since childhood and have been by each other's side ever since. What's funny is that their relationship appears so realistic that after only a few minutes into the movie, you begin to look past the fact that Ted is a stuffed toy. Towards the end of the movie, you realize you actually care about the pot-smoking teddy bear and the bromance between Ted and John.

I feel like this will be one of those movies that gets funnier every time you watch it, kind of like "Anchorman" and "Zoolander." There were just so many great one-liners and humorous pop culture references, which MacFarlane is so great at. While there may have been some jokes that fell flat, the majority of them made the movie.

Leave it to Seth MacFarlane to take such a goofy premise and completely make it work.


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R, 1 hr. 55 min.
Comedy

Directed By: Seth MacFarlane

Written By: Seth MacFarlane

In Theaters: Jun 29, 2012 Wide
Box Office:$159.0M

Universal Pictures

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (2011)

The commercials for this movie promise that it "outdoes the original." In this case, I would have to agree.

"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is the second installment in the recent Sherlock Holmes adaptations.  Holmes and his trusty sidekick Dr. Watson take on a fierce adversary (Professor Moriarty) - the same bad guy that was alluded to in the first film.

There is a wonderful chemistry between Robert Downey Jr. (Sherlock Holmes) and Jude Law (Dr. Watson). What sometimes borderlines on homoerotic is actually quite an enjoyable and often humorous relationship between the two, and for me it's a large part of what makes these movies fun. You actually care about the characters and their friendship.

What also gives this film a leg-up is that the enemy -- Moriarty (Jared Harris) -- is actually a major badass. Holmes truly meets his match in this one. Moriarty is equal to Holmes in intellect and logic, but he is also diabolically evil and without conscience... meaning it's all the more fun to see how everything unfolds.

The film delivers an ample amount of twists and turns, just like you would expect in a Sherlock Holmes movie. There are funny, often witty moments and there are also some tense, sometimes shocking, moments. All in all, the movie keeps you entertained.

I never read the Sherlock Holmes books, so I'm no expert, but I love what Guy Ritchie has done with the story. Downey and Law are exceptional casting choices, which is probably a large part of why this franchise does so well.



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PG-13, 2 hr. 8 min.

Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

Directed By: Guy Ritchie

Written By: Michele Mulroney, Kieran Mulroney

In Theaters: Dec 16, 2011 Wide

Box Office:$130.9M

Warner Bros. Pictures

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol (2011)

 

I have to admit, I was really excited to hear this movie was coming out, and luckily I was not disappointed.

This is the 4th installment in the Mission: Impossible series, which may raise a red flag for some, but to me it was far superior to the 2nd and 3rd films. It was action packed, it wasn't too dark or overly complicated, and the cast really played well off each other.

In the film, badass agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) has to get a new team together to take on another seemingly impossible mission - this time to prevent the nuclear destruction of America by a deranged Russian guy. Oh, and the whole team has been disavowed after being implicated in the bombing of the Kremlin... so they are pretty much on their own.... No big deal.

The film has all the elements of a great spy flick - a diabolical terrorist with absolutely no conscience, impending mass destruction, fancy high-tech spy gadgets, fast car sequences, witty banter, a scene where a sexy woman has to seduce a bad guy, comic relief (Simon Pegg, most notably), scenes where Cruise is running from explosions and scaling great heights, and some plot twists.

This movie was great in a way that was very different from the first film. Don't get me wrong, I loved the original Mission: Impossible. It's just that I remember that film being really dark and extremely intense (all good things). Nearly every one died and it kept you guessing up until the end of the film. This one, however, is more of an exciting action flick that's not so heavy and gives you a few chuckles along the way. The new team (consisting of Cruise, Pegg, the amazing Jeremy Renner, and Paula Patton) works really well together on screen. Cruise is the fearless team leader, Pegg is the comic relief techy, Renner is the analyst/secretly badass agent, and Patton is the tough yet sexy female. I also loved that none of them died a horrible death. The end of the film even leaves it open for a possible sequel, which I definitely wouldn't mind seeing.

All in all, Ghost Protocol was one of the better holiday releases, if not the best. And despite Tom Cruise being batshit crazy in real life, I can't deny that I enjoy watching him on screen.


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PG-13, 2 hr. 13 min.
Mystery & Suspense, Action & Adventure

Directed By: Brad Bird

Written By: Josh Applebaum, André Nemec

In Theaters: Dec 21, 2011 Wide
Box Office:$61.9M

Paramount Studios

Midnight in Paris (2011)

"Midnight in Paris" is probably one of the most charming, funny and whimsical Woody Allen films I have ever had the pleasure of watching.

The film centers around Gil (Owen Wilson), a screenplay writer who travels to Paris with his snooty fiancee Inez (Rachel McAdams) and her family on business. While Inez seems to want to spend most of her time with a pompous prick named Paul, an old friend of hers that they happen to run into in Paris, Gil wants to soak up the romantic, beautiful city that is Paris. He seems almost infatuated with the city and its mystique. We also learn that Gil is trying to write a novel -- he's tired of writing vapid screenplays. He is also a romanticizer of the past. He seems to think life would have been better in the 20's when literature was at its finest. In fact, his novel is about a man, whom is modeled after himself, who works at a nostalgia shop.

One night during one of his late-evening walks in Paris, he happens to get lost. A strange cab pulls up with some French-speaking people dressed in period clothing and he is taken to a party where he meets some rather unexpected guests... the Fitzgeralds. As in F. Scott Fitzgerald and his wife Zelda. We quickly discover that Gil has gone back in time and is thrown into the 1920s. During the next several nights, he continues to take these adventures back in time and meets the other members of the Lost Generation -- Gertrude Stein (who actually edits his novel for him), Ernest Hemingway (who is probably the funniest character in the film), and T.S. Eliot. He also happens to meet some other notable characters, including Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali.

During his escapades, which he has kept hidden from his obnoxious fiancee, he falls in love with a woman named Adriana (played by the gorgeous Marion Cotillard). Adriana is a mistress of Picasso and she, too, believes that life would be better in the past...

One night, Adriana and Gil are taken via horse and carriage even further in the past where they get to visit the Moulin Rouge and meet Toulouse-Lautrec. As Gil realizes how much Adriana yearns for the better days of old, he discovers that maybe everyone feels this way and that perhaps it is merely an illusion.

There is more to the story, and of course, in the end things don't work out between Gil and Inez. Nor do they work out with Gil and Adriana, who has chosen to remain in the past (and by that I mean even for her). But Gil does find happiness and some new peace of mind by discovering that life is about the present, which - if you think about it - will one day be considered "the good old days."

Overall this movie was quite enjoyable. I loved the quirky historical figures, particularly Hemingway, with his love of alcohol and always wanting to start a fight, and Dali, who seemed to have a thing for Rhinoceroses. Definitely a film worth watching. If I had one word to describe it, I would say it was "enchanting" -- both thematically and visually.


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PG-13, 1 hr. 34 min.
Comedy, Romance
Directed By: Woody Allen
Written By: Woody Allen
In Theaters: Jun 10, 2011 Wide
On DVD: Dec 20, 2011
Box Office:$56.3M
Sony Pictures Classics

Buried (2010)

 

This movie took me by surprise. And in a good way!  I was skeptical when I found out this movie was 90 minutes of Ryan Reynolds in a box, but this movie keeps you on the edge of your seat and takes you on an emotional ride throughout. 

Ok, so Reynolds plays Paul Conroy, an American truck driver who has been contracted to work in Iraq as part of a humanitarian aid program. While on a delivery, he is captured by insurgent guerrillas who intend to hold him hostage. He wakes up buried underground in a coffin-like box. All he has on him is a lighter and a cell phone. Trapped underground with a limited supply of air, he frantically calls his family, his employer, and American military and political representatives, trying to remain calm as his chances of survival slip farther away with each passing minute. It is truly one of those race against time thrillers that keeps you nerve-wracked until the very end. 

While the movie is confined within a tiny space, the plot seems to feel immense. Paul is in a fight for his life and tries to utilize all available options, although there aren't many at his disposal. As an audience member, you keep thinking -- you keep hoping he's going to get out of there. You are left feeling just as buried in that box as he is, which is truly a stroke of genius on the director's part for never leaving the coffin scene. The more you learn about the character, the more you care about him. Reynolds really showcases his talent with this one. There are moments of sadness, desperation and even some humor. 

But it's the end that really makes the movie. This film keeps you holding your breath all the way up until the very last second. 

*spoiler* At the very end, the sand is pouring into the coffin and Paul has only a matter of minutes until he suffocates to death. He is on the phone with the agent who has been corresponding with him throughout the film and has been part of the effort to locate him, and you think they are only seconds from getting to him. They think they've found his location and they are digging frantically to save him, and just when you hear them open the lid, you realize they are at the wrong location. They have unearthed a former American hostage who had also gone through a similar situation and was never found. All you hear is the agent saying "I am so sorry, Paul." That's an ending that sticks with you long after the film is over.

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R, 1 hr. 34 min.
Mystery & Suspense

Directed By: Rodrigo Cortés 

In Theaters: Sep 24, 2010 Limited
On DVD: Jan 18, 2011
Box Office:$1.0M

Lionsgate