Ed's Review Dot Com

Lionsgate, Red Wagon Entertainment, Summit Entertainment,

Maggie Q, Octavia Spencer, Shailene Woodley, Zoë Kravitz, Ansel Elgort, Bill Skarsgård, Jeff Daniels, Naomi Watts, Miles Teller, Ray Stevenson, Theo James

After the devastating events of the previous film, the four escape outside the wall to discover what’s out there. Tris and her three friends find a world outside that may hold the answers to how she came to be Divergent in the first place, but naturally trouble looms from all sides, and they have to make some hard choices as to where to put their allegiance in the future. This is the final film in the Divergent series, oops, surprise! This is part one of the last film in the series. The last one, word has it is coming out as a TV movie without a theatrical release.

I wasn’t impressed very much by this film. Hopefully the last one, if it does eventually come out, will be a little bit better. I guess the dump at the box office has destined this to be finshed as a TV movie. I guess my disappointment in this one was shared by the rest of the world. Perhaps there have been so many similar series and all the hype has jaded us a bit, or perhaps there’s just too much special effects and too little story. This was step by step predictable from the start to the end. There’s no real tension as it’s easy to tell what’s going to happen each step of the way, and very little suspense. The characters in this story is not nearly as likeable, and not as easy to care much about. I don’t know if it’s a weakness in the story, the screen play, the actors, or what. Perhaps, as I suggested earlier, it just was too much pizazz and not enough story, I don’t know. But in any case, this is by far the weakest of the films so far, and each one has dropped a star as we through them. I had higher hopes for this film, as I haven’t had the time to read the books, but I was kind of let down by this one. Glad I waited for the DVD instead of paying top dollar to see it in the theater. There’s lots of better films out there. This is probably okay to skip unless you’re really a big fan. Sorry.

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Amasia Entertainment, 3311 Productions, Circle of Confusion,

Sam Rockwell, Anna Kendrick, Tim Roth, James Ransone, Anson Mount, Michael Eklund, RZA

Martha McKay (Anna Hendrick) just caught her boyfriend cheating and is extremely depressed when she meets a guy named Francis who seems to be Mr. Right (Sam Rockwell). Mr. Right though has a secret. He’s a top notch hitman who has turned against those that hired him and now they are all rather upset with him and trying to kill him. Because Martha is now in the picture, the two of them have to try to survive as this relationship takes a very strange turn.

This is a very weird and quirky movie that is really so absurd that is it quite funny. Sam Rockwell plays the deadpan character who just shakes of his own actions with a shrug while the world is crumbling around him. Anna Kendrick’s character likewise is very complex. She goes through a range of emotions all across the spectrum. Yes, this is an absurd comedy, but like many others that came before, this one kept me very interested. This one is way off the beaten path, and I was really surprised at the quality of the performances in this little movie. I had never heard of it before, but found it quite enjoyable in a quirky way. It’s a strange story, but the irony of the situation is played out very well. This is a good little movie.

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Red Hour Films, Scott Rudin Productions,

Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Will Ferrell, Penélope Cruz, Kristen Wiig, Fred Armisen, Benedict Cumberbatch

Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller) was one of the worlds to Supermodels known for his infamous “looks” one of which could stop a ninja throwing star with just a stare. Fifteen years have passed and much has changed. Zoolander got married and had a son, and built a building on the edge of a cliff, but dramatically it collapses killing his wife. He struggled as a single Dad, but his son was taken from him he hit rock bottom and moved to live a solitary life. His rival Hansel McDonald (Owen Wilson) and Derek run into each other and are invited to Rome for a chance to redeem himself and try to win his son back. This is the sequel to the original Zoolander from 2001, fifteen years ago.

Zoolander is a mix-up of good ideas that often just don’t pay off. The story is really silly, and the jokes sometimes fall flat, but in the next moment it is really funny and there are tons of infamous cameos by major stars that pop up and surprise us. All in all, the movie is like a car that won’t start half of the time, undependable, but good solid transportation when it works. Same thing here. Sometimes it’s just awfully silly and like a number of Stiller flicks (Dodgeball?) it is overly adolescent humor. On the other hand it’s embarrassingly funny, one of these shameful pleasures that we sometimes enjoy, so I don’t want to right out trash this movie. It is what it is, and it is what you would expect it to be. Like’s Sahsa Baron Cohen’s Borat, it knows it’s being stupid and just doesn’t care. If you like slapstick, tongue in cheek humor that is a big far out there, then what they heck, enjoy it. I really did, even when I didn’t realize it. Of course I like Three Stooges / Peter Sellers kind of humor, so it’s kind of in my wheelhouse in that respect. I certainly didn’t hate it, and it does pile a lot of crap on the pretentious fashion industry which is funny in itself. I did enjoy myself, and though the serious minded folks out there really trashed this thing, I would not be so quick to dismiss it. If you’re really in the mood for something that won’t ask you to think about the plot, and will allow you to just relax and enjoy an hour and half, then why not. There is a PG-13 theatrical version around and a DVD Non-Rated version. I’m not sure about the PG version, but the Non-Rated one I saw was really funny. Owen Wilson did a good job, and Will Ferrell was his usual over the top character in a minor role, although he added a lot to the comedy. If you’re not easily offended, see it. You’ll probably enjoy it too.

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Millennium Films, Gerard Butler Alan Siegel Entertainment, LHF Film,

Gerard Butler, Aaron Eckhart, Morgan Freeman, Alon Aboutboul, Angela Bassett, Robert Forster, Melissa Leo, Radha Mitchell, Jackie Earle Haley, Sean O’Bryan, Waleed Zuaiter

President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) is in London along with many other world leaders to attend the funeral of the British Prime Minister who mysteriously died. Suddenly a major terror attack breaks out killing many and destroying most of the cultural landmarks of London. The President has been captured and his only protection is a secret service agent Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) who was with him when he was taken. Terrorists have taken the upper hand and the forces of good have to try to foil their attempt to bring chaos to the world.

I can imagine the thrill the folks had at the close of World War II watching great films about the bravery of the soldiers, sailors, and airmen who defeated the Axis powers in this horrible war. These movies were built around the real events of the great battles of that war. Today, things are much different today. We chip away at the enemies day by day, but we don’t have the great victories to cheer like they did in the past. So today we get fictional accounts of grand events that have not really happened. We don’t have much to celebrate anymore, it seems, and our brave heroes are out there, but we are much more concerned about what’s happening with JayZ and Beyonce or Kim and Kanye, and the rest. This is a grand adventure, very graphic with lots of blood and gore, but with lots of excitement and suspense. The acting of the good and bad guys is very good, and the action is non-stop. It’s got a great soundtrack, and super explosions and special effects. This is a very good film, if you like adventure, and well worth checking out.

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Stereo D, Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation,

Jeff Goldblum, Bill Pullman, Liam Hemsworth, Jessie Usher, Maika Monroe, Sela Ward, Judd Hirsch, Angelababy, Joey King, Vivica A. Fox, Brent Spiner, Charlotte Gainsbourg, William Fichtner, Deobia Oparei, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Patrick St. Esprit

Twenty years have passed since the original battle for freedom from the aliens was fought. There is a new lady president (to show it’s fiction) and the original President Whitmore is much the worse for wear, but his daughter has grown and is now an emissary to the white house. Captain Hiller is long gone, but his son, Dylan (Jesse T Usher) is a crack pilot and ready to step in to his fathers shoes to fight off the aliens once again who have come back, this time more than double the size of the last time. This time Earth has no chance, but they are going to give it their best shot. They have been improving over the last 20 years, but have they done enough?

This is a big budget blockbuster summer film that falls a little short. There is no way to match the scope of the first one, which caught us all by surprise. They did a really good job of bringing back the major characters and it’s easy to age them 20 years, since the original was released in 1996, 20 years ago! The story is done very well, and the characters are good. Furthermore, the special effects are extremely well done. The battle scenes are awesome, and I was totally entertained throughout the entire film. It’s a very well done movie, and very worthwhile to watch. So why the bad press, and the less than stellar box office? Well, there is no choice but to compare this to the experience 20 years ago of the original, and that’s a no win situation. If you were to watch these back to back now, it would become very clear how well done the new one is, and how the old one is 20 years old, but this is not a remake, it’s a sequel. A long after 20 years in the making sequel. I think they did an excellent job as well, and if this was a brand new story, It’s probably five stars, but you can’t help but compare the feeling you had coming out of the first one, completely exhausted and blown away, and the way you come out of this one thinking, “It’s not as good as the first one”. I probably is better, but can never be seen that way. It’s just a fact of human nature that the awe and wonder of the first one can’t be recreated. But I am glad to know what happened to this alien bunch and can’t help hoping they get what’s coming to them. Just don’t let the naysayers get to you, and go see it while you can.

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