Search results matching tags 'reviews' and 'action'

"Hot Fuzz" a modern spoof film worth watching

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Tue, 15 Sep 2009 20:20:00 GMT

While channel surfing several weekends ago, I happened upon Naked Gun 33 1/3 airing on Comedy Central. I used to love the Naked Gun series, with Leslie Nielsen portraying a bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin. It made me recall some of the other "classic" (I use that word subjectively) spoof films of the late 80s and early 90s, like Spaceballs, Hot Shots!, and Robin Hood: Men in Tights. Okay, so none of these movies are all that great, but I still enjoy them to this day. And it's not just from nostalgia-goggles...the lame, in-your-face comedy cracks me up.

I then thought about the current state of the spoof movie...and it's a bit painful. From the Scary Movie's to Meet the Spartans to Superhero/Date/Epic/Disaster Movie, things have come a long way. In my opinion (and on IMDB & Rotten Tomatoes), most of these movies are unwatchable. But someone's watching them, as they all make millions (and Sci-Fi Movie & Scary Movie 5 are in the works).

It was there, in the midst of that frightening darkness, that I recalled a beacon of hope...a 2007 film called Hot Fuzz. I rewatched it to get the bad taste out of my mouth and was amazed...a modern spoof movie that's witty & funny!

Hot Fuzz, in a nutshell, is a spoof on the "buddy cop" movie (i.e. Rush Hour, Bad Boys) from the guys that created Shaun of the Dead (a romantic comedy, with zombies!). Here's the official plot summary, better than what I could come up with:

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is the finest cop London has to offer, with an arrest record 400% higher than any other officer on the force. He's so good, he makes everyone else look bad. As a result, Angel's superiors send him to a place where his talents won't be quite so embarrassing - the sleepy and seemingly crime-free village of Sandford.

Once there, he is partnered with the well-meaning but overeager police officer Danny Butterman (Nick Frost). The son of amiable Police Chief Frank Butterman, Danny is a huge action movie fan and believes his new big-city partner might just be a real-life "bad boy," and his chance to experience the life of gunfights and car chases he so longs for. Angel is quick to dismiss this as childish fantasy and Danny's puppy-like enthusiasm only adds to Angel's growing frustration.

However, as a series of grisly accidents rocks the village, Angel is convinced that Sandford is not what it seems and as the intrigue deepens, Danny's dreams of explosive, high-octane, car-chasing, gunfighting, all-out action seem more and more like a reality. It's time for these small-town cops to break out some big-city justice.

This movie is absolutely hysterical! Pegg & Frost always work great together, and Hot Fuzz continues that trend. Their dialogue, characterization, everything is A+! Every "buddy cop" and over-the-top action movie cliche is taken on here. Whether it's the humorously-overdone gore, the hilariously-brilliant plot you won't see coming, the insane gunfight at the end, the FOUR cliffhanger endings, or "firing your gun in the air and yelling 'aaaahhhhh!!!'" (ala Point Break), you will laugh profusely while watching this movie. Unless you have a condition that prevents you from laughing.

Below is a short clip of one of my favorite scenes. If you find yourself laughing, you owe it to yourself to watch the whole movie!

(Please visit the site to view this media)

More Information

Library Catalog: Check the availability of Hot Fuzz on DVD. The EVPL has widescreen and fullscreen versions.
Theatrical Trailer: Check out the theatrical trailer for a glimpse of the humor, guns, & gore.
User Reviews: The movie has an 8.0/10 rating on IMDB and a 90% Fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

"Chuck" is about a nerd that becomes a spy...essentially my life story

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 15 Dec 2008 17:50:00 GMT

In the television show Chuck, Charles "Chuck" Bartowski plays your typical 20-something computer-geek, stuck in a dead-end job at Buy More's Nerd Herd (a less-than-subtle parody of Best Buy's Geek Squad). He lives an uneventful life with his sister Ellie, until one day when he receives an email from his long-lost friend Bryce. Turns out Bryce is a rogue CIA agent, and his email contains an entire government database of top secret info, which embeds itself into Chuck's brain upon viewing.

Both the NSA and CIA want the intelligence returned to them and dispatch agents of their own - Major John Casey and Sarah Walker - to "retrieve" that data. When the original database is destroyed, Chuck has the only copy of that data, so he is forced to become a spy. Chuck's decision to keep his new-found occupation a secret from his family and friends, and to live his life as normally as possible, forces Casey and Walker to establish an uneasy alliance and secret identities (Walker poses as Chuck's girlfriend and takes a cover job at the local restaurant next to the Buy More while Casey gets a job at the Buy More), with the shared goal of protecting Chuck at all costs.

Seeing specific people/things causes Chuck to "flash", subliminally retrieving data about the person/object from the government database in his mind. Chuck uses this ability to help John & Sarah thwart evildoers and save the entire world from impending doom.

Sarah is an incredibly attractive female spy, and as they continue their "fake" relationship Chuck's feelings for her become real. There is lots of romantic tension, often mocked by smart-aleck comments by John (portrayed by Adam Baldwin, of Full Metal Jacket & Firefly/Serentity fame).

This show is brilliant, tied with The Office as my favorite current TV show. The cast is excellent, with real chemistry. The plots, while far-fetched, are extremely well-thought out, always resulting in hilarity and the unexpected. And the emotion evoked by the tension between Chuck & Sarah (not helped by Ellie's constant "I'm so happy you finally found a girlfriend" remarks), his belief that Sarah is way out of his nerd-league, the experiences with his ex-girlfriend (who re-appears in season 2), and his quest for more (a normal life and better job, for starters) creates endearing, genuine characters.

Season 1 was released on DVD & Blu-ray a couple months ago, and season 2 (which is even better than season 1) is currently airing on Monday nights at 7pm on NBC. It's a show you really need to watch in order, so check out the season 1 DVDs, catch up on the previous season 2 episodes at NBC.com, and watch the latest episode every Monday night!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check on the availability of Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD at EVPL libraries.
NBC.com: Official website of Chuck. Find out more about the show, and watch full episodes from season 2!
Amazon: Buy Chuck: The Complete First Season on DVD or Blu-ray using these links, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase!

Doomsday, wrathful robots, other cheerfulness in "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles"

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Fri, 05 Dec 2008 15:38:00 GMT

Being a self-proclaimed sci-fi geek, I love the Terminator movies. With three theatrical movies, and a fourth coming in 2009 (Terminator Salvation, starring Christian Bale!), Fox decided to capitalize on the series' success with a spin-off television series. Season 1 of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles began airing in January of 2008, and was recently released on DVD & Blu-ray.

Explaining the TV show requires a bit of backstory from the movies, so here goes...

The Terminator (1984) - In 1997, a computer system called Skynet becomes self-aware, unleashes a nuclear apocalypse on humanity, and builds an army of robots to destroy the few surviving humans that have formed a resistance. The leader of this resistance is John Connor, and under his command they are able to keep humanity alive.

In 2029, Skynet decides to send an indestructible Terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger) back in time, to the year 1984, to kill John's mother, Sarah. If they kill Sarah, John will never be born, thus never organizing the resistance. Upon learning of Skynet's plan, the resistance sends one of their own to the year 1984, to protect Sarah from the Terminator. Fortunately, Sarah stays alive and the Terminator is destroyed.

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) - It's now 1993. Sarah Connor is in a mental institution for "delusions". John Connor is a rebellious youth, living with foster parents. Skynet decides to send a more advanced Terminator to kill John. Future-John (in 2029) has reprogrammed a T-100 (Arnold) and sent him to 1993 to protect young-John. They bust Sarah out of the institution and destroy Cyberdyne, a company creating robotic endoskeletons (used in the future for the robot armies). This successfully delays the nuclear apocalypse.

Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) - Forget about this one. Has no correlation with this TV show.

Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles takes place in 1997. Sarah & John have been on the run for four years, pursued by the FBI for charges of terrorism. While at school one day, John discovers that his substitute teacher is a Terminator sent back in time to kill him. And guess what?

The resistance has sent a female Terminator named Cameron, played by Summer Glau (best-known for her role in Firefly & Serenity), to protect him. Cameron transports Sarah & John to the year 2007, as that is now the year that Skynet takes over. Agent Ellison of the FBI picks up the case, after it remained stagnant for the previous 10 years.

Sarah, John, & Cameron are on a mission to discover what Skynet is and to destroy it. Turns out that an advanced chess computer, that has garnered military interest, is the prime suspect. As Agent Ellison investigates Sarah's record, including visiting her former psychiatrist from the mental institution, he slowly begins to realize that she wasn't lying. The final episode features an epic battle, to Johnny Cash's "When the Man Comes Around" (one of his last songs, containing many references to the Book of Revelations), which literally gave me goosebumps.

While a bit cheesy at times, as most TV shows are, I found the acting and plot to be top-notch. It was also fascinating to see concepts, never fully explained in the movies, fleshed out. Fans of the Terminator films, good sci-fi, and thought-provoking storylines should definitely check it out!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Check availability of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles at EVPL libraries.
Amazon.com: Buy Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles on DVD or Blu-ray using this link, and the Public Library Friends will receive a portion of your purchase.
Internet Movie Database: Find out more about the show at IMDB.
Fox.com: View the official website of the TV show.

"Redbelt" not your typical karate movie

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 17:38:00 GMT

Redbelt, written & directed by David Mamet, is not your typical martial arts movie...it has very few action scenes. In fact, calling it a "martial arts movie" is a bit belittling, as it is first and foremost a drama. While it started extremely slowly, I ended up getting drawn in and loving it.

Chiwetel Ejiofor plays Mike Terry, a Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu instructor barely making ends meet. A series of unfortunate events increase the financial burden on Mike and his wife, Sondra. While Mike is a talented fighter, he refuses to participate in any kind of fighting competitions, as they have commercialized something he deems pure.

While seeking Sondra's brother (who just so happens to be a fight promoter) to ask for another loan, Mike is able to defend actor Chet Frank (well-played by Tim Allen) in a bar fight. The two become friends and Mike is hired on as producer of Chet's latest movie.

The rest of the story involves extremely-surprising twists & turns, which force Mike to enter the ring in competition. I am refraining from detail to avoid any possible spoilers...there are a number of different sub-plots, but the masterful storytelling really shines as things never become convoluted.

The acting is top-notch as well. This film is Chiwetel Ejiofor's first lead performance, and he proves he is more than capable. After seeing him in Dirty Pretty Things, Four Brothers, Serenity (where he plays the most mild-mannered, evil villain I have EVER seen), & Children of Men, I must say that I am a fan of his. Tim Allen does a great job with his first serious role (no Tim "The Toolman" here!), and Emily Mortimer does a great job as a quirky lawyer who becomes entangled in the plot after some odd occurrences.

After seeing some of the forum posts on IMDB (i.e. "worst movie ever", "Garbagebelt", "This movie is PURE CRAP", etc.), I understand that this is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of movie. If you're expecting a brain dead beat-em-up, you will be disappointed with Redbelt. However, if you're able to enjoy slow-paced, thought-provoking movies, I think you will enjoy it. With its story of fighter honor & dignity, similar to the old Kurosawa films, I cannot recommend it highly enough!

More Information

YouTube: Check out the theatrical trailer.
EVPL Catalog: Check the availability of Redbelt at EVPL libraries.
Buy it at Amazon: Purchase your own copy at Amazon using this link to support the Public Library Friends.
Movie info @ IMDB: More info about the movie, including WORST MOVIE EVAH opinions, available at the Internet Movie Database.
Chiwetel Ejiofor @ IMDB: View the biography & filmography of this promising actor.

"Iron Man"

MediaPhile@evpl — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 22:28:00 GMT

Loved it!

My son had told me that this was the superhero action movie of the year -- NOT The Dark Knight -- and now I know what he means. The good guys weren't perfect, the bad guys weren't Satan personified, and the plot unpredictable and halfway intelligent.

Robert Downey Jr obviously had a lot of fun with his double role as wealthy industrialist Tony Stark and Iron Man. Jeff Bridges equally seemed to relish playing jovial but obviously sleazy businessman/villain Obadiah Stane. And Gwenyth Paltrow, as Stark's ever patient and hardworking secretary Pepper Potts, had just the right amount of chemistry with her boss.

Kudos to comic writer-editor Stan Lee! And to Marvel Studios, who reacquired the rights in 2006 after the film had been "in development" since 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, and New Line Cinema. This was Marvel's first self-financed film, and the $574,049,094 worldwide box office gross shows that they made a wise move.

I just wish I had seen Iron Man on the big screen! DVDs like this just make we want to run out to buy a wide screen High Def TV. Iron Man was the first in a trilogy, with Iron Man 2 due out in April 2010. I hope it defies the usual downward trend for sequels and lives up to the standards of the first film.

"The Bank Job" a thoroughly engaging heist flick

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 16:23:00 GMT

Most bank/casino/vault/car heist flicks follow a pretty generic formula (see Ocean's 11, The Italian Job, Gone in 60 Seconds, et al):

Protagonist decides he wants to steal something.
Protagonist assembles a team of wacky miscreants, each with their own special "talents".
More planning. Montage of the team practicing, usually set to driving techno music or Elvis' "A Little Less Conversation".
As the day draws near, something is discovered that throws a wrench in the plan. Oh noes! Back to the drawing board.
Cut to the execution. They pull it off using some "OMIGOSH! I cannot believe they just did that!" tactic completely out of left field.
Everyone lives happily ever after, with no repercussions for their lawbreaking.

So when watching The Bank Job, I was expecting the same cookie-cutter formula, along with Jason Statham beating up random people (ala The Transporter I/II & Crank). I was relieved when my expectations weren't true.

Based on the true story of the Lloyd's Bank robbery in 1971, The Bank Job tells the tale of Terry Leather (Statham), a former criminal now-turned-family man trying to make ends meet. With shady debt collectors breathing down his neck, he's ready for a change. In walks his former love Martine with an offer he cannot refuse...

Martine has intel that a London Bank will be alarm-less over a weekend, and that looting a vault of safe deposit boxes (full of millions of cash & jewelry) would be an untraceable crime. Terry, a desperate man looking for cash, agrees to the gig. Cue assembling the team of wacky miscreants!

The team successfully pulls off the heist without being caught. And then the movie's only halfway over. WHAT?!? The rest of the movie deals with the repurcussions of the heist. Turns out Martine had been hired by the British Secret Service to raid the safe deposit box of a militant revolutionary, to retrieve "compromising" photos of British royalty. Also unbeknownst to the robbers are additional "lewd" photos of high-ranking government officials, as well as ledger books containing payouts to crooked cops, now in their possession. The 2nd half of the movie involves the deposit box owners trying to get their "goods" back from the robbers, and what a wild ride it is!

The movie starts out slow and a bit confusing...a bunch of characters and different subplots are all introduced right at the beginning. I liked this presentation, as it gives you just enough information to keep you interested until you find out what exactly is going on. Some viewers may not like this style, however. Also, accents are fully-British, and at several parts I felt like turning on the subtitles.

But overall, this is a great movie. It breaks the mold of other heist flicks, is thoroughly engaging, and proves that Jason Statham is more skilled than his typical beat-up-everything-that-moves roles would suggest.

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Many copies are now available for checkout! See what locations they're available at.
Internet Movie Database: Currently a 7.6/10, as rated by users.
Rotten Tomatoes: A 78% rating from all critics, 90% from top critics.
Amazon.com: Buy it at Amazon using this link & the Public Library Friends get a portion of your purchase.

KA-POW!!! "Batman: The Movie" a campy good bat-time!

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 21:26:00 GMT

I must preface this review with the fact that I'm only 25 years old. I did not get to experience Adam West's Batman during its bat-heydey in the 60s. However, I do have fond memories of going to grandma & grandpa's (they had cable!) as a kid, watching reruns on their HUGE 27-inch console TV.

To commemorate its 42nd bat-anniversary, along with cashing in on the bat-success of The Dark Knight, Fox re-released Batman: The Movie on DVD, and for the first time released it in HD on Blu-ray. I recently viewed the Blu-ray version and, having never seen the film, didn't know what to bat-expect.

The story is about as crazy as they come:
The Joker, the Penguin, the Riddler, and Catwoman team up to highjack Commodore Schmidlapp's yacht containing a superdehydrator. This superdehydrator can extract all moisture from a human, reducing them to a pile of dust. The villians' plan to take over the world by dehydrating the 9 members of the United World Security Council and holding their dusty remains for ransom. It's up to Batman & Robin, with their Batmobile, Batcopter, Batboat, and all their miscellaneous bat-tools (all prefixed with the word "bat-"), to put a stop to this evil bat-menace!!!

Within the first five bat-minutes of the film, you know what you're in for. When an at-sea rescue attempt gets foiled, Batman finds himself dangling on a rope ladder from the Batcopter, being attacked by one of the Penguin's exploding sharks! Thanks to 1960s special effects, the exploding shark is a giant rubber shark attached to West's bat-leg that he beats mercilessly with his bat-fists. Holy sardine, Batman! Robin retrieves the shark repellent bat-spray from the cockpit, gets it to Batman, and with a single spray the shark falls back to the sea, exploding on bat-impact (I'm guessing PETA didn't exist in the 60s).

The movie features lots of campy, laugh-inducing bat-dialog:

Batman: [reading a riddle] What has yellow skin and writes?
Robin: A ball-point banana!
Batman: [reads the second riddle] What people are always in a hurry?
Robin: Rushing people... Russians!
Batman: So this means...
Robin: Someone Russian is going to slip on a banana and break their neck!
Batman: Precisely, Robin!

Robin: [pointing toward the sky] That crazy missile! It wrote two more riddles before it blew up!
Batman: [reading a skywritten message] "What goes up white and comes down yellow and white?"
Robin: An egg!
Batman: [reading another skywritten message] "How do you divide seventeen apples among sixteen people?"
Robin: Make apple sauce!
Batman: [thinking out loud] Apples into applesauce - A unification into one smooth mixture. An egg - nature's perfect container. The container of all our hopes for the future.
Robin: A unification and a container of hope? United World Organization!
Batman: Precisely, Robin! And there's a special meeting of the Security Council today. If what I fear is true...
Robin: Wow! Let's commandeer a taxi!
Batman: No, Robin. Not at this time of day. Luckily, we're in tip-top condition. It'll be faster if we run. Let's go!
Robin: [while running] Holy marathon! I'm getting a stitch, Batman!
Batman: Let's hope that it's a stitch in time, Robin, that saves nine - The nine members of the United World Security Council. Come on.

My only bat-complaints...

It's an hour and forty minutes long, which isn't too terribly long, but the campiness does wear a bit thin towards the bat-end. Also, the bat-ending is pretty uneventful.
WHERE IS MR. FREEZE?!?!?!? He was my favorite bat-villain in the TV series, and he could've easily been worked in, making the fearsome-foursome a fearsome-fivesome.

I still recommend this movie, just for the sheer bat-goofiness of it all. It's a fun look at Batman prior to his 80s gone-goth makeover. So check out this bat-DVD, pop some bat-popcorn, relax in your bat-recliner, and enjoy the crazy antics of Batman: The Movie!

More Information

EVPL Catalog: Find out which EVPL libraries have the movie available for checkout.
YouTube: View one of the most infamous scenes from the movie.
Internet Movie Database: Info about & reviews of the movie.
Wikipedia: Production information & history of the movie.
The Dark Knight: A review by Mediaphile@evpl.

I Am Legend...not so legendary

professor.knowsitall@evpl — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 21:02:00 GMT

I Am Legend was released on DVD and Blu-Ray on March 12th. I recently watched the Blu-Ray version, and while the picture quality, audio, and special effects were incredible, overall I was left unimpressed.

As the third cinematic adaptation of Richard Matheson's 1954 science fiction classic, I Am Legend opens with a news report in 2007. By re-engineering a strain of the measles virus, a group of scientists finds a cure for cancer.

The movie then jumps to 2010, portraying a barren New York City. Dr. Robert Neville (played by Will Smith) is the only human left alive within the city. Through flashbacks, we learn that the cancer cure mutated into an airborne infection, wiping out 99% of mankind. A handful of humans, including Neville, were immune to the virus. Everyone else turned into flesh-eating mutants; naturally, they're allergic to light. Neville has a science lab in his basement, where he struggles to find a way to cure these "Dark Seekers."

The movie start out great. Through Memento-esque flashbacks, only bits of information are given at a time, keeping the viewer captivated. The empty streets of New York, littered with abandoned vehicles and surrounded by neglected buildings, are incredibly eerie. (How did the filmmakers pull that off???) And Smith's convincing tirades show him slowly slipping into madness.

However, the last half of the movie falls flat. Out of the blue, two additional characters are introduced, which completely destroys the flow of the movie. It then quickly degrades into a typical zombie horror flick.

While worth a viewing, don't go in with your hopes too high. If you're a fan of comedy, be sure to check out the laughably-bad "controversial" alternate ending!

More information about I Am Legend: