Star Trek Into Darkness 

Starring: Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Benedict Cumberbatch, Anton Yelchin, Bruce Greenwood, Alice Eve

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Written By Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman & Damon Lindelof

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 132 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi

Opens May 16th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans! Opening this week is the eagerly anticipated sequel to the 2009 Star Trek film, “Star Trek Into Darkness” directed by J.J. Abrams, starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Zaldana and Benedict Cumberbatch.  How does it fare to the previous film? Read on to find out…

Captain Kirk (Chris Pine) can’t seem to catch a break. Instead of a promotion to a newer, larger and better ship, Mr. Spock (Zachary Quinto) files a report that gets him demoted, resulting in Spock’s reassignment to another ship.  Yet, when an attack from within the Starfleet results in multiple casualties, Kirk, Spock and the rest of the enterprise crew is assigned to track down the ruthless criminal wherever he is hiding in the galaxy.

What makes J.J. Abrams’ films so much fun to watch is that there is so much mystery surrounding the plot, the experience of the film is generally fresh, exciting and thrilling.  With that being said, I will attempt to keep this review as spoiler free as possible.  Helming the script are the brilliant screenwriters Roberto Orci, Alex Kurtzman and Damon Lindelof, you know,  the guys that brought us such intelligent and amazing shows such as “Fringe”, “Alias” and “Lost”. The story this time around delves more into the characters and   Whoever thought of bringing on Benedict Cumberbatch (so much fun to say) as Khan was a brilliant casting move as his performance is hypnotic and chilling. The rest of the cast seems to have more chemistry and flows seamlessly this time around, and it was great to see that Simon Pegg’s Scotty had more screen time. The cinematography is gorgeous, and the use of 3D technology is rather exciting as there were a few time that I found myself jumping and dodging in my seat to avoid what I saw in my 3D glasses. Overall this is a great follow up to the first film and another fantastic film to check out this summer blockbuster season.  Check out “Star Trek Into Darkness” when it opens up in theaters nationwide starting Thursday May 16, 2013.

The Iceman 

Starring: Michael Shannon, Chris Evans, Winona Ryder, Ray Liotta, David Schwimmer, James Franco, Stephen Dorff

Directed by Ariel Vromen

Rated: R

Run Time: 106 mins

Genre: Drama/Crime/ Thriller

Opens May 17th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening this week as a Harkins Shea 14 Exclusive is the thriller “The Iceman” starring Michael Shannon, Chris Evans and Winona Ryder.  Based on a true story chronicling the life of contract killer Richard Kuklinski, the main plot focuses on the years prior to his arrest in 1986.

When Richard Kuklinski (Michael Shannon) met his future wife Deborah Pellicotti (Winona Ryder) in Spring of 1964, he was completely smitten. Within a year of their first date, they were married and had their first child together.  Deborah thought he dubbed Disney cartoon as a profession when he was actually dubbing pornography films for a local mob boss Roy Demeo (Ray Liotta).

When Demeo and his thugs shut down the porn business, Richard was recruited by the crime boss to do “collections” and carry out contracts on those would not pay up.  For many years, Richard was very successful working for one of the mafia members associated with the Gabino crime family, Roy Demeo, making a lot of money and building a name for himself due to his cold, unfeeling nature of his persona.

Sometime in the 1970’s, Richard’s employment with Roy came to a freeze due to a hit put out on one of Demeo’s other thugs. Josh Rosenthal (David Schwimmer). Demeo couldn’t take Jake out and not wanting to take any chances, fires Richard for not taking care of a possible witness. Demeo warns Richard that he can’t work for anyone else during his unemployment period, but needing money to support his family, teams up with contract killer Mr. Freeze (Chris Evans).

Between Freeze and Kuklinski, business is good until Demeo catches wind of Richard’s extra curricular activities. Will Richard be able to avoid Roy Demeo’s wrath or will he meet a worse fate?

Although it’s not a gory slasher film about a contract killer, the performances are what make “The Iceman” stand out as a film not to miss in theaters.  Michael Shannon’s performance as Richard Kuklinski is so chilling and hypnotic that it’s a stand out role for this understated actor.  His brilliant subtle undertones speak volumes of depth for a rather complicated character living this twisted double life.  Chris Evans is unrecognizable as fellow contract killer, Mr. Freeze; almost chameleon like in his performance.  You may hear a voice that you recognize and then realize that it’s David Schwimmer glammed up all 70′s thug style. Winona Ryder tones down her performance matching Shannon’s intensity perfectly.  Be sure to catch “The Iceman” in the theater starting Friday May 17, 2013.

The Great Gatsby 

Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Carey Mulligan, Joel Edgerton, Tobey Maguire, Isla Fisher, Jason Clarke, Adelaide Clemens, Elizabeth Debicki

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 143 mins

Genre: Drama/Romance

Opens May 10^th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

For those who skipped or missed out in high school English partaking in F. Scott Fitzgerald literary masterpiece, here’s your chance to experience the story in technicolor glory courtesy of Director Baz Luhrmann. Known for his colorful, visually stunning, romantically charged films such as “Romeo & Juliet” , “Australia” and “Moulin Rouge!”, Luhrmann breathes new life in to the Jazz Era classic, giving audience a taste of the Roaring Twenties.

Moving to New York City to become a bonds salesman, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) has a new interesting neighbor. Known as the illustrious, or rather infamous, Gatsby, the man who holds almost nightly, the most lavish, outrageous parties that New York has ever seen.

Nick’s cousin Daisy Buchanan (Carey Mulligan) and her husband Tom (Joel Edgerton) live across the water from the Gatsby mansion.  Daisy is overjoyed that Nick has moved to town as it is a distraction from her loveless marriage and the opportunity to set him up with her friend Jordan Baker (Elizabeth Debicki). Tom is relieved for Nick’s presence as it is an opportunity to escape from Daisy and to go meet up with his mistress Myrtle Wilson (Isla Fisher). Like Tom, Myrtle is also stuck in a loveless marriage to her mechanic husband George (Jason Clarke) and is desperate for Tom to sweep her away from poverty and dull life that she currently holds.

One day, an invitation arrives for Nick to attend one of Gatsby’s parties, where he finally meets the mysterious Jay Gatsby (Leonardo DiCaprio). It appears that Gatsby has an ulterior motive, than just being a friendly neighbor trying to get to know each other. Gatsby has a complicated past, one that includes Daisy, wanting to rekindle an old flame. Will Gatsby be able to win over Daisy or will Nick end up as a casualty in the twisted game between the rich and famous of New York’s elite class?

Thank you, Thank you, Thank you Baz Luhrmann for creating a visual masterpiece from an aging work of literary royalty. This is how page to screen projects should be done. Everything visual about the film is outstanding – the lighting, sets, costumes and visual effects all are a occular treat. The performances are better than previous versions of the film, but the factor that ties it all together is the music mashups of old standards with modern pop mixes make this so interesting. The story itself it long and drawn out, but if this was available to watch during my high school tenure, I think it would have made it way more alluring.

How does this compare to the 1974 version starring Robert Redford & Mia Farrow? Blows the top off anything that the film could have ever done (Sorry Francis Ford Coppola). Carey Mulligan’s Daisy had more depth than Farrow’s version of the literary socialite opportunist as did DiCaprio’s Gatsby. The 1974 version feels flat while Baz Luhrmann’s is vibrant, in-your-face visual effects with a lot of pizzazz. Be sure to catch “The Great Gatsby” when it opens in theaters nationwide starting Friday May 10, 2013.

The Reluctant Fundamentalist 

Starring: Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, Kate Hudson, Kiefer Sutherland

Directed by Mira Nair

Rated: R

Run Time: 130 mins

Genre: Drama/ Thriller

Opens May 10^th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening this week exclusively at Harkins Shea 14 is the indie film “The Reluctant Fundamentalist” starring Riz Ahmed, Liev Schreiber, Kiefer Sutherland and Kate Hudson. Based on the novel of the same name written by Mohsin Hamid, this film won the audience award at the 2012 Mill Valley Film Festival.

Taking place over the course of one afternoon, Newspaper journalist Bobby Lincoln (Liev Shreiber) proceeds to interview a man he has been trying to peg down for quite some time. Finance professor at a local university in Lahore, Pakistan, Changez Khan (Riz Ahmed) is an unusual man. He has known two different lives, one as a Pakistan and one as an American. His story starts ten years earlier in 2001, when he was studying at Princeton University. On the eve of his graduation, he was recruited by the top financial firm in the world to be an analyst. His recruiter Jim (Kiefer Sutherland), was impressed by his tenacity and hunger for success, which proved to be a wise choice. Changez out shone the rest of the new hires becoming a rising star in the company. During the same time,  he met a woman, Erica (Kate Hudson) whom he started a romantic relationship with. Although he built this dream life, the imperfections and harsh realities of being a Middle Eastern, Muslim man post 9/11, made life for Changez difficult back in the States.

As choices affect our destiny, Changez decided to return to his roots and start a new life with the knowledge he amassed while over seas. While evil and powerful men are all among us, will Changez break away and be able to live a peaceful life or is he playing the same games, just new names, different faces?

If anything, this film is an interest discussion piece about how people view each other today, even thought “progress” is supposedly been made. What works about this story is that the characters a rich and deep; the situations are compromising and emotionally complicated. The cat and mouse thriller really keep the viewer guessing on each man’s motive up until the very end. What was rather disappointing is that it leaves the viewer at the end in an unfulfilling place as the story just stops. This film does have noticeable differences from the novel, keeping the majority of the key points, but it works in this context and flows a little more logically. If you’re looking for a break from the summer blockbuster crowd, check out this film when it opens starting Friday May 10, 2013 at Harkins Shea 14.

Iron Man 3 

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Guy Pearce, Rebecca Hall, Jon Favreau, Ben Kingsley

Directed by Shane Black

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 130 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi

Opens May 3rd

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film fans!  Summer Movie Season officially kicks off with the third installment in the Iron Man series.  Shane Black steps into the director role for this film, playing double duty as co-writer. Will it be as good as the Favreau films or stand on its own?

Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has found new fame as a superhero after the events that happened in New York (See The Avengers Review). Mistakes of his past and the demons of his present are now chasing Stark around causing a new level of chaos that he has never known before.  Tony’s relationship with girlfriend/ CEO of Stark Industries, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow) is approaching a stalemate; an old fling, Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall) shows up unexpectedly causing further tension between Pepper & Stark and topping it all off, the world s now under threat by a mysterious terrorist named “The Mandarin” (Ben Kingsley). Can Stark find The Mandarin before he destroys more lives or is there more to this villain that meets the eye?

Although this Iron Man picks up where “The Avengers” left off, Shane Black did a great job of putting his own spin on the Marvel hero. What this film excels in is that, from the moment the first image hits the screen, the viewer is set up of a non stop action, rapid-fire verbal banter and a dizzying array of explosions, special effects and high octane stunts.  Black excels with those elements. So when the fan boys start crying that it’s getting to far away from the Marvel Universe, I beg to differ. This type of film is meant to entertain the masses, which from someone who is not as familiar with the whole “Marvel Universe”, you can plug in, watch without becoming too lost and still be highly entertained. Jon Favreau directed the first two films which are equally exciting, but the character set up was not as engaging. Black took the established characters and helped shape them with a little more dimension from where Joss Whedon took them in The Avengers. While watching the film, some of the scenes were reminiscent of one of Black’s earlier films, “Kiss, Kiss Bang, Bang” mixed with a little of the “Lethal Weapon” flavor.  Be sure to catch “Iron Man 3” when it opens in theaters starting Friday May 3, 2013.

Kon – Tiki

Starring: Pål Sverre Hagen, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Tobias Santelmann, Gustaf Skarsgård, Odd Magnus Williamson, Jakob Oftebro, Agnes Kittelsen

Directed by Joachim Rønning & Espen Sandberg

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 118 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Biography

Opens May 3^rd

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film fans – great news!  If you missed at this year’s Phoenix Film Festival, you’ll now have a second chance to catch the Academy Award nominate film “Kon-Tiki” opening this weekend at Harkins Camelview.

Based on a true story, “Kon – Tiki” is the journey 5 men took in 1947, crossing the Pacific Ocean n an effort to prove that South Americans first inhabited Polynesia, pre-Columbian times. Journey leader and Norwegian explorer Thor Heyerdahl (Pål Sverre Hagen) enlisted 5 men to help prove his theory of South American first settling Polynesia, rather than people from the west. Using the same construction design and materials that the ancient settlers used, the Kon-Tiki left Callao, Peru on April 28, 1947 heading west towards Polynesia. The men were smart enough to bring along several modern items to help communicate if there were an issue, but several dangers lay ahead for the crew of the Kon-Tiki. The route chose was by traveling the Humboldt Current, which the calculated should take them around 100 days to reach their destination.

As with any journey, this one proved to be challenging from encounters with sea life, fierce storms and intense water logging of the boat. Tempers and egos flared, but will they reach their destination or will the men need to be rescued along the way?

Thor Heyerdahl originally filmed a documentary about the journey on the “Kon-Tiki” which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary in 1951 and also was a best selling novel first published in 1948. This retelling of that fantastic voyage is a bit of a nail bitter if one is not familiar with the story.  The cinematography is amazing, the story is interesting and engaging, and the acting is well done. This is a film that needs to be experienced on a large screen, so be sure not to miss out when “Kon-Tiki” opens at Harkin’s Camelview starting Friday May 3, 2013.

Pain and Gain 

Starring: Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, Anthony Mackie, Tony Shalhoub, Ed Harris, Rob Corddry, Rebel Wilson, Ken Jeong

Directed by Michael Bay

Rated: R

Run Time: 130 mins

Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime

Opens April 26

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Truth is definitely stranger than fiction. Based on actual events, “Pain and Gain” is the story of 3 body builders and their misadventures in pulling of the perfect crime. Daniel Lugo (Mark Wahlberg) is a man with a dream. His dream is to be rich and is willing to go to any lengths to achieve that dream. From October 1994 to June 1995, Daniel and two of his body building co-worker/friends, Adrian Doorbal (Anthony Mackie) and Paul Doyle (Dwayne Johnson) team up to kidnap one of their gym’s members Victor Kershaw (Tony Shalhoub) steal his fortune and life because he’s an unlikeable douchebag. Kershaw is an unlikable person, treating most people he encounters like garbage, but is a shrewd businessman.  Daniel wants his life, so he comes up with this harebrained scheme to kidnap Kershaw, get him to sign over all his money and possessions and then get rid of him somehow.

Unfortunately for Daniel and crew, Victor Kershaw is a very, very stubborn man. When the kidnapping finally happens, after several mis-attempts, their plans almost work. Victor was supposed to die after he signed over his possessions, but since the men aren’t the brightest people, he was left for dead, leaving a witness to the alleged crimes.  The ornery man Victor is gets nowhere with the police, not only for his charming personality but for his wild kidnapping tale of ninjas, sex toys and dry cleaning torture chamber. Not knowing where to turn, he enlists the help of retired private investigator, Ed DuBois (Ed Harris), who out of pity takes his case.  He takes a glance at the details but just as he’s about to drop the case, a detail red flags him and takes the case.

Meanwhile, the three stooges of kidnapping are living the high life, embracing their riches and excessive lifestyle to the fullest.  It’s just a matter of time before the money runs out, and they get itchy for another job.  Will the next job be their last or will they be able to continue the crime spree for the good life?

Don’t let the name of Michael Bay deter you from seeing this film as the details of this case are so outrageous and unbelievable, that it’s entertaining to watch. This film is not your typical Michal Bay film; it’s smart, entertaining and so ridiculous to see Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson and Anthony Mackie as these criminals. The film is unapologetic in the amount of nudity, violence and compromising situations the men find themselves in, which is hard to believe it is all true! My only real complaint is that the roles of Rob Corddry and Rebel Wilson were rather small and would have like to see more of them on screen. Check out “Pain and Gain” when it opens in theaters starting Friday April 26, 2013.

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland, Reese Witherspoon, Sarah Paulson, Sam Shepard, Michael Shannon, Ray McKinnon

Directed by Jeff Nichols

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 130 mins

Genre: Drama

Opens April 26

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening in theaters this week is the drama “Mud:” starring Matthew McConaughey, Tye Sheridan, Jacob Lofland & Reese Witherspoon. “Mud” was nominated at the 2012 Cannes film Festival for the Palme d’Or Award.

Growing up in the south is considered a whole other world to much of the country, but to Ellis (Tye Sheridan) and his best friend Neckbone (Jacob Lofland), there’s no better place to be then cruising down the river, fishing and exploring the marshes of the area.  When the boys discover a boat in a tree, they try to stake a claim to their new found property.  Trouble is that someone beat them to it. A mysterious drifter man named Mud (Matthew McConaughey) has been living in the boat waiting for a “friend” to meet up with him.  The boys are unsure about this Mud guy, so Mud strikes a deal with them.  If the boys help get him food, the boat is theirs when he leaves the area.  The boys agree but Neckbone is wary of Mud, not sure if he can be trusted. Ellis is more trusting of Mud and strikes a friendship with the drifter, learning more about how he ended up on their island.

Mud is waiting for a long time love, Juniper (Reese Witherspoon) but trying to connect has been an issue. Mud is on the run from the law as he killed a man over Juniper. Ellis, a sucker for a good love story, gets sucked into helping Mud further, being his errand boy in delivering messages to an old friend, who is his across-the-river-neighbor, Tom Blankenship (Sam Sheppard).

Tom warns Ellis and Neckbone to stay away from Mud because he’s delusional, a liar and nothing but trouble, yet Ellis can’t stay away. When they see that Juniper is in town, the boys let Mud know who’s now more determined than ever to meet up with her.  Hot on Juniper’s trail is a slew of bounty hunters looking to cash in on the reward for Mud.  Will Mud and Juniper be reunited or will old habits get in the way destroying their happiness for good?

Over the past few years,  Matthew McConaughey has chosen some strange and ridiculous roles (i.e. “Bernie” and “Magic Mike”) but returns to his strong dramatic roots in a role he is interesting and engaging to watch. His performance is eclipsed by the two young actors of the cast, Tye Sheridan and Jacob Lofland who will be ones to keep on your radar in upcoming years as they give powerhouse performances. “Mud” has a “Stand By Me” feel to its essence but runs a tad too long. The writing and directing, courtesy of Jeff Nichols who pulled double duty on this film, did a wonderful job creating this world where you truly felt the vibe and atmosphere of Dewitt, AK, the characters, pace of life, concerns, heartbreaks and moments cherished by the characters.  Be sure to catch “Mud” when it opens in theaters starting Friday April 26, 2013.

The Big Wedding

Starring: Robert De Niro, Diane Keaton, Katherine Heigl, Amanda Seyfried, Topher Grace, Susan Sarandon, Robin Williams, Ben Barnes, Christine Ebersole, David Rasche, Patricia Rae, Ana Ayora

Directed by Justin Zackham

Rated: R

Run Time: 90 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi

Opens April 26th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Another film opening this week is the unexpected comedy “The Big Wedding” featuring a big cast, big laughs and a few surprises.

Don (Robert DeNiro) and Ellie (Diane Keaton) were married for over 20 years but have spent the past decade divorced, living their own lives.  Don moved on to Ellie’s ex-best friend Bebe (Susan Sarandon) while Ellie traveled the world, having life changing experiences. The only reason to bring the two exes together again is for their adopted son Alejandro’s (Ben Barnes) wedding to his fiancée Missy (Amanda Seyfried).

The wedding is the event of the summer and relative from all over are coming to town such as sister Lyla (Katherine Heigl), also, not on speaking terms with her father Don; the prodigal doctor son, Jared (Topher Grace) whose love life has been stuck in the starting gates, so to say. Yet after a meeting with the priest officiating the ceremony, Father Moinighan (Robin Williams), Alejandro goes into panic mode because he realizes that his adopted family may not be accepted by his conservative, religious Columbian birth mother Madonna (Patricia Rae).  After his big revelation, he asks his adopted parent to “pretend” that they are still together to gain his birth mother’s blessing over the union.

The request doesn’t sit too well with Bebe, Don and Ellie, causing more drama than necessary but they all agree to the shenanigans for the weekend.  Once Madonna rolls into town with birth sister Nuria (Ana Ayora) in tow, tensions, sexual and relationships, are astronomically high, leaving the remaining characters in compromising situations. Will Alejandro and Missy make it down the aisle or will all the drama end the wedding before it even begins?

There is a certain amount of drama that follows weddings around, but in “The Big Wedding” this family is dysfunctional entertainment at its best. It was rather enjoyable to see season actors such as De Niro, Sarandon and Keaton are placed in ridiculous, raunchy situations that are normally reserved for younger actors, yet done with a touch of class. The cast as a whole was well selected as each actor was well-suited for their respective role.  There are more surprises in the plot than expected and lacks a certain amount of predictability that a film of this genre normally would have.  Be sure to check out “The Big Wedding” when it opens in theaters starting Friday April 26, 2013.

Starbuck 

Starring: Patrick Huard, Julie LeBrentin, Antoine Bertrand

Directed by Ken Scott

Rated: R

Run Time: 109 mins

Genre: Comedy

Opens April 12th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening this week as a Harkins Exclusive is the comedy “Starbuck” directed by Ken Scott. Later this year the remake starring Vince Vaughn will be released so it will be interesting if the other film can capture the same essence that “Starbuck” has.

When David Wozniak (Patrick Huard) finds himself over $80,000 in debt, he’s at a loss on how to get the money.  As a young man, he was able to go make deposits at the local sperm bank for cash, but now, that’s certainly not an option.  To add to his stress level, he is being called to court by a group of people that are claiming to be his offspring. Over a course of 23 months, David deposited over 683 “donations” resulting in over 533 children born from artificial insemination. Not knowing where to turn, David seeks legal advice from his childhood friend Avocat (Antoine Bertrand) who is looking for a case to get back in the game.

From the opposing legal counsel for the Sperm Bank, David was given a packet of the now adult children of Starbuck that wished to know his real identity.  As he sorts through the profiles, David decides to embark and see how his offspring fair in the world as he’s been a non-functioning man-child for the majority of his life.  As he meets some of the “children”, David is torn between doing what is right, wanting to have or not have a relationship with these people and getting his life back on track with his girlfriend Valérie (Julie LeBrenton).

Never has there been a movie about masturbation, idiocy and artificial insemination that has been done with such grace and humor. While the movie is entirely spoken in French with English subtitles, the humor is not lost in translation. What could come off as absurd and distasteful is quite hilarious in the way the story flows. The characters are well written, the situations David/Starbuck finds himself in are hilarious, and the attempt at redemption is charming and endearing. Be sure to check out Starbuck when it opens at Harkins Camelview starting Friday April 12, 2013.