The Change-Up

I have been anticipating this film since first reading about the story last year. Jason Bateman is one of my favorite actors, definitely favorite comedian, and Ryan Reynolds can do some pretty good comedy himself at times. You would think that their hijinks while trapped inside each others' bodies would be hilarious, right? Wrong.

The first problem is with the character development. Bateman is a successful family man with a beautiful wife and three kids, and he is just one big corporate deal away from making partner at his law firm. Reynolds is his childhood friend who can't stop offending people with his language, and who is unemployed, philandering, and generally unlikable. In no real scenario would these two spend any time together. This is just the first flaw with the film.

As we progress, the characters pull a "freaky friday" by simultaneously urinating in a magical fountain. They switch bodies, and at this point the direction of the film turns to very raunchy, almost gratuitous comedy, but it is simply off the mark.

Jason Bateman playing Ryan Reynolds is not funny. He is trying too hard, and the character's sporadic funny lines are overshadowed by a feeling of disgust and a lack of empathy for the character. In his defense, Bateman does somewhat capture the character in his performance.

Ryan Reynolds playing Jason Bateman is underdone. Reynolds has no real deviation from his regular loud, obnoxious voice. It seems like he is almost the same character. The failure to capitalize on the polar opposite personalities and subsequently portray both sides causes the downfall of the film. And then there's the writing.

The writers wrote the Hangover, and the Hangover II, and clearly their star is burning out. The dialogue was certainly intended to be R-rated raunchy comedy, which is the hot ticket right now, but the timing was inappropriate, the tone was a bit too abrasive, and at times it made me wonder how the actors could say their lines without saying "wait a minute, could we change this a little?" The story lacked the depth of any critical thought and someone should have spoken up. The director (David Dobkin) also is a fading star, having shot Wedding Crashers in 2005, and nothing significantly successful or funny since.

There are too many attempts at story lines, and it creates incoherency. Olivia Wilde and Leslie Mann do their best to play the supporting women, but in the end they are nothing more than eye candy. Best said, the film is offensive and disconnected. A waste of real talent.

There are some shining parts however. Bateman's character has two twin babies, and their screen time is funny, as babies can be. The miraculous thing is that Bateman's interaction with them (as both characters) is funny as well. Banging heads, changing diapers, electrocutions, blenders, and kitchen knives add to the humor about as much as possible.

What I was hoping for is to be able to see the original character in the new body. To really feel that it was a person desperately trying to get out, or to manage the newly inherited responsibilities of his life. 1997's Face/Off is a perfect example. It was not a great film by any means, but I truly appreciated that both Nicolas Cage and John Travolta really did a 180 with their characters halfway through the film, so you could actually feel that the original person was going through their respective ordeals. This is the feeling I was going for as I was watching the Change-Up.

The conclusion of the film is exactly as expected, which isn't a problem at all. There is always a lesson to be learned: Be thankful for your life and don't take anything for granted. These two men learn their lessons through trials and challenges, and are better men for it. They just aren't very good men to begin with. I was disappointed more in Bateman than Reynolds, but for a few million dollars, I would take just about any acting job. Wait until this is on Netflix streaming, and even then don't feel bad if you miss it. 4/10.

Rise of the Planet of the Apes

The prequel to the cult classic Planet of the Apes franchise, and the slightly head-scratching subsequent remake by Tim Burton, sets up the story of just how apes took over the world. Apocalypse? Science gone bad? Darwinism? Call it what you will, but when the genetically enhanced apes escape, it is pure visual bliss.

A scientist named Will (James Franco) is conducting trials on a drug that repairs broken brain cell networks, which would essentially be a cure for Alzheimer's. The subject displays brilliant problem-solving skills and general development, but during a brief skirmish (don't they always happen while the investors are viewing a presentation?) the program is shut down. Fortunately for Will, there is a baby ape that the ape handlers didn't notice (you're fired), and he takes him home to raise him and study him.

He grows up, and yearns for a life of freedom and normalcy, and soon begins to realize that he is different, and that frustrates him. A violent incident leads to his incarceration, and that is the beginning of the uprising.

James Franco is a hit or miss actor, there is something just insincere about him. Don't get me wrong, he was brilliant in 127 hours, but he just seems a bit too casual with his acting. It doesn't matter though, because he is not the star of the film. Neither is the gorgeous Freida Pinto, or the veteran supporting players John Lithgow and Brian Cox. The star is Andy Serkis and the group at Weta Digital.

Serkis is an absolute stud. He has been acting for 20 years, mostly doing voice work and recently, motion capture special-effects driven vehicles. His highest profile work was as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy (and the upcoming Hobbit films). He physically transforms himself into Caesar, the lead ape, and contorts his body and facial expressions perfectly to allow the visual whizzes at Weta to work their magic.

Weta is a studio out of New Zealand who most recently won Oscars for a little film called Avatar. Their work in Apes will win them more.

The plot of the film is fluff. Everyone knows the Charlton Heston original and the absurdity of the story. It simply doesn't matter however. This film is magic unfolding before your eyes, and it may as well be a documentary. The apes are so realistic, there are times that you just don't realize that it is movie magic. Of course, there are sequences that appear rushed and fake, but we're just not there yet technologically, and who knows what the financial decisions were on this film. Maybe they decided to skimp in places. Either way, the effects are absolutely mind-blowing.

The film is directed by relatively inexperienced Rupert Wyatt, who hit the jackpot with this gig. If you can just sit back and enjoy the beauty that unfolds in front of you, you're in for a treat.

Chimpanzees, Orangutans, Gorillas. They interact, and when their intelligence is accelerated, they work together to wreak havoc and get into shenanigans. The beauty of the film is that they really don't mean any harm to humans, they are just trying to get back to the wild, and be left alone. There could have been a dark turn if they were ripping off faces and killing anyone in their path, but the director and producers opted for a more conservative approach, which was the right move.

Apes on the loose. It's just pure fun. Definitely go see this film, and keep reminding yourself that the apes aren't real, and you will giggle in delight as they outsmart the humans. Plot and acting (besides Serkis), 5/10. With effects, an additional 3 points easy. Some of the best visuals I've ever seen. 8/10.

Cowboys & Aliens

Preposterous in every way, the genre-bending sci-fi western takes state-of-the-art creature effects (and directed by Jon Favreau) and puts them smack dab in the middle of Arizona territory in the late 1800's. The idea stems from a graphic novel of the same name and truly sounds fascinating on paper.

Translating that story into a cohesive film with more than just special effects is difficult, even with a cluster of good actors. Westerns are tricky, and as Harrison Ford stated in an interview (paraphrased), "Make no mistake, this isn't Unforgiven." He was right about that.

You can't fault Favreau on this one though. The direction was great, and he made lemonade out of the lemon of a story. The appeal of Old West gangs and Indians coming together to fight aliens seems like an awesome idea, but when you think about the primitive tools and weapons, and the fact that the aliens (always) are an advanced being with more strength, technology, and presumably, intellect. They always seem to get outsmarted by the humans though, don't they?

This time, bows and arrows, six-shooters, and rifles take down the whole mess of them. Kind of ridiculous. The film took a total of six writers, many of them veterans of sci-fi films, and this is what they came up with? A mysterious stranger appears in the middle of Arizona with a weapon on his wrist, and finds himself wanted by the law. He can't remember anything; name, how he got there, why he has the shackle on his wrist. Enter aliens who capture humans to do their nasty probing experiments, and all the humans posse up and attack the aliens' ship.

Not for a lack of trying, they did as good as they could considering the story, and although Daniel Craig seems like an odd casting choice, and Harrison Ford, although enjoying himself as the elder statesman on set, does a bit of overacting as well. There are some strong actors in the bunch, notably Sam Rockwell, Keith Carradine, and Paul Dano as the despicable son of Ford's cattle baron. There are a lot of supporting usual suspects who grow meaty mustaches and look at home on a horse in a chapeau. The biggest problem however, is the clash of genres.

Great special effects, and to be honest, you get exactly what you are paying for. It's Cowboys & Aliens after all. The creatures look great, although cliche and counter-intuitive in their perceived intelligence yet incredible ineptitude. How many intelligent species don't communicate with each other, and just roar loudly with spittle and slime coming out of their mouths? Oh yea, none.

It's a fun summer action film, but expect no surprises or satisfaction beyond some cool fight scenes. 6/10.

Crazy, Stupid, Love.

The title is a bit misleading as this is a pure dramedy at its core. There is no craziness, no stupidity, just a whole mess of misguided love. That doesn't diminish the heart of this well-cast film, which centers around Steve Carell and Julianne Moore and their flailing marriage. Supporting them are Ryan Gosling and Emma Stone, but the true shining light of the film is Jonah Bobo, the 13 year old son who has wisdom beyond his age and makes the family drama a bit more palatable.

The couple split, and go on with their separate lives; Moore with her affair and loveless life, and Carell, trying to move on by learning how the dating game is mastered by a brilliant Gosling. The two strike up an entirely unlikely, but somewhat endearing friendship, and Carell becomes the Pretty Woman of the suburban cul de sac. He learns about slim fitting jeans, layering, and pays more than $10 for his haircut. The beauty of the transformation is that he is the same character throughout the entire movie. Even when he is successfully picking up women in a cringe-inspiring verisimilitude of truisms, he remains the likable family man who just wants to be back with his wife.

There is a relevancy to this story that strikes a chord with any audience, be it the 13 year old boy with the most brazen teenage crush of all time on his babysitter, the babysitter with her own crush, the young woman with the heartbreaking conservative outlook, the pick-up artist, the man whose heart has been shattered, or the woman who cheated. Each member of the ensemble cast comes together in an exceptionally well-done climax that balances the gravity and levity perfectly.

Each piece of the story comes to a satisfying conclusion separately, but also in a realistic crescendo that makes you walk away both appreciating the story, but also doing some self-reflection. It's a nice feeling.

Ryan Gosling is one of the best actors out there. With two more movies coming out this year, his name will once again find itself in the pantheon of greatness discussion. He plays the philanderer with such confidence and swagger, that once his tough exterior shell is broken, you are genuinely concerned about his character. This is a rare transformation in two hours.

Steve Carell has tremendous range. The more dramatic side was briefly shown in Dan in Real Life, but he bares his real emotion while maintaining his comic timing. He has serious potential to move from comedy to serious in the way that Jim Carrey did, and how Will Ferrell is attempting. He has a disarming charm and an everyman quality that just makes you want to root for him.

The rest of the cast does fine, including a nice little appearance by Kevin Bacon (I think the game is getting too easy at this point. We need a new person). As stated earlier though, Jonah Bobo gets the award for the glue of the movie. He holds everything together, even though his screen time is limited. Truly a profound character for a delightful movie. Entertainment Weekly called this the best movie of the year for adults, and I would consider it, as there haven't been any great movies this year that weren't superheroes or comedies (sorry Harry Potter).

Directed by the team of Glenn Ficarra and John Requa, and written by Dan Fogelman, it is really a collaboration of a 3-headed monster. They all have extensive writing experience, Fogelman mostly with Pixar films, and the director team with Bad Santa and some recent kids movies. They work together beautifully, crafting a character-driven piece that just hits the audience. Collaboration teams are a rare thing in directing, but it has become the norm in writing. We may see a shift over the next few years where the emphasis is on the quality of the film, and not a spotlight on the director. Here's hoping...

See this with an open mind. It is neither a comedy or a drama, but just a well-done film. Great acting, sharp writing, and pleasing outcome. 9/10.

Mid-Summer Oscar Watch

OK, it's still July, but I'm already getting excited for a handful of films that are on the horizon. The first batch come out in September. Some of these films are by critically acclaimed directors, some are certain to elicit acting Oscars, and others are simply original or adapted stories that are fascinating and compelling. I have chosen the 10 that I see as serious contenders, and of course there are more out there that will rise to the awards radar. With the Academy's new requirement for nomination, we will see between 5 and 10 films, which probably means 7 will get nods. Let's take a look in order of release.

September

Moneyball - Sports films typically have a hard time at the awards, but this one is a bit different, chronicling the paradigm shift in the way that baseball teams are assembled. Brad Pitt is Billy Beane, the Oakland A's general manager who uses statistical analysis to predict who will succeed, and determine with formulas how to win baseball games. Pretty cool. Philip Seymour Hoffman plays the team's owner. It's directed by Bennett Miller, whose only other feature length film was Capote, that one that scored Hoffman his Oscar. Should be an entertaining Oscar film that will bridge the mainstream audience gap as well. Think last year's the Social Network.

the Debt - Three Mossad agents must dig through their past to uncover a spy. The film flashes back and forward between the real time team (Helen Mirren, Tom Wilkinson, Ciaran Hinds) and their younger selves hunting Nazi war criminals. The film is worth watching for the three older cast members alone, but the story seems compelling and intense. Directed by John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) it is one of the films that could really go either way, but with the cast, story, director, I am expecting big things.

October

the Ides of March I just saw the preview, and this is a heavy hitter. Clooney, Gosling, Seymour Hoffman, and Jeffrey Wright (one of my favorites). It looks great from all angles, and is directed by Clooney, who is establishing himself as Mr. Hollywood (Actor, Producer, Writer, Director). What can't he do? The film follows a campaign manager of a presidential hopeful who finds himself torn between loyalty and ethics. Will be poignant to our current political climate, and should be a sharp acting clinic.

J. Edgar I am looking forward to this one in particular. Directed by Clint Eastwood and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as the titular infamous FBI director. It's still being shrouded in secrecy, so maybe there are post-production issues, but it's written by Dustin Lance Black (Milk), and has rumored gay love scenes, so brace yourself for a controversial, yet incredible film.

November

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - a Swedish director handles Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, and Tom Hardy in this Cold War political espionage thriller. Oldman is already getting rave reviews in his first leading role in who knows how long. It will surely be worth watching.

Carnage - Love him or hate him (let me clarify - if you can separate the personal from professional), Roman Polanski knows how to make a movie. Christopher Waltz and John C. Reilly are the husbands of Kate Winslet and Jodie Foster as they sit down for dinner to hash out their sons' schoolyard fight. Sounds fascinating, and I imagine two hours of the four of them eating and talking could be pure magic. Looking forward to this one very much.

the Descendants - Clooney again stars as a man coping with his wife's death and struggling to keep his family together during the aftermath. Directed by Alexander Payne (Sideways, Election), it should be a character-based emotionally-charged experience.

December

the Iron Lady - Meryl Streep as Margaret Thatcher. Need I say more?

the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - David Fincher takes on the Swedish best-selling trilogy with an unflinching attitude. Graphic sex and violence, and marketed as the feel bad movie of the year. It will be full of controversy and will get mixed reviews (I guarantee), but it is David Fincher, who is a master of cinema.

War Horse - Steven Spielberg returns after a brief hiatus to film this and Tin-Tin, which is a CGI endeavor. War Horse follows Joey, a stallion who is taken from his young owner and sent to the trenches of WWI Europe. His young owner takes on the mission of saving him, despite his young age. It will be a family drama to the extreme, and when there are animals involved, there will be tears. When there are tears and Spielberg, there are Oscars.

That's it for now, I hope you enjoy some of these films, and I'd love to hear what you think of this list.

Captain America: First Avenger

The superhero who has epitomized American ideals since his creation by Stan Lee in the early 1960's has finally found his place on the silver screen. It's no surprise either, given the enormous success of the other superhero films of the past few summers.

Captain America is yet another puzzle piece in the Marvel universe that connects the Avengers into what will certainly be a wildly successful culminating project next summer. Joe Johnston (Jurassic Park III, Jumanji, the Wolfman) is the next in line of theoretically odd director choices, but whose stylized action and almost cheesy effects make the film light-hearted, and ultimately perfectly appropriate for the subject and the audience.

The film follows perfectly the comic storyline set forth by Lee, where the Americans infuse a physically weak, yet lionhearted young man with a super-serum to fight back the Nazi invasion of Europe in WWII. How can anyone whose last name doesn't end in a "tz" not root against the Nazis? Let's be honest, even Germans are ashamed of that little historical hiccup. Anyway, my point is that the Nazis make the ultimate villains in any historical fiction story, and throw some jingoistic underdog into the mix, and a super-villain played by Hugo Weaving, and you've got something special.

Chris Evans plays Steve Rogers, the Captain, with his typical casual humorous, yet dashingly handsome and rugged demeanor. It appears very natural for him, which makes him more believable. He makes the physical transformation from barely 5' tall, 98 pounds, to at least 6'2, 200 lbs. right before our eyes, which is incredible for an actor (alright, they CGI'd his "before" body) and becomes Captain America, and truly gives the role justice.

Weaving shakes off his distinct British intonation that makes him so recognizable (he's actually from Nigeria, I bet you didn't know that) and tries on a schmaltzy German accent that is actually kind of fun. He is a good bad guy, and has great make-up and special effects to make him the Red Skull.

Hayley Atwell comes on strong as the flirty government program liason, and has good chemistry with Evans, although they both look a bit too movie star to be in combat in WWII. Tommy Lee Jones and Stanley Tucci deliver wonderful supporting performances, and the rag-tag group of Rogers' military friends (ethnically diverse to instill the melting pot feeling) help fill any dialogue void and some comic relief.

Ultimately, this was an unexpected treat. They took what to me is a bit of a boring superhero, and made a really fun popcorn flick. Another hit for Marvel, and a great choice in Johnston. I'm looking forward to Evans' character again in next year's Avengers. It's hard to imagine how Joss Whedon will display all that talent and movie gold, but that's why he gets the big bucks, and why I keep coming back to the theatres.

Sitting through the credits, I was expecting one thing, but got another entirely. Always thinking one step ahead, you will get your first glimpse at the Avengers, though I was secretly hoping for a Jeremy Renner fueled Hawkeye. Maybe 2013. If you're tired of over the top special effects and boy wizards, but still have a hankering for popcorn and superhero action, go see this film. You won't be disappointed. One of the best Marvel has done to date. 9/10.