Scott Pilgrim vs. the World

Scott Pilgrim vs. the World
Release Date: August 13, 2010
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Michael Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Kieran Culkin, Ellen Wong, Jason Schwartzman, Chris Evans
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 112 minutes


The Slant / The stuff that dreams are made of...

Wow! I went into this movie with limited expectations - I had never really heard of the graphic novels and I've grown somewhat tired of Michael Cera in recent outings. He keeps playing the same character in all of his movies and it began irritating me. Here, as Scott Pilgrim, Cera really shines. However, the acting (which is phenomenal all around) isn't the only thing that makes Scott Pilgrim vs. the World the most enjoyable movie of 2010 so far; the film's style really sets it apart.

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Hot Fuzz (2007)

Hot Fuzz
Release Date: February 14, 2007
Director: Edgar Wright
Starring: Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, Jim Broadbent, Timothy Dalton
Rated: R
Runtime: 121 minutes



The Slant / Made it, Ma! Top of the World!



Hot Fuzz is everything I expected from the team that produced Shaun of the Dead, and so much more. I enjoyed Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg's first outing in 2004, but Hot Fuzz is on a whole different level.

Simon Pegg stars as London Police Officer Nicholas Angel, who excels in his duties to the point that his superiors become jealous of his awards and commendations. The opening montage detailing Angel's achievements as a police officer (never call him a policemen) drags the viewer in and never lets go. Angel's superiors decide to promote him to sergeant and ship him out of their hair to the small country village of Sandford, where he will pass his days in quiet anonymity, or so they hope.

Of course, Sergeant Angel does not find a peaceful village. Sandford boasts a crew of incompetent police officers that Angel tries to whip into shape, with lackluster results. At first, it seems as if the town's quaintness and the police department's apathy will get the better of Angel, who grows bored and irritable from what he sees as incompetence among his fellows and lack of real action in the town. On his first night, he expels some underage boys from the local pub. Angel insists on taking a hard-line approach even when the pub's owners declare that they let them drink there "for the greater good," since it keeps the kids off the street and out of trouble. This kind of gray area is foreign to Angel, who follows the letter of the law in all circumstances.

Eventually, a string of deaths breaks the peace in Sandford, although everyone but Angel strives to reconcile the deaths as an unfortunate string of accidents. Angel believes something much bigger is going on and investigates further with the help of his new partner Danny (Nick Frost). They uncover a terrible, if a little ridiculous, plot that reveals the town of Sandford is not at all what it seems.

One of the most surprising aspects of Hot Fuzz is how realistic it is, at least to a point. In Shaun of the Dead, for instance, the whole movie was an over-the-top send up to zombie flicks. While Hot Fuzz gives the same treatment to cop movies, until the final shootout everything that transpires could actually happen in an English country town. To be sure, the characters would probably not be so irreverant, witty, or entertaining, but everything at least seemed plausible. Once the explosive and brilliant final showdown begins, all bets are off and Hot Fuzz really comes into its own. In fact, the movie shifts gears so abruptly that it is almost shocking. Still, the lead-up and fraternal bonding between Angel and Danny make the final clash that much more exciting and even emotional. You really feel like you know the characters and hope they make it out okay. And then you also want to see Sgt. Angel with a veritable armory strapped to his back, delivering flying kicks to elderly (and evil) women threatening to gun him down.

The movie is exquisitely cast. Pegg is brilliant as the super-cop Angel and brings an effortless humor to the role. While not as over-the-top as his recent portrayal of Scotty in Star Trek, Pegg improves upon his earlier starring role in Shaun of the Dead. His chemistry with sidekick Nick Frost seems to have grown too, and the scenes with the two of them (and there are plenty) are rife with laughs as well as tender moments. Here is another installment in the oft-repeated label of bromance movies. The supporting cast is just as great, though Timothy Dalton excels above the rest as the overly-friendly and suspicious owner of a local supermarket. He elevated the humor whenever he was on screen. Jim Broadbent also adds to the movie's levity, playing Angel's superior in such a deadpan manner that rivals Buster Keaton himself.


Hot Fuzz is one of the best comedies in recent memory. It's slow build-up might not work for some viewers hoping only for mindless action, but the film's climax should keep them satisfied while others can enjoy the first half for its dry British wit. The film is rated R, but it is most assuredly a soft R; the film could easily have been edited to a PG-13 rating if Wright had decided to throw out a few choice words. This harder edge enhances the film, however. Hot Fuzz has few dull moments and many surprises that should delight its viewers. Let's hope Wright and Pegg reunite in the near future for another classic outing.

Porco Rosso (1992)

Porco Rosso
Release Date: July 18, 1992 (Japan), March 5, 2004 (North America)
Director: Hayao Miyazaki
Starring (English Dub): Michael Keaton, Cary Elwes, Susan Egan, Kimberly Williams, David Ogden Stiers
Rated: PG
Runtime: 94 minutes


The Slant / Here's looking at you, kid



I am a great admirer of Hayao Miyazaki. I've been happily (and slowly, due to the demands of graduate school) meandering through his film collection recently, thanks to Netflix. His animated films are at least rivals to the great Disney classics, while some surpass them in terms of depth and beauty. Even Porco Rosso, Miyazaki's weakest movie, is a beautiful film. It does not have as many of the fantastical elements that define his other works, like Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind or Princess Mononoke, but it is an enjoyable yarn that draws the viewer into the world of World War I seaplane pilots.

The premise of Porco Rosso, which translates into Crimson Pig, is quite simple if not fully explained. The setting is the Adriatic Sea, circa 1929, as the Italian fascists reaching the height of their power. Porco, formerly named Marco, is an expatriate Italian fighter ace who through mysterious circumstances is magically transformed into a anthropomorphic pig. The protagonist is stubborn, "pig-headed" in the figurative sense, and a womanizer, so the fact that he embodies the persona of a pig is really just an extended metaphor. It allows Porco to exclaim that he'd "rather be a pig than a fascist." He sells his exemplary piloting skills to the highest bidder, although he refuses to contradict his honor by returning to the Italian air force. Porco bears a resemblance, both in his demeanor and physically, to Humphrey Bogart, especially since he is almost always seen speaking through a haze of his own cigarette smoke. As a devoted Bogie fan, I appreciated this homage to the American star.

Porco angers the local sea pirates and they hire a hotshot American pilot named Curtis to hunt him down. When Porco is shot down after experiencing engine problems, he enlists the aid of an old friend and his 17 year-old granddaughter to rebuild his plane. The girl, Fio, resembles many of Miyazaki's heroines. She's young, obsessed with flight, and strong-willed. Eventually, Porco and the American have a rematch and the ending wisely leaves it open concerning the pig's ultimate fate, although the audience has a pretty good idea how things turn out.

This is a departure for Miyazaki. For one thing, it lacks the focus on environmental issues that defines much of his other work. Also, Porco Rosso is geared primarily for adults, while his other movies could be enjoyed by both young and old alike. I'm not saying that children would not enjoy this movie (I mean, it's a pig flying around in a plane!), but an adult audience will better appreciate both the plot and the characters. The flying sequences, one of Miyazaki's trademarks, are superb. One gets the idea that the director made this movie almost to showcase these amazing dogfights which he is so obsessed with. If so, it works. Though it is my least favorite of the Japanese director's films, it still beats the standard animation Hollywood consistently churns out every year.

If you are a neophyte to the work of Hayao Miyazaki, I suggest starting with either Princess Mononoke or Spirited Away. If you enjoy Miyazaki's classics, then you can delve deeper into his collection and experience Porco Rosso for what it is; a high-flying adventure accentuated by beautiful animation.

Angels & Demons - An Uninspired Thriller that has its Moments

Angels & Demons
Release Date: May 15, 2009
Director: Ron Howard
Starring: Tom Hanks, Ewan McGregor, Ayelet Zurer, Stellan Skarsgard, Armin Mueller-Stahl
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 138 minutes



The Slant / Well, nobody's perfect.



Angels & Demons, follow-up to The Da Vinci Code (2006), is a forgettable detective story wrapped up in church intrigue. Still, it has its moments and keeps the audience guessing, at least for the first 3/4 of the film. Eventually the conclusion becomes readily apparent and, although I won't spoil it here, ultimately dissatisfying.

Once again, we follow esteemed symbologist Dr. Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks)as he struggles to unravel a mysterious plot involving religious motifs. This time around, instead of the Holy Grail and the Knights Templar, Langdon's adversaries are the mythical Illuminati, ancient enemies of the Catholic Church. The pope has died and the Vatican is in an uproar over his successor. The Illuminati have supposedly stolen an incredibly powerful antimatter bomb, which they will use to level Vatican City to revenge the Church's past transgressions. This secret society has also kidnapped the most prominent candidates for the papacy, stating that they will kill these cardinals every hour on the hour before detonating the explosive.

Langdon is called upon to rescue the holy men and stop the bomb, with the help of the Vatican police and Dr. Vittoria Vetra (Ayelet Zurer), one of the antimatter bomb's research developers. The Camerlengo (Ewan McGregor), the man in charge of the Church while the cardinals choose a new pope, promises to give his assistance to Langdon in any way possible. What follows is a race through Vatican City from the Catholic archives to ancient churches, with the life of every inhabitant of the city on the line. Sounds exciting, doesn't it?

And it is...for awhile. I found myself drawn into the plot and wondering about these mysterious Illuminati. I have not read the book and thus found myself enjoying this Dan Brown adaptation more than The Da Vinci Code, since I was unsure at first where the story would ultimately end. Ultimately I found it more compelling than the previous installment. Director Ron Howard does a good job balancing the ever-present forces of science and religion, portraying Langdon as an agnostic academic and the church as progressive and open to scientific scrutiny.

The ultimate reveal at the end of the film is unsatisfying and, by that time, quite apparent. As a historian and being familiar with the painstaking hours it takes to adequately conduct archival research, I found it baffling that Langdon locates his source within 15 minutes of his search. Statues pointing the way to the Illuminati's secret hideout? If only it was that easy! Of course, it is a movie and such trivialities are not terribly important.

Less forgivable are two unnecessary scenes, one at the beginning involving the creation of the antimatter bomb and another suspenseful scene halfway through that has Langdon and a hapless guard struggling to escape the archives before their oxygen runs out. Also, do we need to see the Camerlengo berating church leadership about the necessity of bringing science and religion into harmony? I think the movie could have been improved if it stuck to its guns, following Langdon through the streets of Vatican City on a race against time. When the movie stops to take a breath, the viewer's mind wanders. The movie crams a lot into its 138 minutes, but could have been trimmed.

The casting is, for the most part, adequate and in some cases, inspired. Tom Hanks, normally an actor I enjoy greatly, has little to work with here. Langdon is a pretty flat character and not incredibly likable. Hanks does what he can with the stoic symbologist. Ewan McGregor plays the Camerlengo well and is convincing in his supporting role. He was the character I found most easy to cheer for, although I could be biased due to my unabashed adimration for McGregor's acting. Ayelet Zurer's Dr. Vittoria just seems along for the ride. The always menacing and underrated Stellan Skarsgard plays the commander of the Swiss Guard with his usual detached scowl. Armin Mueller-Stahl, who I loved in Eastern Promises, gives the best performance as a cardinal with questionable loyalties.

Go see Angels & Demons if you have already seen Star Trek and Wolverine, and are looking for an enjoyable thriller that doesn't require too much mental investment. It's worth the price of admission, but you can wait for the DVD.

Troop Beverly Hills (1989)

Troop Beverly Hills
Release Date: March 22, 1989
Director: Jeff Kanew
Starring: Shelley Long, Craig T. Nelson, Betty Thomas, Mary Gross
Rated: PG
Runtime: 100 minutes


The Slant / It's going to be a bumpy night.

I must have missed this movie in my youth, but I was not missing much. A few people I know busted this "classic" out last night and wrangled me into watching it. Apparently it has achieved cult status among some fans, although why this has occurred is beyond me.

To get right down to it, Troop Beverly Hills is about a group of Wilderness Girls, aka Cub Scouts for girls, that need a new troop leader. Judging by the title, you can probably tell that the group is from ritzy Beverly Hills. Phyllis Nefler (Shelley Long), a shopaholic soon-to-be divorcee and mother of one of the girls, takes the job and things spiral out of control from there. Nefler shows the girls how to brave the wilderness that is Beverly Hills, experiencing shopping, makeovers, and camp-outs at the Beverly Hills Hotel. But when the overzealous troop commandant attempts to run Nefler out of the organization, Shelley Long's character decides to fight back and teach her troop how to be real Wilderness Girls.

It's pretty much as bad as it sounds. Picture Police Academy with terrible characters, little humor, and no satire. The movie takes itself too seriously when it could have been a tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the Beverly Hills lifestyle. The random cameos are distracting and do nothing to add to the plot or the laughs.

Still there are moments of fun. Shelley Long wears about 30 different outfits int he movie, each one more ridiculous than the last. A few one-liners here and there beget a chuckle, but usually groans ensue. It has some redeeming qualities and watching it with people who clearly love it for its campiness is a good time. Hard to take seriously, yes, but sometimes the movie brings a smile to the face through its sheer ridiculousness. Maybe I'm being too critical about a movie clearly designed for a different demographic in a different era.

The film has a decent message about hard work and friendship, but I could not believe that the Neflers reconcile and decide not to divorce. Craig T. Nelson's character is a jerk and if this movie had any self-respect then Long would have walked out on him, realizing she was worthy of more from a man. But they get back together and the movie passes this off as a happy ending. Boy I would hate to see how things worked out in that marriage. Thankfully there is no sequel.

Star Trek - Reinventing the Final Frontier

Star Trek
Release Date: May 8, 2009
Director: J.J. Abrams
Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Leonard Nimoy, Eric Bana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 127 minutes



The Slant / The stuff that dreams are made of...




Last Saturday night, I saw the second truly great movie of 2009. The first was Watchmen, which critically and commercially did not live up to the hype. I for one loved it, but the vast majority of critics, both professional and arm-chair, disagreed.

Star Trek is a completely different animal. With a 96% on RottenTomatoes and a $72.5 million domestic box-office gross in its first weekend, the crew of the USS Enterprise has reason to celebrate. Paramount has to be pretty pleased too and we will likely see a sequel in the next few years. I, for one, can't wait.

This is a great movie. It's not a perfect movie by any means, but it's so chock-full of entertainment value and superb acting that its shortcomings are easily forgiven, if not forgotten. Star Trek breathes new life into classic characters we know and love, while also being accessible for those unfamiliar with the original cast. Space opera at its finest, really.

I have to start with the best part of the movie: Zachary Quinto as young Spock, the logical and emotionless (sometimes) half-human, half-Vulcan first officer. Here, Quinto plays Spock as a man struggling to restrain his emotions while chaos ensues around him. This is much like Leonard Nimoy's portrayal of the character in the original series and its movie adaptations. Yet, with this new film conceiving Spock as a young man, Quinto makes the struggle much more difficult and his emotions get the better of him throughout the film. He creates a believable and emotional Spock, while also exuding the cool exterior we expect from the character after Nimoy's brilliant job. I think Spock is the hardest character to pull off in the franchise, and Quinto succeeds admirably. I expected nothing less after relishing his villainous Sylar on Heroes, who also travels in shades of gray between two worlds (for Sylar, though, his conflict arises between his thirst for power and doing good, with power and evil winning out most of the time).

The rest of the cast does a fine job as well, though Quinto clearly shines. Chris Pine brings the boyish charm and arrogance we expect from James T. Kirk, but makes one brilliant move. He does not play William Shatner playing Kirk, making the character more his own and moving away from Shatner's portrayal. Since Shatner's Kirk is such an iconic figure, this is really the only way Pine could play Kirk and actually act on his own merits instead of just mimicking another man's performance. Still, at times you can see a little of Shatner in Pine's Kirk, which is a good thing.

Karl Urban really surprised me as Dr. McCoy. While I liked the guy in Lord of the Rings and The Bourne Ultimatum, I was suspect of his acting chops. Here, he fully embodies the role of 'Bones,' adding the dry humor and acerbic wit that DeForest Kelley brought to the original show. This was definitely a pleasant revelation. Simon Pegg's Scotty is hilarious, as one would expect from that talented British actor. He brings humor and energy to the middle part of the film, lightening the mood after a string of serious events. John Cho gives a workmanlike performance as Sulu, but doesn't have too much to work with. I miss George Takei's memorable baritone, but was not expecting it to be replicated. Zoe Saldana's Uhura is smart and sexy, just what one would expect from her character. As the replacement of Walter Koenig, Anton Yelchin's Chekov hams up the Russian side a bit too much, as he pronounces so many v's as w's that my head began to spin. I mean, sure, nuclear 'w'essels was fun in Star Trek IV, but every other word he says doesn't have to have a V in it just for effect.

As the villainous time-traveling Romulan, Nero, Eric Bana is fine but unmemorable. He is not given too much to work with and his motivations for hunting down the Enterprise crew and Spock are suspect at best. Leonard Nimoy's return as the aged Spock is of course spot on, as one would expect in his 7th movie reprising his role.

The special effects are stunning and the space battles are workable. While Star Wars still boasts the best in ship-to-ship combat sequences, even 30 years later, the new Trek film has bolstered its image in this area. In the past, the Enterprise would face off against its Romulan or Klingon attackers, fire a few photon torpedoes, sustain some damage, and that would normally be the entirety of the battle. Here, ships are quick-moving, taking evasive action and packing much more firepower than the standard Trek vessel. Nero's "mining ship" definitely doesn't have the arsenal of one, showering impressive missiles down upon its Federation victims.

While the story is fine (evil ship approaching, regular crew members away, send in the cadets!), it is not inspiring. It doesn't have to be, since the viewer is having so much fun going along for the ride. Sure, the time-traveling elements of the story are a bit far-fetched and somewhat opaque, but the reasons behind them are sound. The writers created an alternate universe, so that they could wipe the continuity of the original Star Trek and play with the characters how they see fit. This way, no character is safe, since we don't know how things will end up. I think this is a brilliant move and the only way to give Star Trek a true reboot. They didn't have to mess with some things, though, like creating a romance between Spock and Uhura. Ah well, just a small thing.

Overall, Star Trek exceeded my expectations and I think a lot of critics' expectations as well. I predict that its second weekend box office numbers will not slip too much, with word of mouth helping it stay #1. Angels & Demons may mount a significant threat, but the sci-fi space opera will beat it out.

I am excited for a sequel and hope the crew of the USS Enterprise and the Star Trek franchise will continue going boldly where no one has gone before for many years to come.

Final Verdict: Star Trek - 9.5/10

X-Men Origins: Wolverine

X-Men Origins: Wolverine
Release Date: May 1, 2009
Director: Gavin Hood
Starring: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Danny Huston, Ryan Reynolds, Taylor Kitsch, Lynn Collins
Rated: PG-13
Runtime: 107 minutes



The Slant / Here's looking at you, kid.


*SPOILERS BELOW*

So I saw X-Men Origins: Wolverine today. Essentially, it lived up to my expectations, which weren't too high to begin with. I've never been the biggest Wolverine fan, mainly because he always just seems so aggressive and quick to anger. Plus, the fanboys just love him too damn much.

I thought the movie did a decent job establishing Logan's (Hugh Jackman) backstory, although I'll have to check out the comics to see how true to the source material it actually was. I don't really buy the whole "Sabretooth and Wolverine are brothers" aspect, but it makes for interesting interplay, especially during their fights.

The plot of this movie does not really hold up well. Logan and Victor Creed (Liev Schreiber) are essentially immortal brothers, one with bone claws and the other with a serious need for a manicure. They fight together in various wars over the centures, until Colonel William Stryker (Danny Huston) decides they should join his new team of mutants. Things start to unravel as the mutants come together, as their purpose is shrouded by myster. Wraith (Will.i.am, of Black Eyed Peas fame), the teleporting member of Team X, later informs Wolverine and us that they were tasked with rounding up mutants for Stryker's experiments. Essentially, Stryker is creating a super-mutant with all of these captives' powers to protect mankind from the other mutants...yeah I don't know either. Stryker's mutant son apparently killed his wife so he's got a grudge against the race. I won't go into the inconsistency of using a super-mutant to hunt down other mutants because it's just not worth the time.

Eventually, Logan quits the team and goes off to find love in the wilds of the Canadian Rockies. Here the movie drags. Sure, it's nice seeing Logan get some much-needed R & R and lovin', but I paid to see him slice and dice the baddies. Sabretooth and Stryker eventually spoil the fun, "killing" his love. Logan gets his adamantium skeleton and becomes Wolverine.

I could go on and on about the nuances of the plot but honestly it's not that important. Wolverine swears revenge. He goes after Stryker and Sabretooth. On their island hideout he comes face-to-face with Weapon XI. Weapon XI is the aforementioned super-mutant Stryker has been creating. He uses the body of Wade Wilson (played irreverantly by Ryan Reynolds in the early part of the movie, more on him later) to do so. Pretty good fight scene, with Wolverine emerging victorious. Then Stryker shoots him with an adamantium bullet to the brain and Wolverine loses his memories. Professor X comes to the rescue of the young mutants led by Cyclops and Emma Frost, essentially taking them to his new mutant academy. Wolverine stumbles off to his fate (and eventual sequel...sequel to a prequel...what do you call that?). Fade to darkness. End of Credits: Weapon XI, aka Deadpool, is still alive. Hooray spin-off!

The GOOD:

The best part of Wolverine is that, even with the amount of characters involved, most of them receive enough screen-time to understand their powers, their motivations, and their personalities. I was most worried about the introduction of Gambit to the film franchise. However, Taylor Kitsch's brief scenes as Remy brought that Cajun mutant to the big screen in style. I would like to see more of him, for sure. He didn't have the accent, though. The X-Men cartoon in the '90s really has me wanting a Gambit with that heavy Cajun tone.

My favorite casting was Ryan Reynolds as Wade Wilson, the Merc with a Mouth. In the first 10 minutes or so of the movie, he steals the show. His acerbic wit and pithy delivery really had me chuckling ("Okaaay. People are deaaaad."). When we leave him, I felt a sense of loss. He comes back at the end of the movie as Weapon XI or Deadpool or whatever you want to call him, but without the ability to talk he loses who he was previously. Luckily, we will see a true Deadpool spin-off with Ryan Reynolds back in command. I can't wait.

I completely bought Liev Schreiber's portrayal of Sabretooth. He made a truly villainous character seem more human than I would have thought possible. Also, he had a certain charisma that had me rooting for him, even though I knew he was not guy I should be cheering for. Same with Agent Zero. Not sure of the actor there, but good job nonetheless.

I thought the special effects were fine. The movie looked good. Fight scenes were...decent.

The BAD:

The aforementioned troubles with the plot. Pacing issues, especially during Logan's sojourn in Canada with Silverfox.

They killed off all the cool mutants! Bolt (Dominic Monaghan) who seemed to be an innocent guy just caught up with the wrong people; Wraith, played adequately by Will.i.am, is also killed by Sabretooth; Logan blows up Agent Zero in a move that seriously had me question why I should want Wolverine to win. I mean, who kills a defenseless man in cold blood like that? I guess he was a murderer, but still. I liked him! Does anyone else die that shouldn't? Guess that's about it. Oh yeah, the off-camera death of the Blob really seemed unneccessary. So if Marvel wants to bring those characters back, it can't or it just has to make up some ridiculous stories? Sorry, it just doesn't seem like a good strategy.

Hugh Jackman's Wolverine did not really inspire me. I think he was good in the first two X-Men movies, but something about him in this movie seems off. Maybe it's because we've seen the character 4 times now, and it's growing a bit stale. I don't know. I'm also biased against Wolverine from the beginning, so others might feel differently.

The fight scenes, while decent, had a little too much of the whole slo-mo/speed-up type of action. I don't know how to describe it, but the best comparison is the opening battle in Gladiator. Everything just looks...strange...during the fight. I like to see battles in real-time, but I guess that's too much to ask for.

An elderly couple takes in a nameless stranger into their home, which happens to be a bucolic, rustic farm. He sleeps in the barn. They discover him while driving their old, beat-up Chevy. No no, this is not Smallville and the nameless stranger is not Clark Kent. This is Wolverine and the nice Canadian couple who shelter him are not Martha and Jonathan. I wonder if DC will notice the similarities?

Gambit and Ryan Reynolds weren't in the movie enough :D
Hopefully we'll see Gambit again, and Deadpool will definitely be back!

Final Verdict: X-Men Origins: Wolverine - 7.5/10