New Review: "Avatar"

For those of you who don't know James Cameron, he's probably one of the most successful directors in Hollywood. His previous films include "Aliens", "Terminator 1 & 2", and "Titanic". So, when it was announced two years ago that he would be directing a sci-fi epic with breakthrough technology... movie goers were psyched. I'm happy to announce that the long awaited "Avatar" most definitely lives up to that hype.

There are three main reasons why I consider this movie to be one of the best cinematic experiences of my life: 1) the amazing graphics, 2) the 3D depth of field and, 3) the world of Pandora.

After being introduced to the fictional world of Pandora, I noticed that I was buying into all of the scenery and wildlife. At no point did I notice that something looked "fake", or criticize the CGI. Everything looks real. It's amazing that a whole film could be shot on green screen and look as genuine as "Avatar" does. The movements of the trees and animals are almost perfect. It's not even possible to process all of the information on screen... it's just so detailed.

And, of course, the 3D is amazing as well. When you think of 3D movies, you picture things popping out at you, right? But what you don't think about is the depth of field going in the other direction... INTO the screen. That's demonstrated in this film... and ultimately, it makes you feel like you're IN the movie; a part of the movie. There are even small things that stand out... such as the air particles that float around in front of your face. I found myself so memorized by this movie that my eyes were literally glued to the screen; I didn't look away once.

Lastly, and probably what appeals to most people, is the world of Pandora. Created completely from James Cameron's imagination, Pandora is probably the greatest fictional universe to be created since George Lucas created the Star Wars universe. It's full of bizarre creatures and plants, and the culture and lifestyle of the Navi' (the blue aliens you see in the trailer) is explored in detail. In the end, the world of Pandora is something that everyone will be glad that they got to visit. I seriously want to go back there.

The score by James Horner is also the greatest since Howard Shore's score for the "Lord of the Rings" trilogy. It's full of ongoing themes and melodies that help you feel even more connected to the characters and story.

This is a film that can't be missed. It's easily the best film to come out this year, and one of the best of the decade. While some of the storytelling aspects and character's are a little cliche'... every other aspect of the film is so phenominal that it doesn' ruin the film at all. Plus, to be honest, I'm a sucker for romances, so the cheesey romantic dialogue was fine by me. To get the full effect, make sure you see it in IMAX 3D. If not, then real3D is fine too. Either way, it's a movie that will stay with you long after you see it. Plus, afterwards, you can say that you saw the film that changed the way that movies were made.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

DVD Review: "Dead Air"

It's really hard to make an original zombie movie these days. Lets face it... it's been done a million times before, and it's all the same. The last original zombie flick I saw would have to be "28 Days Later" (although they technically were not zombies). I'm sure that movie inspired the director of the independent film, "Dead Air", mostly due to the fact that it contains a virus that turns people into insane cannibals.

I give the director credit for trying something original. Instead of having the typical average Joe survivors that band together in order to survive... our main characters work at a radio station. They ultimately decide to stay on air and keep the public up-to-date on the horrific events that unfold. We are then treated an hour of listening to people getting killed via telephone, listening to our radio show host talk, and seeing various people defend themselves against "zombies". It also tries to analyze our society and be thought provoking in terms of American politics and discrimination.

Good try... but I'm going to have to give the director an failing grade on that part. I know the point was to take the zombie genre and make it more serious and mature... but when you have a bunch of crazy cannibals running around, it's hard to take it seriously (especially with the lack of good make-up for the zombies). I also couldn't help wondering why they stayed on the air. They could have chosen to run the emergency broadcast... but instead, came to the conclusion that the show must go on. Another thing that bothered me was that the co-host of the show leaves to save our main character's family, while the main character stays to continue the show. Seriously?! There is a crisis and he chooses his radio show over his family? Come on!

While it tries to be original, and has a few decent scares and/or suspenseful sequences... it just fell flat and wasn't memorable or even that engaging. I reccomend you go see "28 Days Later" instead.

My Rating: 3 out of 10

DVD Review: "Bruno"

In 2006, a film by the name of "Borat" took theaters by storm. It both shocked and amused audiences around the world with it's raunchy/colorful humor. It was also a hybrid of comedy/documentary... acting as a feature length hidden camera show with a storyline thrown in. Now, three years later, the actor that played Borat (Sacha Bara Cohen) returns as another one of his popular characters... Bruno, the gay Austrian fashion show host.

This film is basically the definition of homophobic. There are a constant slew of gay jokes from beggining to end. And, addmitedly, it's all hilarious. The point of the movie is to make audiences as uncomfortable as possible, and it succeeds greatly. Sacha Bara Cohen has balls, let me tell you. I can't believe he pulled off half of what he pulled off. He's lucky that being arrested is the worst thing to come out of filming this movie.

Like "Borat"... this mockumentary is all about the shock humor. Without the shock factor, it simply wouldn't work. If you thought Borat was offesnive, wait until you see this raunch-fest. The amount of nudity and sexual jokes is doubled... making it even harder to be a film to watch with friends.

That being said, the film managed to be engaging and caused me to laugh out loud, cringe, and even shield my eyes at one point. If you are offended easily, avoid this at all costs. Othewrwise, buckle up and prepare yourself for a crazy ride.

My Rating - 5 out of 10

DVD Review: "Is Anybody There?"

Michael Caine has had a long and prosperous acting career. From his classic hit man character in "Get Carter" to the more recent character of Alfred in Chris Nolan's "Batman" films... he's done it all. Now, in his very old age, he proves yet again that he is an acting force to be reckoned with.

"Is Anybody There?" is an independent British film set in the mid-80's. It follows a young boy named Edward, who lives in a nursing home in which his parents run. Because of this lifestyle, Edward is considered an outcast omongst his fellow school-mates. However, after a grumpy old man by the name of Clarence (Michael Caine) moves into the nursing home... he forms an unlikely friendship with him.

The film follows them as they gradually become closer to each other. Since they are both outcasts in their own generations, they form a father/son bond. Because of this, Edward gradually learns about Clarence's life... as well as his regrets.

This is a very low-key, yet touching dramady with solid performances by the actors. While Michael Caine is sure to attract most people to the movie, child-actor Bill Milner is exceptional as well. The two of them are the driving force, and is the reason the story works so well. It's one of those nice little movies with touching and/or heartbreaking moments. However, it didn't have a big enough impact to be very memorable. So, even though it won't be implanted into your memory, it's still a nice film that's a cut above most Hollywood drama's.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Orphan"

It's a well known fact the horror movies suffer from numerous cliche's. From the cell phone losing connection, to the car not starting, to the serial killer that walks after his prey and always manages to catch up to them... the list is massive. Something else that has showed up in many a horror film is... the demon child! That's right, the kid that is either possessed by Satan ("The Omen") or some unknown evil ("Michael", "Children of the Corn"). The latest "evil child" film has to do with a family that adopts an orphan... and is appropriately titled "Orphan".

What drives this film is the desire to know why our title character (Esther) is so evil. Once the lead couple brings her home, we immediately start to see that there is something wrong about her. However, we don't know what that is! The filmmakers make a smart move by not giving any insight to Esther's background, otherwise the movie would be pointless. Its full of typical jump scene's, or scene's in which a character walks through an empty room to investigate a noise. This is the kind of stuff that usually has me rolling my eyes. However, the whole mystery aspect kept me engaged. I also like how Esther gradually gets more and more evil as the film progresses. It made me wonder "what is she going to do next?".

While it's certainly not the greatest horror film, it was fairly entertaining and had a cool twist ending that most people will not expect. Not bad at all by horror movie standards.

My Rating: 6 out of 10

DVD Review: "Princess"

Let's face it... 2d animation isn't what it used to be. The majority of big-budget animations are presented in 3d format (ever since the original "Toy Story" graced the screen). There is still hope though, since Japanese animation (aka anime) still seems to be more popular than ever. When I first saw the poster for "Princess", and heard about the storyline, I assumed that it would be an anime feature. To my surprise, it turned out that "Princess" is a Danish animated film! That's about the last thing I expected.

Once the film starts, you can clearly see that it isn't anime. It has a very unique style to it, and even incorporates a few live action sequences. Here's the story: a former priest finds out that his sister (a porn star with the alias Princess) was accidentally murdered. After a few years pass, he returns to his sisters brothel to take custody of his niece. After learning more about Princess's death and becoming closer to his niece, he sets out to take vengeance on the men responsible for her death.

This film is very heavy handed. There aren't any over-the-top action sequences, or goofy cartoon characters. This is an animation based in reality, and contains some very graphic sequences. While this will certainly turn people off... it did the opposite for me. I love intense films... and that's exactly what "Princess" is. The atmosphere is very bleak and unsettling, and becomes even more so as it progress's. It also has a very powerful and unsettling finale, which is rare for an animation.

All in all, I enjoyed this film because it was extremely engaging and suspenseful. It had all the aspects of a serious drama... and, in my opinion, would have made an excellent live action film as well. Who knows, maybe it will be adapted one day (since that seems to be very popular in Hollywood today).

My Rating: 8 out of 10

Advanced Review: "Brothers"

Before they became A-List actors, many people used to confuse Toby Maguire ("Spiderman") with Jake Gyllenhaal ("Donnie Darko"). Seeing as they do have similar characteristics, it's not hard to believe. A few years back, there was even a rumor that Jake was going to replace Toby as Peter Parker in "Spiderman 4" (which obviously turned out to be false). That being said, I'm sure no one would blame me for laughing when I found out that the two would star in a film called "Brothers". I mean, how perfect is that? That's about the only humorous aspect of Jim Sheriden's latest Oscar-worthy movie.

Sheriden is best known for directing such award winning films as "My Left Foot" and "In America". Now, with this intense drama... he yet again proves that he is one of the greatest directors of our time. Although he hasn't been extremely busy in terms of releasing movies... he certainly makes up for lost time with this one. "Brothers" is without a doubt the most powerful film you will see this year. What makes it so powerful, you ask? The amazing performances by Maguire, Gyllenhaal, and Natalie Portman. It's full of intense, awkward, and heartbreaking scene's that are made extremely effective by the top-notch acting abilities of our main characters. We are also introduced to a brand new child actor, Baiylee Madison. If Abigail Breslin could get an Oscar nomination for her performance in "Little Miss Sunshine", then it would be a sin for Madison not to get one. She is an amazing child actor, and hopefully we will see more of her in the future.

The story is made pretty clear in the trailer: a soldier goes to the middle east and supposedly gets killed. His wife becomes a widow, and the soldier's brother becomes close to her. Then, just as their lives seem to fall back into place, the wife finds out that her husband is still alive. He returns, but has a serious case of post-traumatic stress.

While the performances are excellent throughout the entire film, there is a scene towards the end (that I'm positive will be talked about by everyone who sees the movie) where Toby's character (who plays the brother with post-traumatic stress) has a complete mental breakdown. Without giving anything away, I will say that it is EXTREMELY intense, and contains the best acting I've seen all year. It's unforgettable, and makes the movie worth the price of admission alone, even though it's hard to watch.

While it's not in theaters yet, I totally recommend it once it is! It's a difficult film that will stick with you long after it ends, and it will likely receive Oscar recognition. It also contains the best performances of the actor's career's.

My Rating: 9 out of 10

*opens December 4th