Ed's Review Dot Com

Marvel Studios, Marvel Enterprises, Moving Picture Company (MPC),

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Vin Diesel, Bradley Cooper, Lee Pace, Michael Rooker, Karen Gillan, Djimon Hounsou, John C. Reilly, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro

Out in space, Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) learns that he is being chased after he finds an orb wanted by Ronin the Accuser. Peter is in a heap of trouble, but he puts together an unlikely group of heroes and before long they learn that they are all that stands between Ronin and the destruction of the Galaxy.

This is a very long awaited movie based on the Marvel comic books. This movie did not disappoint. Not only was it killing at the box office, which is good for the film business, but it capped off a rather bland summer movie season. This one has a lot of humor, is really good for both kids and adults. It has a PG-13 rating, but after reviewing it, we took my 6 year old grandson with us who really liked it. There is some violence and evil, but it’s an adventure movie at that and nothing you’d really suspect. But you need to make your own decision about kids 12 and under and how well they will accept it. The characters are perfect. Well I did have a little trouble with Chris Pratt as Peter Quill because I have a terrible time separating him from his character on Parks and Recreation. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t let that go. But that’s my fault, not his. Damn typecasting. Of course the giant walking tree, Shroot (Vin Diesel), and the raccoon are CGI, but very pleasant CGI that doesn’t interfere with the story. CGI can be touchy in a big film like this, and if it’s not done right, it’s very distracting. Here these characters are just as alive as the human characters and it’s done very well. Finally to top it off, I had the opportunity of watching this in 3D IMAX, and not the new IMAX where they throw a sheet over their regular screen and call it BIG SCREEN. I mean the original huge screen 7 stories tall and the huge theater with a true IMAX sound system. That part was AWESOME. I wouldn’t want to plunk down the extra fees for IMAX if it wasn’t a real IMAX projection system with the true IMAX screen. That made the whole experience extra special. This was definitely a big enough movie to see on the BIG SCREEN in 3D. The technical aspects were stunning, and the story was really good. This is probably the only MUST-SEE from this summer, and though school is back in and Labor Day is long gone, there is still a chance to see this film in the theater where you really ought to see it. I was highly impressed with the quality of this feature in every way.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Why Not Productions, Worldview Entertainment, Orange Studio,

Benicio Del Toro, Mathieu Amalric, Gina McKee, Larry Pine, Joseph Cross, Gary Farmer, Michelle Thrush, Misty Upham

Jimmy Picard is a Native American former soldier who received a severe battle injury which fractured his skull. He is now suffering from numerous problems including terrible headaches, forgetfulness and a lack of focus and concentration. The V.A. is trying to find a cause, but cannot determine any physical problem, so the only thing they can figure out is that it must be a mental problem. In an unconventional move, they pull in Dr. Georges Devereux (Mathieu Amalric) who is a psychoanalist, not a doctor nor licensed, because of his knowledge of Native American culture as a therapist for Jimmy. As time passes the bond between these two unlikely friends grows as they work through to find out Jimmy’s problem and perhaps set the groundwork for future Post Traumatic Shock cases for which a definition did not exist yet at the time.

This is an independent film, so is sometimes plodding with lots of character development, but it’s a uniquely wonderful story. Benicio Del Toro, who is Puerto Rican, is perhaps a rather strange choice to play a Blackfoot character, but he does his best. The accent is somewhat off it seems, but who am I to know. The story is really beautifully told and is really gripping. Jimmy has many dreams, most of the recurring, and this is a study of dream analysis as well. It’s based on a book by Georges, this is based on a true story. Though not the primary focus, there is look at whether Jimmy’s experiences and treatment were affected by his heritage and the general treatment of Native Americans, but it doesn’t take away from the story of Jimmy and how his experiences affect him and his entire family. A very good character study and a deeply moving story. The friendship between the two is very touching, and as strange as the situation, it proves a lot that people are basically the same no matter where they come from. I really enjoyed this film, and found it well worth watching and I recommend this one as something quite out of the mainstream. It’s definitely not ordinary in any way.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Ixtlan, Onda Entertainment, Relativity Media,

Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Trevor Donovan, Aaron Johnson, Salma Hayek, John Travolta, Benicio Del Toro, Emile Hirsch, Joel David Moore , Shea Whigham, Joaquín Cosio, Diego Cataño, Demián Bichir, Antonio Jaramillo, Jake McLaughlin, Alexander Wraith, Anthony Cutolo, Ali Wong, Sandra Echeverria

Three friends live in Laguna Beach and are living the life rolling in dough by growing and selling a particularly extraordinary strain of cannabis that was developed one one of the friends. Ben (Aaron Johnson) is the brains of the outfit and Chon (Taylor Kitsch) is the brawn. Chon is a former Navy Seal and a real bad ass. Ben is much quieter and wants to avoid trouble. Ophelia (Blake Lively) who calls herself “O” is the beauty and the lover of both boys. They think they lead the perfect life until a huge Mexican cartel led by Elena (Selma Hayek) and her thugs decide that the company has gotten big enough to take over and she decides to move North to take over the trio’s business. Trouble is bad cop Dennis (John Travolta) is on the take from both groups and figures there must be a big win for him either way. A huge drug war erupts and people are dropping like flies. Everyone has to determine what’s the most important thing for the other, and try to take it away in this violent and bloody R rated drug war!

This isn’t such a terrible story but director Oliver Stone surely managed to tear most of it out by the roots. There is so much bad acting in this film that’s it quickly turns absurd. This could have been done better in 1968 by Sergio Leone, I swear! This had the acting and script level of one of those Terrance Hill / Bud Spencer Trinity films (which I loved) without any of the humor.

First I’ll start with Blake Lively. She is lovely to look at, but she’s the narrator who starts off the film with a line something along the lines of “Just because I’m telling the story doesn’t mean I’m alive at the end of it.” The relationship of the 3 of them is also absurd. She needs one cause he’s gentle and one cause he’s rough, but what’s in it for the guys? Why not just admit from the start that they’re gay and it’s a better story. John Travolta as the dirty cop? Well, I like ole John Boy, but this was a farce of a performance in my opinion. Not bad, not good, and he yells his lines out like a kid in one of those acting classes their parents pay the big bucks for. The bad guys are cartoons. But they aren’t funny. Then they have to tack on a stupid ending that made me think I was watching the VHS version of the Clue movie with the 4 different endings. “This is what could have happened, but…..” It’s not exactly like that, but you get the drift. She has to redo the line about just because I’m telling the story doesn’t mean that I’m alive in the end…. Let’s hope not, ok?

All in all, they had a decent story to work with, and blew it all to hell with the melodramatic cardboard and cartoony acting that ruined it for me. I went in with high hopes and came out really disappointed with a “Is that all there is?” look on my face. Too bad it just didn’t work for me in the least.

EdG – EdsReview Dot Com – A Movie Review Blog

Universal Studios

Benicio Del Toro, Anthony Hopkins, Emily Blunt

I guess it’s pretty widely known that Universal Studios holds the rights to many of the classic horror movies.   They’ve been sitting back in the vault for years, to be pulled out once a year for a special  “Midnight Halloween Horror Fest” at the neighborhood discount cinema or to fill up AMC’s schedule for October.  They provide interesting side notes on the tram tour at Universal Studios.   “This is the courtyard where Boris Karloff carried the little girl into the town…….”    But what if Universal tried to redo some of these?  Universal could dust them off, update them with today’s technology and what would they have?

Well, lovers of classic cinema will scream foul, and lovers of Jigsaw in Saw or Leatherface in Texas Chainsaw Massacre will say its old fashioned and corny, but guess what?  I enjoyed it.

The old movies are hard to sit through.  Parts are really slow and boring, and the sound is scratch and rough.  But they had a certain flair for scaring your socks off without showing you much.  Everything was in your head which was much scarier than the blood and gore of today.
This remake is in between.   It has all the mood and creepiness of the original, but with modern technology and beautiful eerie scenery, it really cuts it.  It’s got plenty of gore and violence, but there are moments when things happen so fast, you can’t see it, but you know something awful happened by the parts left behind.   There are some really scary parts.

Anthony Hopkins is a real master of creepy roles, and as a really bad guy, he’s spot on.  Emily Blunt doesn’t have a large part, but she’s very important to the storyline, and provides some real beauty in a world of dark, damp, misty, despair.

Benicio Del Toro is a fine actor, but not so well known and over exposed that it takes away from the believability.  All in all, it was a fine homage to the original, and a great rental.  I’m a fan of Horror films, and I was glad to see this one redone with a great deal of respect to the original work (both book and movie).