Review: That's My Boy

Review: That's My Boy

Happy Gilmore. Mr Deeds. The Wedding Singer. The Waterboy. Reign Over Me. Click. All fantastic movies starring Adam Sandler, be they rip roaring comedies or grounded, tearjerking displays of life after the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

Grown Ups. Jack and Jill. Just Go With It. I Now Pronounce You Chuck And Larry. All horrific movies starring Adam Sandler, be they about a sarcastic middle aged man attempting to cheat on his wife or the chief actor portraying male and female siblings to awful comedic effect.

So which category does That's My Boy sit in? Is it redemption for Sandler or yet another nail in the coffin of his comedic acting career?

It's with an incredibly disappointed and heavy heart that I say: unfortunately, it's the latter. What starts off as an amusing, satiric film about a schoolboy's rise to fame thanks to a shocking love affair with his teacher soon turns into a loud-mouthed farce as soon as Sandler makes his entrance.

 

He stars as Donny Berger, who at the age of 13 milked all the money, fame and glory that he could from the world after his sexual antics with a maths teacher were exposed to the public. 30 years later, Donny is a broke has-been, about to go to jail for tax evasion. Desperate for cash, he tracks down his son Todd (The Lonely Island's Andy Samberg), who has lied to everyone about his parentage and has even changed his name to avoid humiliation. 

They're estranged. "Hilarity" ensues. It really is that simple. "But Donny, you can't get drunk and embarrass me at my posh bachelor party!" says Todd. Donny gets drunk and embarrasses Todd at his posh bachelor party. Ha.

For despite Andy Samberg's eccentric and witty music videos, his role in That's My Boy is limited to the straight talking, reactive personality having to deal with all of Sandler's mishaps. He's like a nanny picking up the pieces of Sandler's childlike immaturity and trying to keep the film from falling apart. The role doesn't benefit him at all, and his performance is rather wooden as though he is simply trying to out-shout Sandler.

As for the former king of comedy himself, his ridiculous and unnecessary accent is enough to put anyone off to begin with, but with each time Adam Sandler appears on screen there can be felt a glimmer of sadness from any fan who once loved his 90's comedy classics. Happy Gilmore is as charmingly funny today as it was back in 1996, but unfortunately his character in That's My Boy is simply crude, as though the film itself is under the impression that farts and boozy drunken antics are enough to make a modern audience roll on the floor laughing. Or "ROFL". I can be modern too.

Yet, That's My Boy does have its moments where a little laugh is raised. Vanilla Ice has a pretty amusing, self deprecating cameo, whilst some of the 'crude' jokes I mentioned are very hit and miss, but when they hit they are guaranteed to make a receptive mind chuckle. There may be a semen joke that will make you roll your eyes but don't worry, there will be another semen joke along in a minute that might (just might) tickle your funny bone. The movie certainly gains momentum when it hits the halfway point of its 114 minute running time, with the plot actually becoming slightly more memorable and intricate. That said, it still doesn't quite hit the point where you'll leave feeling like your money has been well spent.

Summary

For those of us who know that Adam Sandler is capable of portraying so much more than a loud-mouthed jackass with a drinking problem, this is yet another twist of the knife. Many of the jokes are sick, the vast majority of the physical gags are eye rollingly repetitive and the fact that the film has to rely on these to raise any form of laughs simply emphasises its immaturity. Adam Sandler is drowning in a horrific reputation, and this time he decided to drag Andy Samberg down with him. That said, if audience members go into That's My Boy without any particular expectations for another Sandler comedy classic then they may - MAY - just get away without the urge to demand a refund. And that's at least a whole lot better than Jack and Jill.

3/10

See it if you liked: Grown Ups (2011), The Dilemna (2011), Just Go With It (2011)

Newsarama: September 9th

Newsarama: September 9th

Time for your weekly round up of the biggest happenings in the world of movies. Plenty of sequel news this week, as well as the sad passing of one of Hollywood's greats.

10 - Henry Cavill offers further insight into next year's Man of Steel.

Superman himself Henry Cavill has described director Zack Snyder's approach to Man of Steel which is due for release next year. Speaking at a convention, the British actor said "What I can say is that it's a modernisation of the character and a very realistic view of one, obviously, very fantastic individual. It's an unreal situation, but it's approached from a very practical viewpoint. We wanted to make the character easier to identify with."

Very realistic view? Sounds rather Batman Begins-ish. Just like Christian Bale before him, Cavill is aware of the huge amount of pressure on his super-shoulders, saying "It’s important to do the role justice. There are a lot of people relying on me to do this well. I gladly accept that responsibility, and it’s a great one to have because it’s a wonderful opportunity."

9 - Sequel to animated hit Gnomeo and Juliet announced.

2011 saw a huge success in Gnomeo and Juliet, an animated take on Shakespeare's classic love story. Now, Touchstone Pictures have announced a sequel by the name of Sherlock Gnomes.

No news on a release date yet, and it is also unclear as to whether the original cast will return to voice the garden gnomes once again, however Elton John is writing and performing the soundtrack. Kung Fu Panda director John Stevenson has also signed on to direct.

8 - Jon Landau confirms only two Avatar sequels.

James Cameron made headlines this year when he claimed he would spend the next few years making Avatar 2, 3 and 4. "I'm in the Avatar business," he had said back in May. "Period. That's it. I'm making Avatar 2, Avatar 3, maybe Avatar 4." However, it now seems he's settling for 2 and 3, with producer Jon Landau confirming the next two films will shoot back to back.

"We are doing two back-to-back, but not a third," said Landau, before giving a brief update on how the next two sequels are coming along. "The scripts are pretty far along. We have a team of people already working on the film at Manhattan Beach Studios."

7 - Safe House given the greenlight for a sequel.

Denzel Washington and Ryan Reynolds made quite the thriller in 2012's Safe House, an action packed film about a rookie CIA agent with the unfortunate task of protecting and hiding a fugitive criminal. Now, Universal studios have given screenwriter David Guggenheim the greenlight to pen a sequel.

So far it is unclear as to whether Reynolds or Washington will return - of course given the film's ending, one of their characters could be rather difficult to work in to the script. That said, Universal are very keen to have both the actors on board.

6 - Director J.J Abrams gives Star Trek 2 an official title.

Following 2009's surprisingly well recieved Star Trek movie, the sequel is currently in production. The film is slated for a release date of May 17th 2013, and after much speculation it has been revealed that the title will be Star Trek Into Darkness.

Meanwhile, star Chris Pine who plays Captain Kirk has promised a "bigger, bolder" offering than the original movie, saying "The force that the Enterprise Crew are met with is much more frightening. It's relentlessly action-packed."

5 - The Dark Knight Rises Blu-Ray/DVD may include director's cut.

Christopher Nolan isn't usually one to include extra footage or deleted scenes with his releases, however rumours are abound from Warner Bros. that The Dark Knight Rises may include a director's cut of the film. An extra 30 minutes of footage could be added on to the already extensive 2 hour and 45 minute running time.

A source reportedly told Nuke the Fridge: "It's going to include Bane's origin plus a bit more screentime for Ra's al Ghul (Liam Neeson), which were omitted from the current theatrical cut of the movie.... We will be able to see how Bane learns to fight plus more scenes involving Ra's al Ghul," the site claims, before going on to categorize all of this as a rumour. There are also claims of more brutal fight scenes between Batman and Bane, as well as more screentime for Anne Hathaway's Catwoman however until these rumours are confirmed they should be taken with a pinch of salt for now.

4 - Marvel's Phase One box set delayed until Spring 2013. 

Comic book fans with far too much money to throw around might need to wait a little longer for the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One - Avengers Assembled Blu-ray box set to arrive. As it turns out, the nifty case that houses the 6-film, 10-disc set (and the glowing tesseract) isn't just a prop made by the studio, but is actually a copyrighted case design crafted by a German luggage company Rimowa BhmbH. According to a recently filed lawsuit, Marvel allegedly didn't get proper permission to release a replica version.

As a result, the box set, which contains both Iron Man movies, Captain America: The First Avenger, Thor, The Incredible Hulk and The Avengers, has been delayed until at least Spring 2013. Disney released the following statement: "The Collection will come in a new briefcase and include even more than the content and features that were first advertised. We know that you are disappointed in this delay, and we are working hard to get your Collection to you as soon as possible. We will have an updated announcement for you in the coming weeks which will include actual timing and final details. Once again, we apologize for the delay and hope that when you do receive the Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase One – Avengers Assembled Collection, you will enjoy it as much as Marvel enjoyed creating it."

3 - Daniel Craig will be James Bond at least twice more. 

If studio executives have their way, Daniel Craig will play James Bond a total of five times. The fansite MI6 claims that Craig has signed on for the next two Bond movies after this year's Skyfall. Craig has often suggested that he would like to explore the character as much as possible, and he clearly takes the role very seriously, saying "The Bond movies force you to care about what people think. And I’m involved in them on a very deep level. I have it in my mind all the time."

Meanwhile, Sony Pictures want to begin making 007 movies on a two-year cycle to combat the inconsistency of the last few releases, particularly Daniel Craig's offerings Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. This means that Bond 24, whatever its official title may be, could reach cinemas as early as 2014.

007: Skyfall is released on October 26th in the UK before its worldwide distribution in November.

2 - Jim Carrey officially cast as Colonel Stars in Kick Ass 2: Balls To The Wall

Kick Ass 2 is stocking up on its supervillains, as Jim Carrey has now officially signed up to play Colonel Stars in the comedy action sequel. Stars is the leader of "Justice Forever", an eccentric group of supervillains brought together by Red Mist.

Carrey will join returning cast members Aaron Johnson, Chloe Grace Moretz, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and, somehow, Nicolas Cage. Shooting began this week and the movie will be released in the UK on July 19th 2013.

1 - Michael Clarke Duncan passes away aged 54.

Academy Award-nominated actor Michael Clarke Duncan has died whilst recovering from a heart attack he suffered in July. On Monday morning, his fiancee released a statement confirming that he had passed away.

Duncan first made his name with audiences as Bear in Armageddon, before experiencing his big break in 2000's The Green Mile. Tom Hanks, Duncan's co-star on The Green Mile was one of the first to lead the tributes to the actor. "I am terribly saddened at the loss of Big Mike," said Hanks. "He was the treasure we all discovered on the set of The Green Mile. He was magic. He was a big love of man and his passing leaves us stunned."

After The Green Mile, Duncan went on to star in films such as Daredevil, The Island, The Scorpion King, Planet of the Apes and Green Lantern.




That's Newsarama over for this week, check back to Movies Under The Microscope during the week for reviews of Lawless, Dredd and The Sweeney as well as the usual mix of features, previews and opinion articles.

Top 5 Coming Of Age Movies

Top 5 Coming Of Age Movies 

For most of us, there's not really much involved in "coming of age," really: an involuntary rush of hormones, some hair that wasn't there before, maybe a few wide eyed wonders picking up a copy of 'Fifty Shades.'

In the movies, however, straight-up puberty won't do. That's for real life, which we all know is boring in comparison. It takes adventure, intrigue, a few gross-out gags -- and if at all possible, monsters and/or pirates -- to fully usher oneself into young adulthood. Movie kids tend to come of age under more highly charged circumstances than your average game of spin the bottle. Here are just five examples you may want to watch if you're flying the coup off to University and feel yourself "coming of age".

Juno 

Director: Jason Reitman
Cast: Ellen Page, Michael Cera, Jason Bateman, Jennifer Garner
Date: 2007

When a young teenager, Juno, finds herself pregnant following a one night stand with her best friend, she enlists the aid of her family and friends in order to find a suitable home for the child. She soon finds that life isn't perfect, and how you deal with the bumps (tehe) along the way makes you who you are.

Featuring a protagonist almost as relatable as the person you see in the mirror everyday, Juno is one of the most heartwarming and enjoyable teen comedy/dramas of our time. Ellen Page excels in the role, effortlessly delivering brilliantly witty dialogue, finding the right balance between comic timing and tragic realisation that life isn't always fair. Michael Cera, Jason Bateman and Jennifer Garner also provide solid support as the baby's well-meaning but socially disastrous father and the potential adoptive couple respectively.

American Pie Series

Director: Paul and Chris Weitz
Cast: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Tara Reid, Sean William Scott
Date: 1999 - 2012

I really shouldn't have to explain this one, but just incase you are uninitiated (I learned that word from Batman!), American Pie follows the story of four high school graduates with a plan: to lose their virginity before (or on) their prom night. Hilarity ensues, involving an accidentally broadcast webcam strip, an unfortunately brief sexual encounter and a book with thousands of tips on how to please a woman.

It's rude, it's crude but damn it all it if isn't one of the most loved teen comedies of the past 50 years. Featuring a soundtrack that will instantly remind you of being a '90's kid', as well as a young cast at the top of their game - The Stiffmeister! - American Pie is one of the tastiest coming of age movies ever (see what I did?). The future installments (except the dreaded straight-to-DVD titles) are also fantastic, particularly this year's American Reunion.

Orange County

Director: Jake Kasdan
Cast: Jack Black, Colin Hanks, John Lithgow
Date: 2002

Shaun Brumder is a teenager from affluent Orange County, California. Although bright and intelligent, he has very little interest in education or studying, instead trying to lead a carefree lifestyle of surfing, drinking and partying. A turning point comes when Shaun's best friend is killed in a surfing accident causing Shaun to rethink his own life. One day, he finds a novel on the beach by the author Marcus Skinner, which quickly inspires him to become a writer. Upon learning that Skinner is an English professor at Stanford University, Shaun makes it his goal to attend Stanford and study under him, seeing it as an opportunity to escape from his superficial life in Orange County.

One of Jack Black's good films. Enough said. The end may also bring a tear to your eye.

Adventureland

Director: Greg Mottola 
Cast: Jesse Eisenberg, Kristen Stewart, Ryan Reynolds, Bill Hader
Date: 2009

In the summer of 1987, a college grad takes a 'dead end' job at his local amusement park, only to find it's the perfect course to get him prepared for the real world. As he becomes more and more intrigued with Emily, a fellow park worker, James realises that sometimes it's better to enjoy the adventure you're having now than to keep looking forward to the ones in the future.

If you can ignore Kristen Stewart's 'acting' face throughout the film, Adventureland is a sweet, amusing movie for anyone who's been in love, had a crummy job or just experienced plain misdirection and confusion in their life. James himself is perfectly acceptable - the teenager who wants a better existance but finds obstacle after obstacle blocking his way, be it a lack of funds for his career path or his feelings for a confused girl with no idea what she wants.

Toy Story 3

Director: Lee Unkrich
Cast: Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Michael Keaton, Joan Cusack
Date: 2010

Andy, now nearly 18 years old, is leaving for college, but the big question is - what to do with his beloved toys that have been left in the dark for nearly ten years? As Woody, Buzz and the gang find themselves accidentally donated to Sunnyside Daycare, they struggle to escape the confines of the building which is guarded by the evil Lotso and his group of law enforcing toys. Desperate to make it home in time before Andy leaves for college, the toys attempt a daring evasion of the daycare centre, determined to say goodbye to the owner who once loved them.

If you're ready to say goodbye to your childhood, this is the cinematic way to do it. Toy Story 3 rounds off the trilogy with fantastic style, integrating plenty of laughs amongst the constant sense that this is the end. A fitting send off for Woody and the gang - and that moment where Andy finally says goodbye to his beloved toys is executed with a gentle sadness, elevated with the fact that both he and his tiny friends are going on to a new life.

So if you find yourself a little lonely in your new halls of residence, or perhaps just want to experience what it feels like to 'grow up' once again, there are 5 movies you can sink your nostalgic teeth into.

Still to come on Movies Under The Microscope this week: Reviews of both Lawless and Dredd, as well as Sunday's Newsarama.

Review: Total Recall

Review: Total Recall

 "If I'm not me - who the hell am I?" asks Colin Farrell in this remake of Arnold Schwarzenneger's hit sci-fi. 

Well, Mr Farrell, perhaps it is not you who should be asking that but the film itself. The movie strives not to be a completely identical rehash of the 1990 movie, adding in a wealth of special effects and visually impressive extras. However it is so desperate to show these off in comparison to the original that the characterization and impact of the film is lost amongst a show of smoke and mirrors.

Set at the end of the 21st century where Australia and Britain are the only two countries remaining in the world, Total Recall, incase you don't recall (tehe) is based around the story of Douglas Quaid (played with no particular gusto by Colin Farrell), a factory worker who believes he is destined for more than a life of 9-5 everyday. Suffering from violent dreams, Doug decides to visit Rekall, a facility which implants artificial memories. "I want to be a secret agent," he grins with naivety, as the machine begins placing the memories inside his brain. However, the implanted memories conflict with real memories of Doug's past life as a spy, and Doug soon learns that he is actually a double agent. Hunted by his 'wife' Lori (Kate Beckinsale), Doug/Hauser gets help from resistance member and former love interest Melina (Jessica Biel) as he attempts to find out who he really is and why he wiped his own memories.

While it has a few nods to the original, Total Recall brings nothing particularly new to the table, nor does it envoke the same sense of personal peril that "Arnie's version" did (as it shall always be known). Love it or hate it, Arnie's version managed to poke fun with a self deprecating sense of humour that was charming at worst, hilarious at best. The woman with three breasts makes an appearance (to a surprisingly nonchalant Farrell - does he see that kind of thing everyday?) but other than that, the film fails to take any comical advantage of its setting where Arnie's version did.

Colin Farrell does not excel in the role - he can pull off the action sequences, sure, but his character is lacking in any substance. Personally, I've always found Farrell to fare much better as a secondary character or a villain (see: Fright Night). The feeling that it's just another day on the job for him is rather prominent, and he lacks any believable chemistry with Jessica Biel, who plays her part nicely but really she's just a piece of eye candy during the 'talky' sequences. Her character is, for the most part, irrelevant and she seems to understand that.

That aside, however, Total Recall must be given merit for its fantastic special effects. The scenes in which Farrell and Biel are chased in flying cars are very exciting indeed, even if we don't particularly care about the characters involved. Also, the setting is given grim, dark life brilliantly as we become aware that the vast majority of the world is now inhabitable - the tattered buildings and smoky atmosphere display this excellently. Unfortunately, however, these are all just distractions from the fact that the story and the characters are lacking in any emotional investment.

Summary

Although executed with technical proficiency, this remake of Total Recall is, ironically given its narrative, without any true identity of its own. It’s a completely serviceable, by-the-numbers action thriller with plenty of impressive sequences and pleasing eye candy, but it’s all rather joyless despite its incessant action set-pieces. It’s like a cover song by a decent, but forgettable tribute band. Their rendition hits all the proper notes, but lacks soul.

5/10 

See it if you liked: Minority Report (2002), Limitless (2011), The Bourne Identity (2002)

September Preview

September Preview

Autumn has crept up on us, so as the nights get darker and the air gets colder you can take take refuge in the cinema and check out some of September's new releases. Now with added trailers!

To Rome With Love

Director: Woody Allen

Cast: Woody Allen, Jesse Eisenberg, Ellen Page, Greta Gerwig, Alec Badwin

Release Date: September 14th

Following his incredibly touching 2011 movie Midnight In Paris, Woody Allen returns to the directing chair for a brand new romantic comedy To Rome With Love. Narrated by Alec Baldwin, the movie follows the concurrent yet unrelated stories of several people spending time in Rome. The story is told in four seperate tales - a worker who wakes up to find himself a celebrity, an architect who takes a trip back to the street he lived on as a student, a young couple on their honeymoon, and a funeral director with a talent for singing in the shower.

To Rome With Love will mark Woody Allen's first movie appearance since 2006's Scoop, while the chemistry between young superstars Jesse Eisenberg and Ellen Page is sure to entertain. If the film is anywhere near as heart-warming and artistically pleasing as Midnight In Paris, it'll be a modern classic.

See it if you liked: Midnight In Paris (2011), Juno (2007), The Truman Show (1998)

The Sweeney

Director: Nick Love

Cast: Ray Winstone, Ben "Plan B" Drew, Damian Lewis, Hayley Atwell

Release Date: September 12th

Shut it you shlaaag. Based on the 1970's TV show, The Sweeney throws Ray Winstone and Ben Drew into the deepest crime rings in London. To catch the criminals, they have to act like criminals - but how much collateral damage can they leave in their wake before their bosses decide it's time to pull the plug?

 See it if you liked: Hot Fuzz (2007),  The Departed (2006), The Bad Lieutenant (2009)

Anna Karenina

Director: Joe Wright

Cast: Keira Knightley, Jude Law, Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Kelly Macdonald

Release Date: September 7th

Set in late-19th-century Russia high-society, the aristocrat Anna Karenina enters into a life-changing affair with the affluent Count Vronsky. Forced into a marriage in which there is no love, Anna tries to seek a better life for herself only to find a more complicated one.

Anna Karenina is the third collaboration between director Joe Wright and Keira Knightley, who previously worked together on Pride and Prejudice and Atonement. One for the ladies, then.

See it if you liked: Atonement (2007), Pride and Prejudice (2005), Romeo and Juliet (1996)

Premium Rush



Director: David Koepp
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Michael Shannon, Jamie Chung
Release Date: 14th September

Time for rush hour. The hype surrounding Premium Rush has been minimal, however if the trailers are anything to go by it should be an intriguing, exciting film in the style of Jason Statham's 'Transporter' movies. Joseph Gordon-Levitt stars as Wilee, a New York bike messenger who picks up an envelope from Columbia University. Bobby (Michael Shannon), a corrupt cop, tries to steal the envelope, prompting Wilee to take a sneak peek at its contents. Discovering the importance of the package, Wilee avoids cops and crooks alike as he weaves his way through the fast and furious traffic of New York city to get it delivered.

Joseph Gordon-Levitt's status as an actor has improved dramatically following his brilliant roles in Inception and The Dark Knight Rises, so if anything will carry this film it's him. While the premise of the movie is a little cheesy, Premium Rush looks like an hour and a half of fast and furious fun given weight with excellent realistic stunts.

See it if you liked: Transporter (2002), Drive Angry (2011), Safe House (2012)

ParaNorman



Director: Sam Fell
Cast: Kodi Smit-Mcphee, Anna Kendrick, Leslie Mann, John Goodman
Release Date: 14th September

From the studio behind 2009's creepy stop-motion animation Coraline comes ParaNorman, a story of a young boy who can speak with the dead. Unfortunately, he is ridiculed by his peers who don't believe him and his family are constantly embarrassed by what they believe to be very tall tales. That is until he accidentally raises an army of the dead who inform him of the peril his town is about to fall under due to a witch's ancient curse.

One for the kids, however the voice cast is very good indeed. Kodi Smit-Mcphee is most known for his brilliant performance alongside Viggo Mortensen in The Road, as well as a starring role in Martin Scorsese's Hugo, so it's good to see him progress into new acting territory.

See it if you liked: Coraline (2009), Fantastic Mr Fox (2009), The Pirates! In An Adventure With Scientists. (2012)

Lawless



Director: John Hillcoat
Cast: Tom Hardy, Shia LeBouf, Gary Oldman, Guy Pearce
Release Date: 7th September

During the prohibition era in America, the Bondurant brothers - Forrest, Howard and Jack  - run a successful liquor bootlegging business in Virginia using their bar as a front for their illegal activities. The general consensus is their small town is that the Bondurant brothers are indestructible and unstoppable - that is until Special Agent Charlie Rakes arrives from Chicago with plans to shake things up and put an end to the bootlegging. Yet, when the law becomes corrupt, the Bondurant brothers become outlaws fighting to save the people they love.

Featuring one of the best ensemble casts this year and starring man of the moment Tom Hardy, Lawless is a movie that should not be missed.

See it if you liked: The Godfather (1972), The Untouchables (1987), True Grit (2010)

Dredd


Director: Pete Travis
Cast: Karl Urban, Olivia Thirlby, Lena Headey
Release Date: 7th September

In a violent future the world is a wasteland, victim to an unspecified fallout. Somewhere off an eastern coast lies Mega City One - a vast metropolis home to streets ruled by druglords and criminals. The only thing fighting for order amongst the deadly chaos is the urban police force known as 'Judges', who possess the combined power of Judge, Jury and Executioner. Dredd is the ultimate judge, challenged with scouring the city of its latest drug-fuelled trend - a new substance by the name of "Slo-mo" that has its users experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. When Dredd captures one of her clan's inner circle, crimelord Ma-Ma wages a brutal war against the Judges. With the gory body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson confront the odds and engage in a relentlessly bloody battle for their survival.

Dredd 3D looks to be a darkly gory comic-book adaptation, with Karl Urban giving us a much more subdued, mysterious Dredd than we have seen previously.

See it if you liked: The Raid (2011), Attack The Block (2011), The Matrix (1999)

Looper


Director: Rian Johnson
Cast: Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Bruce Willis, Emily Blunt
Release Date: 28th September

In the year 2047, a 25 year old killer named Joseph Simmons works for the mafia as a "Looper". Loopers kill and dispose of targets sent back in time from the future, acting as foot soldiers and paid on the terms that all of their targets must never escape. When Joseph recognizes his latest target as a future version of himself, his older self escapes after incapacitating him. The resulting failure of his job causes his employers to come after him, forcing him to fight for his life as he hunts his older self to kill him and "close the loop".

  
Looper is shaping up to be 2012's most original, exciting movie. The paradoxical situation of a man (quoting the posters here) hunted by his future and haunted by his past is incredibly intriguing, and where most action movies have a good vs. evil theme with a fairly predictable ending, Looper is the standout film of the year which demands to be taken seriously.

See it if you liked: Inception (2010), The Matrix (1999), The Butterfly Effect (2004)

September is a fantastic month for movies, so check back to Movies Under The Microscope for reviews of all of these films.

Still to come this week: full reviews of Total Recall, Lawless and Dredd 3D.

Pixar vs Dreamworks

Pixar vs Dreamworks

One can't deny that in recent years Pixar has found the quality of their movies slipping, whilst Dreamworks are slowly but surely gaining a foothold on what it means to create a family friendly animation that also caters to an adult audience.

Pixar are the kings of animation - right? Well, let's take a closer look.

Yes, at first glance the question itself appears to be lunacy. How can a studio which created the Toy Story trilogy possibly be doubted for its quality? Monsters. Inc, A Bug's Life, Finding Nemo - these are all animated classics which hold ridiculously high esteem amongst critics. Pixar are the unbeatable artists behind some of the greatest movies of all time.

Dreamworks on the other hand is the studio behind...er...well, Shrek. Then Shrek 2. Then...er, I think Shark Tale? Oh, and Antz as well! Which of course was not a blatant rip off of A Bug's Life.

The films are simply smirking shadows of their rival's efforts, taking Pixar's ideas and making them just that little bit worse by throwing in mismatched actors and horrendously boring stories.

Or at least...it used to be that way.

In 2006, Pixar released Cars, a film which wobbled very unsteadily upon the pedestal that Pixar had built for itself. It is still a very successful film (I for one loved it), however to the critics it just never sat right with the studio's earlier offerings. Possibly because a world run by talking motor engines unsettled the minds of our resident conspiracy theorists, or perhaps because the movie ditched the original themes that had made Pixar so great - the formula of small communities of objects given a voice and personalities of their own within our real world. Toys coming to life while their owners were asleep. Monsters making a living by creeping out of closets and scaring kids. Fish trying to find their families.

Things were never quite the same again.

2007's Pixar present, Ratatouille, was slightly more familiar territory and yet there was something lacking. The film was overly long, the jokes weren't relevant and none of the characters were particularly memorable. Wall-E was almost a return to form for the studio...for about half an hour. During the first 30 minutes of the film, we experience an automated cleaning robot with a personality living as the last creature on Earth. It's a beautifully told silent movie - until it degrades into a patronising lesson about recycling and staying away from McDonald's.

It's much harder to argue against the pleasures of 2009's Up. The enduring love story of Carl and Ellie is told in such a way that grown men were brought to tears within 5 minutes, however a talking dog and a comedy bird are slightly recycled comic ideas.

Meanwhile, at Dreamworks...

The usual tattered ideas of talking animals (Will Smith as a fish) were being placed in a box labelled "for a rainy day", whilst the studio came up with something really special indeed: How To Train Your Dragon.

If the studio's earlier offerings such as the original Monsters vs Aliens and brilliantly recieved Kung Fu Panda were perking up interest, How To Train Your Dragon showed the world that Dreamworks are more than talking ogres and ninja bears - the stunning visuals and the stay-with-you-heart was all finally part of the package. The film was even nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature which it, quite understandably, lost to Toy Story 3.

Since then, Dreamworks have presented us with Kung Fu Panda 2, the hilarious Megamind starring Will Ferrel and the absolutely fantastic Puss In Boots, a spin-off to Shrek which was better than Shrek.

During this time, Pixar churned out the admittedly timeless Toy Story 3 and unfortunately ruined their streak of witty and charming movies with Cars 2 the following year, proving that eventually Pixar, like all companies, prioritise profit over quality.

This year's Brave was slightly better, but still lacked in any of the originality or wit of Pixar's classics. It was a decent film, but it could easily have passed for a Dreamworks production, and even then it would still be a little disappointing.

Pixar are set to continue their unoriginal streak, as sequels to both Monsters Inc. and Finding Nemo are in production, and Dreamworks will also "get franchisin'" as they produce How To Train Your Dragon 2 and potentially Kung Fu Panda 3.

So to summarise, it's all something of an opinionated see-saw. Where before, Pixar were soaring high with their feet dangling through the air, they now find themselves falling back towards the ground amongst the mere mortals. Meanwhile Dreamworks are slowly but surely using Pixar's decline in quality to their advantage, releasing movies that touch the heart whilst tickling the funny bone.

Something which Pixar used to excel at...

It's clear that Pixar are still in the lead for now based on their long history, but if their steady decline continues to coincide with Dreamworks' equally steady improvement in quality, this is certainly subject to change.

5 Things To Know About Dredd

5 Things To Know About Dredd

Planning on seeing Dredd when it comes out on Friday this week, yet know nothing about the character? Fear not, member of the bluffer elite! Here are 5 things you should know about the judge, jury and executioner of the future.

5 - The Franchise

Originating from British comic books in 1977, Dredd has been a popular character for fans worldwide. Dredd is an American law enforcement officer in a violent city of the future where "Judges" combine the powers of police, judge, jury and executioner. He and his fellow Judges are empowered to arrest, sentence, and even execute criminals on the spot. 

A film adaptation in 1995 saw none other than Sylvester Stallone don the iconic mask and take on the role of Judge Dredd. The film recieved very negative reviews upon its release, mainly due to the fact that the appeal of Dredd is the fact he never removes his helmet. In deference to Stallone, the film's expensive Hollywood star, the moviemakers decided to change this and in more than one scene, Dredd is seen in full. In America, the film recieved many "Worst film of the year" awards. Ouch.

Now, director Pete Travis (known for his work on TV's Cold Feet and 2008's Vantage Point) is giving Dredd a better, bigger and more badass representation on the big screen for a new generation of cinema fans who expect nothing less than pulse pounding action.

4 - The Man

So Judge (Joe) Dredd is one of the street judges, one-man legal systems who have the power to catch, try and sentence law breakers on the spot. In Dredd's case, he's armed with a personalised Lawgiver pistol, knife and stun gas grenades. He also gets to ride a cool motorbike called the Lawmaster. Dredd is as repressed as they come, emotion-wise, but has, in his time, captured criminals, stopped wars and – on at least one occasion in his backstory – saved this and all universes from total annihiliation. So, y'know...cheers mate!

3 -  The Actor

New Zealand born actor Karl Urban will bring Dredd into gloriously gruff life in this particular adaptation of the comic-book hero. Urban is known to the mainstream masses for playing horse-riding warrior Eomer in the last two installments of Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy, as well as the Russian assassin Kirill in The Bourne Supremacy.

Urban has described the role as "quite challenging" due to the fact that, because Dredd's helmet covers the entire top half of his face, all of his emotions must be conveyed without the use of his eyes. The role also demanded physical preparation, as Urban undertook intense physical training to become "a beast of a man," as well as weapon training and learning how to operate under fire.

2 - The Rookie

25 year old actress Olivia Thirlby plays Dredd's new protege Judge Cassandra Anderson - except she's not just any rookie. Cassandra just so happens to be a mutant with psychic powers (bear with me), powers which allow her to sense the emotions of another person. Okay, so it's hardly Magneto's metal bending abilities, but it's still pretty cool. The events of Dredd will be Cassandra's first day on the job alongside Dredd's superslaying abilities, so she is likely to be our eyes into this futuristic world where he is the law. Think Ellen Page's character in Inception, only psychic.

Speaking of Miss Page, Thirlby is most  known for playing the eccentric best friend of her character in Juno, however she seems to understand her character in Dredd rather well indeed. "Cassandra exists in a grey area," she said, "where everything is enhanced or clouded by the fact she knows what is going on in the very interior of a person". Deep. Oh, and she also undertook plenty of physical training for the role including how to perform a perfect roundhouse kick. Chuck Norris would be proud.

1 - The Plot

In a violent future the world is a wasteland, victim to an unspecified fallout. Somewhere off an eastern coast lies Mega City One - a vast metropolis home to streets ruled by druglords and criminals. The only thing fighting for order amongst the deadly chaos is the urban police force known as 'Judges', who possess the combined power of Judge, Jury and Executioner. In short, if they catch anyone doing something they don't like they'll put them on trial, sentence them and carry it out right there on the spot.

Dredd is the ultimate judge, challenged with scouring the city of its latest drug-fuelled trend - a new substance by the name of "Slo-mo" that has its users experiencing reality at a fraction of its normal speed. Trippy. 

During a routine day on the job, Dredd is assigned to train and evaluate Cassandra Anderson, a rookie with powerful psychic abilities due to a genetic mutation. A heinous crime calls them to a neighbourhood where fellow judges rarely dare to venture - a 200 story vertical slum controlled by a drug lord, Ma-Ma. When Dredd captures one of the clan's inner circle, Ma-Ma wages a brutal war against the Judges. With the gory body count climbing and no way out, Dredd and Anderson confront the odds and engage in a relentlessly bloody battle for their survival.

There you go, you can now bluff your way through a conversation about Dredd 3D (not a guarantee)!

Dredd 3D is released in cinemas this Friday (September 7th), so check back to Movies Under the Microscope for a full review. In the meantime you can check out the trailer above, featuring a pretty cool remix of La Roux's "In For The Kill."

Newsarama: September 2nd

Newsarama: September 2nd

It's that time of the week again - here are 10 of the biggest, tastiest nuggets of news from over the last seven days. If you think there's a lot of news about The Avengers, well...you'd be right.

10 - The Avengers to be re-released in cinemas for a limited time.

Marvel's The Avengers (or Avengers Assemble for us tea sipping Brits) is to be screened in cinemas once again following its phenomenal success at the summer box office. 

The Facebook page of Marvel studios announced "Marvel's The Avengers is back in theaters for Labor Day Weekend!" So far there has been no official confirmation of whether the film will be shown again outside America, however given the fantastic reception over here they'd be crazy not to. The DVD and Blu-Ray will be released on 25th September with over 30 minutes of added scenes.

9 - Ryan Gosling will make his directorial debut with How To Catch A Monster.

It's about to get a whole lot better looking behind the camera as Drive star Ryan Gosling acquires the director's chair for "How To Catch A Monster". 

The film will star Christina Hendricks as a single mother who, along with her young son, is swept into a dark fantasy underworld. Filming begins in Spring next year, with Gosling also acting as writer and producer.

8 - Metal Gear Solid movie confirmed.

Spider-Man producer Avi Arad has announced plans to adapt the Metal Gear Solid videogame into a movie. Speaking at the Metal Gear Solid 25th Anniversary event in Japan, Arad stated "For many years I wished to adapt comic books into movies - and games are the comic books of today."

Seeing as comic book films are doing pretty damn well on their own these days, I'm not sure if his statement really has a lot of weight behind it but the development is exciting nonetheless. Casting rumours are currently abound, with everyone from Hugh Jackman to Ryan Gosling rumoured for the pivotal role of Solid Snake.

7 - Micheal Keaton replacing Hugh Laurie as Robocop villain.

The Robocop remake has been in "development hell" according to director Jose Padilha, however there is hope as former Batman Michael Keaton has taken Hugh Laurie's role as the film's villain.

Laurie dropped out of the role last week, however Keaton has saved the day and will be playing Raymond Sellars, the CEO of the company which invented Robocop. Meanwhile, director Padilha seems to have performed a u-turn on his statements from last week, stating that he "can't wait to get this innovative new vision of Robocop back on the streets."

 6 - Jerry Bruckheimer gives a production update on The Lone Ranger.

Disney's adaptation of The Lone Ranger has certainly been taking its sweet time getting to the big screen, however producer Jerry Bruckheimer has given an update on what stage the film is currently at.

"Almost done with filming of The Lone Ranger," he said. "125 days of shooting seemed to fly by. We dealt with winds up to 70 mph, rain, snow, and even wildfires but nothing has stopped us from filming this incredible movie."

Meanwhile, production stills (seen below) give an impression of the grand scale we can expect from the cinematography of the movie which stars Johnny Depp and will be released on July 3rd next year.

5 - Alternative opening released for The Avengers.

The Avengers could have had a much darker opening tone, as this clip shows. Rather than opening in outer space, the movie could have opened with a retrospective feel, with the battle over and hundreds of people dead.

Director Joss Whedon has also spoken about why he decided not to use this opening, stating "Audiences didn’t respond to it as well in the movie. Most of them didn’t know who this character was or what the context was, and they were like, 'Uhhh, I don’t know why I’m supposed to be personally involved in this character I don’t know.'" He added that Cobie Smulders "nailed it" as Maria Hill, but ultimately he was able to get what he needed to achieve otherwise.

4 - Batman and Green Lantern reboots could arrive as early as 2015.

The Dark Knight Rises is still drawing in some moviegoers at the cinema, however rumours are abound that Batman's reboot will make his first appearance in the Justice League movie. His solo movies would follow this. Following the heavily criticised 2011 adaptation of Green Lantern, it has also been rumoured that Hal Jordan's alter-ego will recieve a reboot in the Justice League also, however there has been no confirmation of whether or not Ryan Reynolds will be reprising the role.

Meanwhile, Zak Snyder has claimed his 2013 Superman movie Man of Steel will have no connection to Justice League which means the version of Superman we find in the superhero team-up will also be portrayed by a different actor. It looks like DC are doing a very good job of attempting to confuse as many cinema audiences as possible, while Marvel have become kings of continuity with The Avengers.

3 - Bruce Willis claims Looper is the best thing he's ever done.

Mind-bending time-travelling thriller Looper is shaping up to one of the best films of the year, with some citing it as "this generation's Matrix" (which, as a 21 year old Matrix fan, makes me feel very old indeed).

Star of the film Bruce Willis has spoken of director Rian Johnson's brilliant talent for writing. "It’s more than an original story. It’s a story people are going to talk about, and see twice. And argue about. I was arguing with myself about the story when I read it the first time. That’s all Rian Johnson, beginning to end. Great, great director." He then went on to add that Looper is "better than anything I've ever done." Coming from a man who has worked on Die Hard and Pulp Fiction, that is certainly saying something.

Looper, which stars Joseph Gordon-Levitt alongside Willis, is released on September 28th, and you can watch the excellent trailer right here:

2 - Joss Whedon reveals plans for a S.H.I.E.L.D TV show.

 

It's official - The Avengers will be moving to TV. Well, maybe not with Iron Man and Hulk, but S.H.I.E.L.D, the organization spearheaded by Nick Fury, is getting its own show on ABC. Production is expected to begin imminently, however casting news is still nothing but rumours.

That said, Maria Hill is one of the characters expected to appear, so it would make sense for How I Met Your Mother's Cobie Smulders to reprise that role to maintain a connection with the cinematic Marvel universe. Whedon is expected to direct the pilot, with his brother Jed Whedon producing.

1 - The Hobbit trilogy recieves full names and release dates.

The much anticipated news has arrived - The Hobbit is definitely a trilogy, and all three films now have titles and release dates as follows:

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey - December 14th 2012.
The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug - December 13th 2013.
The Hobbit: There And Back Again - July 18th 2014.

So there you have it, the names have shifted. Where beforehand Part 2 was simply to be There And Back Again, concluding the duology, a trilogy now has room for Part 3 to take that name and Part 2 to claim the title of "The Desolation of Smaug". That's not a spoiler at all!

Also, Dan Fellman of Warner Bros has spoken of the decision to release the final part during summer rather than winter like the previous installments. "We wanted to have a shorter gap between the second and third films. Opening in July affords us not only the perfect summer tent pole, but fans will have less time to wait for the finale of this epic adventure."

That's newsarama over for this week, check back to Movies Under The Microscope over the next seven days where I'll be reviewing Dredd 3D and looking forward to September's biggest films.