Movie Review for Turbo

Turbo  

Starring: (Voices of) Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph, Snoop Lion, Michelle Rodriguez, Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Pena, Luis Guzman, Bill Hader, Richard Jenkins, Ken Jeong, Ben Schwartz

Directed by: David Soren

Rated: PG

Run Time: 96 mins

Genre: Animation/ Family

Opens July 17th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans! Opening mid week is another contender for the family box office dollars. From Dreamworks comes the story of the dreamer snail Turbo brought to life with the voices of Ryan Reynolds, Paul Giamatti, Maya Rudolph and Samuel L. Jackson.

Being a dreamer is not always a good thing, especially when you're a snail. Turbo (Ryan Reynolds- voice) is a snail with a dream to be one of the fastest snails around. Turbo loves all things fast; cars, NASCAR and racing. One of his idols he watches on the TV every night, Guy Gagne (Bill Hader - voice), who spews inspirational quotes to further fuel this small snail's dreams.  In the real world, Turbo and his brother Chet (Paul Giamatti - voice) work at The Plant (a.k.a. tomato garden) processing tomatoes for eating and garbage. Chet is constantly covering for Turbo, for most people find him to be a joke.

When a conflict at work happens between the brothers, Turbo takes off not wanting to face reality. As luck would have it, Turbo is involved in a life changing accident that fuels his cells with nitrous oxide, super- charging him with rocket like speed.

At first no one can believe it. Turbo, not in full control of his super powers yet brings shame and outcast from the plant upon himself and Chet. As they venture out into the great unknown, another big dreamer (this time in human form), Tito (Michael Pena) finds the snails and keeps them as pets. Tito and his brother own a taco stand and food truck business, Dos Bros Tacos and like Turbo and Chet, Tito and his brothers have similar friction as dreamer v. realist.

Tito discovers that Turbo is one special snail and is willing to risk everything to enter Turbo as a contest in a high profile race to prove his worth and abilities. Only problem is that if Tito is wrong, it will be the end of his and fellow plaza store owners business. Can Turbo achieve his dream of being a top racer or is his dream just too big for a small shell to handle?

Compared to the other family films out in theaters now, Turbo is up against some heavy competition. For the most part, it's a cute story that has a positive message, great 3D animation and the marketing behind it. It may keep the kids interested for a while but for the adults, the story moves slowly, picking up at the end to a mediocre end. The film is entertaining but not enough to keep adults and kids attention for the long haul. You be the judge when "Turbo" opens in theaters starting Wednesday July 17, 2013.

Thoughts from the director of "Still Mine" which opens on 7/19

STILL MINE director’s notes by Michael McGowan  

The script is based on a true event. Can you tell us how you came upon the story? And what it was about it that appealed to you?

I was working on a different script about the resilience of old age and a character that refused to go gently into that good night. At that point, I still hadn’t cracked the story when I read an article about Craig and his struggles with the building department in the Globe and Mail. Thematically it was exactly what I had been trying to write for the past few months but it had the huge advantage of being true. The appeal was the man, who at 88, decided to build himself and his wife a new house. His self-reliance was as inspiring is his vision for the life he and Irene could still lead. That there was a natural foil in the building department inspector seemed dramatic. Because Craig was 91 and I didn’t want to bother him, I called his lawyer, Gary Fulton, who let me know speaking with Craig would not be a problem. The next day I met with Craig and his family. I wanted to get a sense of the man and was relieved that he was as charming and inspiring in real life as he came off in the article.

When I met Craig, I explained what I was hoping to do with his story and found out more about his life. After meeting members of his family, Craig took me around in his truck and showed me his land, explained the history of the region, things he had built, areas he had logged, land he owned. Craig, a huge Blue Jays fan, even showed me a baseball that he personally had signed by Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig when he was ten years old.

A couple of weeks later, I flew back and optioned the story. Throughout the process of writing, both Craig and his family were very helpful. Marty Klinkenberg, who wrote the original article in the Telegraph-Journal, and Gary Fulton, his lawyer, were also a big help in detailing the situation and struggles with the building department.

A highlight for me was shooting in New Brunswick and having Craig and James Cromwell meet. That there’s a similarity of spirit and physicality was apparent to everyone. Even Marty Klinkenberg commented that he thought James Cromwell was the perfect casting choice.

Craig recently celebrated his 93rd birthday.

Can you describe the character Craig? And what did James Cromwell bring to the role?

Craig is a proud man who’s looked after his wife and seven kids by working the land, by being self-reliant. He doesn’t want to give up the land because it’s integral to his well-being and a part of his identity. Craig is the kind of guy who knows everything, from how to build a road to how to build a

house. There’s an incredible independence of spirit that I found truly inspiring.

James Cromwell brought all of that and more to the role. When I first discussed the script with James, the level of attention he brought to every sentence of dialogue was astounding. He challenged everything he didn’t understand, but only in a way that made the story much stronger. It was wonderful to have a true collaborator on set every day who wanted to make the best possible film. From working with chainsaws and tractors to collaborating on blocking, James was a major part of the filmmaking process behind the camera as well as in front of it. Though he’s been around film sets all his life (his father was a Hollywood director), James doesn’t bring any baggage with him. It’s all about the work and ensuring that we’re making the best possible decisions. Because James also has the range to play everything from beloved characters (Farmer Hoggett in Babe) to truly intimidating ones (Dudley Smith in L.A. Confidential), I knew that he’d be perfect to balance the different sides of Craig’s personality. He seamlessly navigates the feelings Craig goes through as he watches Irene’s health decline – anger, frustration, sadness, helplessness, tenderness and acceptance – yet he always returns to that gentle sense of humor that Craig and Irene share.

Can you also describe the character Irene? And what did Geneviève Bujold bring to the role?

The real Irene had slipped almost entirely into dementia when I met her. However, there was something radiant and beautiful about her being in the new house. She seemed content. Geneviève found a strength in the stillness in the character of Irene and used that as a point of departure for her performance. She stayed in character for much of the shoot and was meticulous in tracking Irene’s decline. Geneviève felt strongly about appearing very natural. She virtually had no make-up and did her own hair. Because Geneviève does such interesting things as an actor, whether she’s speaking or not, I often ran the scene much longer before calling “cut” because of the nuances she revealed about Irene non-verbally.

The film evokes both tears and laughter. How important is the humor to the story?

Craig Morrison has a great sense of humor. He has a wit and charm that I often associate with the East Coast. As such, I wanted to get that spirit and humor into the story. In my other films I have found juxtaposing humor with other emotions has worked quite well. Perhaps it’s part of my Irish heritage – that you can laugh at a funeral.

What were the challenges of building a house from scratch for the film?

The biggest challenge was trying to fit the construction into our production schedule. Because we needed to build a house in a very short period of time, we debated whether or not to start with a completed house and remove sections or vice versa. Ultimately, to match the seasons better, we chose the latter. The challenge was to schedule both the needs of filming and the needs of the construction crew. Instead of trying to capture the entire building process, we focused on key stages and interspersed them throughout the shooting schedule in order to give the builders time to assemble the house. Because much of the work was prefabricated at a shop nearby, the house went up very quickly. As an added bonus, our producer and production designer had a weekend place nearby – so, instead of tearing down the house, it now is on her land.

Have you had any experience in building a home?

I actually worked as a carpenter for a year and made furniture. When we built our family home in Mulmur, I acted as general contractor and did the carpentry on items like the stairs, built-in shelves and outside doors. That experience helped me understand what when into the building of Craig’s

Spectacular Classics Screening Series at Harkins Camelview

HARKINS CAMELVIEW THEATER ADDS THE SPECTACULAR CLASSICS SCREENING SERIES

 The most celebrated classic teen films are back on the big screen with “The   Spectacular Classics” screening series taking place in 10 national markets, including newly added Harkins Camelview! The series will showcase an iconic coming-of-age

film each week for the four weeks leading up to the August 9^th Phoenix theatrical release of THE SPECTACULAR NOW. An exclusive video introduction will precede each screening by screenwriters Michael Weber and Scott Neustadter. Audience members will also receive a ticket to a local advance word of mouth screening of THE SPECTACULAR NOW!

Tuesday, July 16                        SAY ANYTHING

Tuesday, July 23                        DAZED AND CONFUSED

Tuesday, July 30                        ALMOST FAMOUS

Tuesday, August 6                     THE BREAKFAST CLUB

Harkins Camelview 5

7001 E Highland Ave.

Scottsdale, AZ 85251

COST:             $9.50 per ticket

About THE SPECTACULAR NOW

With sly humor and an intensity of feeling, THE SPECTACULAR NOW creates a vivid, three- dimensional portrait of youth confronting the funny, thrilling and perilous business of modern love and adulthood. This is the tale of Sutter Keely (Miles Teller), a high school senior and effortless charmer, and of how he unexpectedly falls in love with "the good girl" Aimee Finecky (Shailene Woodley).

What starts as an unlikely romance, becomes a sharp-eyed, straight-up snapshot of the heady confusion and haunting passion of youth – one that doesn’t look for tidy truths. The film was written by Scott Neustadter and Michael Weber (500) DAYS OF SUMMER and is based on the book, The Spectacular Now, by Tim Tharp.  The film also features wonderful supporting turns from Brie Larson, Kyle Chandler, Jennifer Jason Leigh and Mary Elizabeth Winstead.

Trailer: http://spectacularnowmovie.com

Interview with Directors of "The Way, Way Back" - Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Interview with Jim Rash & Nat Faxon on "The Way, Way Back" 

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com 

If you’re a fan of the t.v. show “Community” or “Ben and Kate” you may know the names Jim Rash and Nat Faxon. If they still don’t seem familiar, think back to the 2012 Academy Awards. The winners of Best Writing for Adapted Screenplay for “The Descendants”; the two guys up on stage with Alexander Payne were these two guys. Jim was the guy who posed like Angelina Jolie’s red carpet leg pose, which became the internet meme of the week. Now do you remember? Good, because Nat and Jim should be on your radar for anything that has their name on it. Which, luckily for you, the Oscar winners have a film released in theaters this week called “The Way, Way Back” featuring the likes of Steve Carrell, Sam Rockwell, Allison Janney, Toni Collete and a slew of amazing actors.

“The Way, Way Back” is the directorial debut for Rach and Faxon, which they also co-wrote and star in. Not a bad gig to have, eh? We sat down with the two cheeky fellows and found out some behind the scenes goodness along with a few filmmaking gems.

PFF: What was the casting process like for this movie? The cast was so fantastic! How were you able to get big players like Steve Carrell, Sam Rockwell and Alison Janney? It was refreshing to see Steve’s and Sam’s typical roles flip-flopped.

NF: We wrote this script 8 years ago and it had,you know, many highs and lows, a roller coaster rides of it happening; almost not happening. Then about 3 years ago, we obtained back the ownership rights of it and that’s when we decided to direct the film. We really wanted to populate the movie with people that we long admired and respected as actors. It became, really, about trying to invite people to your “dinner party”, in the hopes that inviting one person would draw somebody else. Then it would help feed itself in a way.

We started with Allison [Janney] first, who we sort of knew through social circles and she was the first to join. Sam Rockwell, I think on the basis of the script and the role, we were able to get it to his agent, who loved it for him. We got on the phone with him [Sam] and we had this funny conversation where we were pulled off on the side of the road, preparing, “Well, we’re first time directors, We’ve got to really sell him on this!..Got to bring our A-game...Let’s go through the questions he may ask, and what our answers are gonna be, so we don’t sound like we don’t know what we’re doing.” Then Sam got on the phone and was “So, yeah. Let’s do this guys, it sounds fun! Great. I’d love to do this.” We were like “Uh, ok. Thanks Bye”.

Toni [Collette], I think she was drawn to the material, so she understood the vulnerability of Pam

JR: She wasn’t a vocal character, there was a lot of internal work from her.

NF: Yeah.

JR: She, like Duncan, is a very much a fish-out-of-water in this new world; an observer who really takes it all in; trying to fit in. A lot of people may look at the page and be like there’s not a lot of dialogue, but there’s so much in her performance.

NF: Soon, all these people wanted to join the project based on the great actors we had attracted. Maya Rudolph is someone we know from the Groundlings Theater. We’ve known her for 15 years, so the idea of working with our friends was really exciting for us. Finally, Steve Carrell was the last piece that we got and that’s when the movie really solidified and we were able to go out there and do it. Liam, who plays Duncan, was somebody who was auditioned in L.A., and was more of a discovery for us, although he had been on a few other shows.

JR: We always knew we wanted [the character] Trent to be against type, so Steve came in. We needed someone who had innate likeability to give that layer to Trent. Those two [Carrell and Rockwell], whether we’re flipping them, and you’ve met [Rockwell] you’d think “Why is he always the villain?” He has this... is his nurturing side and so we’re hoping this just opens up a whole new world.

NF: We had a lot of trouble with Jim’s deal.

JR: Yeah.

NF: So he almost wasn’t in the movie.

PFF: (Laughs)

JR: I almost walked.

NF: Yeah.

JR: I wasn’t top billing.

NF: His demands...

JR: I didn’t even make the list.

NF: His quote is astronomical...

JR: Over $50 a day.

PFF: What do prefer or find easier? Acting, Directing or Writing?

JR: It’s hard to put them in a particular order. We started as actors, and that led us to want to write for both for friends and ourselves, which led us into that world. Directing is such a new thing, this being our directorial debut, it’s hard to quantify where it goes yet, because we’re eager to do it again. We just enjoy all facets of it; especially when it’s something you’ve written. It’s just nice to see it to the end. We don’t always have to play parts, by any means and we’ve written stuff that didn’t have us in it and we’re not afraid of that, but the actor in us needs it a little feeding now and then. It would be hard to say this one, this one and this one.

NF: Hmmm. I think that because it’s such a personal story and it’s taken such a long time to get made and film is such a director’s medium, it was really rewarding for us to helm it. Like Jim said, see the process from start to finish it was very gratifying.

PFF: There’s kids that start in community theater and improv; how important was your experience with the Groundlings, where you two met, to establish that relationship and work from there?

NF: It was instrumental, obviously. It was the basis of what we do in every facet. Whether it be acting, writing or directing; it pays a part in all of those, every day and every moment. The basis of improv is really to listen and collaborate, add information, to not deny someone, what they said or to negate anything. It’s really about coming together and making something together. I think in a way that’s how we have certainly write, where we sit in a room and brainstorm. Acting, it allows you to get out of your head or think of something that the character would do that you hadn’t thought of. In directing, it opens your mind to a new suggestion. As far as the writing, the Groundlings, is improv but also teaches you how to write. There is not much difference between a 3 to 5 minute sketch to a 30 page pilot, to a 120 page screenplay. Really, you have to have all the same elements in place in terms of a beginning, middle and an end.

JR: Well, maybe just time...

NF: (Laughs)

JR: Time. And stress level. The beats are the same.

NF: It really teaches you about character and everything should come from character. To write obviously, what you know and what surrounds you. To draw from your family and friends, co-workers, understand what makes them who they are; find the flaws, the bad choices they make, and I think all those things make characters more human, therefore more realistic and honest. That’s something that is vital to everything we do.

PFF: It looks like you guys had a blast making this film. Do you have a favorite moment from the filming process?

JR: A couple come to mind. As far as the actual shooting of it. Again, I’m going to attach it to the spirit of a team effort. We got hit with rain in the very beginning and again on the last day of shooting. We were in that period of it was nighttime, it was raining and we had to finish this scene; if we didn’t get everything, we didn’t have the movie. There was no, “We’ll do it tomorrow” or “We’ll do it in L.A.”; this was it. So we had to go and figure it out, and it was our last day and we had gone through all this stuff and it was stressful. We had gone through 24 other days of this and your brain starts to die out on you for a second; and in that moment when we were trying to figure out what to do, a number of crew had already taken over at least part one, which was to lay down this giant tarp between the houses so we could shoot beneath it make it look like it wasn’t raining. It was a mixture of people, not just those who necessarily it was their job, it was a reminder that you were going to be presented with so many problems, think about for a millisecond, and start doing something about it, because time is of the essence. So that was one of the moments that sticks out for me.

NF: I think every time I got to direct you [to Jim] was an inspirational moment.

JF: It’s because I give so much as an actor, so to be on the other side of a monitor and watching my face, do what it does, is a gift you really can’t quantify.

NF: There was really so many... I know, we-

JF: Oh, so that wasn’t honest? You were joking?

NF: No it was true.

JF: I’m just floored by that...

NF: It was true.

JF: That was honest.

NF: No we had one in the scene where Duncan finally confronts Pam and Trent. We shot in Green Harbor, which is a part of Marshfield, MA. We were shooting on this house there's this sea wall that protects the houses from the ocean. It was a night shoot and when we were shooting the whole town, basically came and sat along the sea wall. The towns people were having like cocktails and parties in the houses next to where we were shooting and watching. It felt almost like a theater in the rounds. They were very respectful and quiet when we need them to be quiet, but it was a very cool experience to be among all these people, have them watch you do what you do. I think it was special for the actors as well. It was certainly a highlight.

“The Way, Way Back” opens in select cities starting July 5 and additional cities July 12, 2012. Follow the adventures of Nat and Jim on Twitter #thewaywayback.

The Way Way Back Movie Review

The Way, Way Back 

Starring: Steve Carrell, Sam Rockwell, Liam James, Toni Collette, Allison Janney, AnnaSophia Robb, Maya Rudolph, Rob Corddry, Amanda Peet, River Alexander, Nat Faxon, Jim Rash

Directed by: Nat Faxon & Jim Rash

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 103 mins

Genre: Comedy/ Drama

Opens July 12th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening this week is another film that played at this year’s festival, that if you missed, here’s your chance to catch it in theaters. Co-written and co-directed by Academy Award Winning writers for ‘The Descendants”, Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. This is the duo’s directorial debut, so how do they do? Read on to find out....

Every teenager’s nightmare is to go away with their family on a “family” vacation. Fourteen year old Duncan (Liam James) is in his own personal hell. Instead of visiting his dad in San Diego for the summer, he’s stuck with his mom Pam (Toni Collette), her jerk of a boyfriend Trent (Steve Carrell) and his stuck up daughter, Steph (Zoe Levin) traveling to Trent’s beach house on the Massachusetts coast. Trent has this unrelenting way of cutting Duncan’s self esteem down to nothing, citing it as a way to become closer as a family.

When they arrive at Trent’s beach house, Duncan feels more alone than ever as his mom gets pulled off with Trent and his friends; Steph and her friends ignore him, and the only other boy close to Duncan’s age is the next-door neighbor kid, Peter (River Alexander) who’s pretty unusual himself.

Trying to avoid Trent and his mom becomes a game to Duncan, so he spends his afternoons exploring the nearby town. He stumbles across the path of some of the local water park employees, one of them who takes Duncan under his proverbial wing. Owen (Sam Rockwell) is the overseeing manager/ resident comedian of Water Wizz water park and employs Duncan for the summer. Owen, along with fellow employees Caitlin (Maya Rudolph), Roddy (Nat Faxon) and Lewis (Jim Rash) help Duncan get through the summer by teaching him the ropes of the park.

While on his off hours, things around the home don’t get any better as tensions rise between Duncan, Pam and Trent. Will Duncan be able to survive the summer or will Trent get the best of him?

“The Way, Way Back” is a rare treat in the cinematic arena as it delivers big laughs, memorable characters and and uplifting feeling that leaves the viewer on a sort of film high. Everything magically comes together in this coming of age story that makes it stand out from the other films out there in the same genre. What was really amazing was to see Sam Rockwell in a role other than a psycho or villain, which he plays brilliantly. Steve Carrell was also playing against type, going for the villain role which he pulls off splendidly. The comedic timing and pairing of Allison Janney and River Alexander makes for one of the memorable mother/ son roles in recent memory, one more outrageous than the other. Toni Collette is more subdued in her role as Duncan’s mother Pam but plays the introvert amazingly. The rest of the cast is perfectly assembled, and one of the best comedic ensembles for a film this year. The writing is phenomenal, which stems out of a personal experience Director/ Writer/ Actor Jim Rash had as a teenager. By far, this is one of the best films of the year and one not to be missed. Be sure to check out “The Way, Way Back” when it opens Friday July 12, 2013.

Movie Review for Grown Ups 2

Grown Ups 2 

Starring: Adam Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, David Spade, Salma Hayek, Maya Rudolph, Maria Bello, Nick Swardson, Steve Buscemi, Colin Quinn, Tim meadows, Jon Lovitz, Shaquille O’Neal, Oliver Hudson, Taylor Lautner

Directed by: Dennis Dugan

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 101 mins

Genre: Comedy

Opens July 12th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  If you’re a fan of Adam Sandler, then this weekend you’re in luck as his new film “Grown Ups 2” opens in theaters. It’s been three years since the release of “Grown Ups” and one of the first sequels in the Sandler catalog of films.  Will audiences be delighted or disgusted with the latest film? Read on to find out...

Three years ago, Lenny Feder (Adam Sandler) had one of the best summers of his life reconnecting with old friends Eric Lamonsoff (Kevin James), Kurt McKenzie (Chris Rock) and Marcus Higgins (David Spade). Now that ‘s relocated from Los Angeles back to his childhood hometown, life has never been better.

It’s the last day of school/ first day of summer break. Lenny and crew have plans to have a great summer, but when  an old high school bully,  new frat boy bullies, missed milestone anniversaries, crazy bus drivers, teenagers who start dating, estranged children and 400 party guests cross paths all in one day,  making it a crazy start to a long summer season. How will the men get through this day or even the summer? When “Grown Ups” was released in 2010, who would have thought it would have spawned a sequel?  This is a rare case of the sequel being better than the original.  Sandler and crew spared no punches (Literally) in pulling every gag, joke and element that has been successful from every Sandler film since the 1990's and rolling into one film. There are elements of Happy Gilmore, The Wedding Singer, Big Daddy and several other films which this is the first sequel in the Sandler catalog.  I’ll admit, while it being completely absurd, somewhat gross and perturbing, sometimes a little crude humor goes a long way into making an otherwise ridiculous film more enjoyable.  This film knows exactly what it is and plays it up to the best of it’s ability. What has evolved is that although Sandler is known for some really crude humor, kids will be entertained and won’t be too obnoxious to bring them to. If you’re a fan of Sandler films, more on the family friendly end of the spectrum, check out “Grown Ups 2” when it opens in theaters starting Friday July 12, 2013.

Pacific Rim Movie Review

Pacific Rim  

Starring: Charlie Hunnam, Idris Elba, Rinko Kikuchi, Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, Max Martini, Robert Kazinsky, Clifton Collins Jr., Ron Perlman, Diego Klattenhoff

Directed by: Guillermo del Toro

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 132 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Sci-Fi/ Fantasy

Opens July 12th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  What could be considered a "true summer blockbuster" film in the traditional sense is opening this week, the Guillermo del Toro's "Pacific Rim". Del Toro pulls triple duty on this film as he directed, co-wrote and executive produced. "Pacific Rim" stars Idris Elba, Charlie Hunnam, Diego Klattenhoff, Max Martini and Rinko Kikuchi.

Somewhere in the Pacific ridge, a rift between our universe and the home of the  Kaiju monsters has opened a portal for the monsters to travel to Earth, causing mass chaos and destruction. Think of a modern day Godzilla meets Jurassic Park type of beast that tears down the Golden Gate Bridge or the Sydney Opera House. We humans finally put our petty differences aside and work together to build these massive robots called Jaegers (German for Hunter) to fight and defeat the monsters.

The program worked for a while, but in 2017, the costs were becoming astronomical due to pilot error. To man one of these "Jaegers", it was a 2 man effort, much to act like the left and right sides of the hemispheres of the human brain. The more a pilot could link or connect to the other pilot the better the fighting team. Brother pilots Raleigh (Charlie Hunnam) and Yancy Becket (Diego Klattenhoff) find them in a fight for their lives when a Category 4 Kaiju attacks their Jaeger. Yancy perished in the battle leaving Raleigh to fend for himself. Shortly after that incident, the number of pilot errors rose, resulting in the dismantling of the Jaeger program. The solution to ending the robot program is to build a massive sea wall to keep the monsters out. Stacker Pentecost knows that is the wrong solution, so he goes rogue, starting his own black ops Jaeger program. He tracks down Raliegh to serve under him once more as the Kaiju attacks are happening more frequently. Can the Jaeger teams stop the dreaded Kaiju or will this be  the end of the human race?

Having built a fan base of eccentric creatures featured in his films, Guillermo del Toro has a created a niche for fantastic looking films. "Pacific Rim" is no exception; the 3-D effects are phenomenal; the stunts, Kaiju creatures are terrifying and grotesque, giving the audience non stop action from start to finish. What works is the uniqueness of the concept- it's Godzilla meets the transformers for the apocalypse. The first 30 minutes of the film is just set up of the world with monsters and robots and how we arrived at this point. Then the title credits flash, which still bugs me to have such a late appearance; it was distracting. What this film lacks is any sense of congruent logic in the storyline. What is appeared to be was alive action anime film turned into a big-budget monster fest. It's as if a 12 year old boy got a hold of his toy chest, dumped out the contents and made a really cool looking movie. Bright spots in the film were Charlie Day, Burn Gorman, and Ron Perlman. Any scenes with these guys are worth paying attention to. Another thing to consider before you go to the theater is that this film runs over two hours, which in my opinion, they could have cut at least 25 minutes out, and it could have been just as entertaining, so bonus footage for the enthusiasts.  "Pacific Rim" opens in theaters nationwide starting Friday July 12, 2013.

Twenty Feet From Stardom Movie Review

20 Feet From Stardom  

Starring: Merry Clayton, Lisa Fischer, Judith Hill, Stevvi Alexander

Directed by: Morgan Neville

Rated: PG-13

Run Time:

Genre: Documentary

Opens July 5th 

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com 

Opening this week as a Harkins Camelview Exclusive is the documentary “20 Feet From Stardom”, winner of the Golden Space Needle Award at the 2013 Seattle International Film Festival and the Special Jury Prize at the 2013 RiverRun International Film Festival.

You have heard the songs, but do you know the story behind the lyrics? Many of the most beloved songs of all time feature voices you may never heard their names or seen their faces. This film chronicles some of the most famous back up singers and their journey through the music business. Interviews include appearances by talent such as Bruce Springsteen, Sting, Ray Charles (Footage), Lou Adler, Sheryl Crow, Bette Midler, Mick Jagger and many more.

What struck me as fascinating while watching this film is that it was an education in the music industry on how these singers got their break. While some tried to go solo and make it big on their own, the politicking, backstabbing and behind the scenes drama that is presented is rather engrossing. It was amazing to see what it takes to be a backup performer and the individual challenges they face behind the headliner names. If you’re a music lover, this is a must see film for you as it takes such an in-depth look at the Biz that you may be amazed at what you’ll learn. Check out “20 Feet from Stardom” when it opens at Harkins Camelview starting Friday July 5, 2013.

Despicable Me 2 Movie Review

Despicable Me 2 

Starring: (Voices of) Steve Carell, Kristen Wiig, Benjamin Bratt, Miranda Cosgrove, Russell Brand, Ken Jeong, Steve Coogan, Elsie Kate Fisher, Dana Gaier, Moises Arias, Nasim Pedrad

Directed by: Pierre Coffin & Chris Renaud

Rated:PG

Run Time: 98 mins

Genre: Animation/ Family/ Comedy/ Crime

Opens July 3rd

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Welcome back Minions & Super Villains!  The lovable characters from “Despicable Me” are back for a round two, bringing more minions, more villains and more action for audiences to chew on.

 When we last left retired villain, Gru (Steve Carell - voice) and his adorable adopted daughters, Margo (Miranda Cosgrove - voice), Agnes (Elsie Kate Fisher - voice) and Edith (Dana Gaier) they were settling into their new life as a big, weird family. Picking up the story at Agnes’s birthday party, Gru demonstrates how much he had come along as a father when the fairy he hired cancels on him, leaving him no other option other than to strap on a pair of wings and a crazy get up to appease a bunch of kids. When the festivities died down, Gru is kidnapped by Anti-Villain League agent, Lucy (Kristen Wiig - voice), who tries to convince Gru to work with the League to find out who stole a powerful serum, PX41. The serum, in the wrong hands, could be devastating to the world as it mutates a living organism's genes, turning it into a killing machine.

Gru declines, wanting nothing to do with his prior life, instead wants to launch his own line of jams and jellies. When he returns home and discusses the matter with Dr. Nefario (Russell Brand - voice) he learns that his trusted technical advisor is leaving, citing the absence of joy and excitement since leaving the super villain business. Gru is feeling a restlessness himself since leaving the Biz, so he talks it over with the girls and partners up with Lucy to track down the source who stole the PX41. They narrow it down to the local venue, Paradise Mall, where their cover is the owners of a cupcake shop, Bake My Day. Gru and Lucy must figure out who’s behind this theft, needing to do it quickly as much is at risk. Can Gru complete his mission or will his new roles as good ex-villain and father hinder his abilities to assess situations clearly?

If you haven’t seen "Despicable Me" yet, place it on top of your must -see list, as this film franchise is amazing. It helps to see Despicable Me before seeing this film as it picks up right where the first one left off. In the sequel,  the themes of family, ethics and romantic relations are explored in depth, but done in such a way that there is never a dull moment in the 98 minutes of story. All the elements that made Despicable Me enjoyable is expanded on; more scenes with the minions, more fart guns and comedy that will be enjoyable for adults and children. The 3D animation is flawless, making it worth to spring the extra cash to view in.  Out of all the family and animated that have been released to date," Despicable Me 2" is the best family film of the year, hands down. Be sure to check out “Despicable Me 2” when it opens in theaters nationwide starting Wednesday July 3, 2013.

The Lone Ranger Movie Review

The Lone Ranger 

Starring: Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer, William Fichtner, Helena Bonham Carter, Tom Wilkinson, Ruth Wilson, James Badge Dale, Barry Pepper

Directed by: Gore Verbinski

Rated: PG-13

Run Time:149 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Western

Opens July 3rd

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Kimo Sabes! Opening this week is “The Lone Ranger” starring Johnny Depp, Armie Hammer and William Fichtner.  Can director Gore Verbinski create the magic that radio and television have done with the character of “The Lone Ranger” or will audiences pass on this Western?

This is more of an origins story told from the point of view of Tonto, John Reid’s trusty side kick. What made “The Lone Ranger” so popular 70 plus years ago was the creed he lived by, the imagination of people to rely on what they heard through the radio (eventually a popular TV show and a few feature films), a fascination with Western films and a high standard for American heroes. Is it possible that this film can reignite some of that lost sentimentalism or will modern day audiences shun it based on the liberal philosophy that has penetrated the population’s mindset?

It was 1933; the county fair was in San Francisco, which drew in all sorts of people from all walks of life, considering the Golden Gate Bridge was under construction. A young boy named Will decided that he was going to visit the Wild West exhibition as he is a huge fan (his attire was that of the Lone Ranger). While in the exhibit, he ends up conversing with an old Indian man who was later revealed to be Tonto (Johnny Depp). The “true story” of how the Lone Ranger came to be was that in 1896, John Reid (Armie Hammer) was traveling home to Colby, TX. The railroads were under construction in that part of the country, but the train that Reid was on was transporting a man that was to be extradited to Colby to be hanged. The criminal mastermind that has a date with a noose is Butch Cavendish (William Fichtner), the most feared outlaw in that part of the West. A young Tonto, also prisoner on the train beside Cavendish, has his own reasons for revenge towards the outlaw. All hell breaks loose when Cavendish’s gang breaks him free, taking over the train with passengers still aboard. Reid and Tonto form a unlikely partnership to help save the day. Cavendish gets away, but Reid still takes Tonto into custody as he was a prisoner on the train prior to all the drama.

In Colby, Reid joins his brother Texas Ranger Dan Reid (James Badge Dale) and his men to hunt down the elusive, yet extremely dangerous Cavendish and his gang. Betrayed by one of Dan Reid’s own men, John escapes death, being nursed back to health by Tonto. Together, Tonto and John Reid must be able to put aside their differences, to track down Cavendish, expose  evil intentions of the Railroad company and help save the townspeople from war by a local Comanche tribe.

When you see a billing of Johnny Depp and Gore Verbinski, its almost a guarantee to be a loud, exciting film considering their track record (Rango, the Pirates of the Caribbean 1-3, The Mexican). With screenwriting legends such as Terry Rossio and Ted Elliot penning the script, the cast and directors in place, one would hope this would be a summer blockbuster smash. The million (or rather $250 million dollar) question is: Is it any good?

What works well in this filming are the characters, the action and the challenges that Tonto and John Reid (The Lone Ranger) face, which are compelling and entertaining. If you are familiar with the story of "The Lone Ranger", this film is entertaining with a modernized take on a classic story. If you’re not familiar, which is the case for a good portion of the audience, this film may come across as slow to start, but the third act pays off with great action, comedy and excitement.  Since it is a Disney film the violence is not as in-your-face but is done with taste; enough to satisfy the audience that has been conditioned to over glorified amounts of violence in modernized action films.

Johnny Depp outshines the rest of his co-stars in this film as he’s a master character actor and truly knows how to create a memorable role that keeps the audience wanting more screen time. Depp transform himself into Tonto and could pass for a true Native American. Armie Hammer, on the other hand, is easy on the eyes, but if you’re not familiar with the character of John Reid, he comes off too passive aggressive for a good portion of the film until the last half hour where he comes into his own. If Johnny Depp wasn’t in this film, could Hammer have carried the film? Doesn’t look too good, Kimo Sabes, as his acting skills need stronger chops. Helena Bonham Carter is her usual quirky self, but lends a much needed comic relief in some of the slower scenes. Plus, she has the coolest prosthetic leg that could be the focus of another film altogether which would be fun to watch as a female driven Western role (hint, hint Disney or Quentin Tarantino). The villains really shine as scumbag characters, gritty and slimy as one would hope for, especially William Fichtner. The makeup department did a fantastic job of turning him into this vile criminal, complete with the scars and burns to give the illusion of pure evil.

Overall, “The Lone Ranger” is worth taking at, especially on the big screen. Be sure to check out “The Lone Ranger” when it opens in theaters nationwide starting Wednesday July 3, 2013.

Dirty Wars Movie Review

Dirty Wars

Starring: Jeremy Scahill

Directed by: Richard Rowley

Rated: NR

Run Time: 87 min

Genre: Documentary

Opens June 28th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic

Hey Phoenix Film Fans! Opening this week at Harkins Shea 14 is the documentary and book of the same name, "Dirty Wars", written and starring investigative journalist Jeremy Scahill. This film was nominated for the Grand Jury prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival but took home the award for Best Cinematography. The "Dirty Wars" also a book written by Scahil and film and the book will be releasing simultaneously. Scahill is a National Security Correspondent for The Nation magazine and has also authored another book that caused a ripple effect across Washington, "Blackwater: The Rise of the World's Most Powerful Mercenary Army".

Scahill spent a number of years overseas embedded with troops and covering the news desk in places like Iraq, Yugoslavia, Afghanistan and Iran. When he comes across the death of a police officer in Jalalabad, Afghanistan who was U.S. friendly, he uncovers more questions than he can find answers to. Like why does this certain commander keep showing up in pictures? What is J.S.O.C.? Why are the names of the dead not being listed on NATO press releases? Scahill in the film interviews family members of victims who have been killed in night raids, ex-special forces members, retired military, and a man Anwar Al Awlaki, who was a US Born citizen but due to heighten interests in his religious activities fled the country, thus listed on a "kill list".

Journalism nowadays is under scrutiny these days as the media tends to be biased based on who is pulling the purse strings. When you come across a film such as this that raises compelling, fascinating and yet potentially endangering information, it's always best to look into further sources before choosing a side. Scahill and Director Richard Rowely are passionate in their argument about how far off the beaten path the war on terror has gone, but I wonder about the sources interview that were retired military or ex- special forces, how unbiased or biased are the interviewees based on their time in the service? Every story has three sides- the other person, ours and the truth. Hopefully this film help cracks open the truth than just embellishing one side over the other. You be the judge when "Dirty Wars" opens at Harkins Shea 14 starting Friday June 28, 2013.

The Heat Movie Review

The Heat

Starring: Sandra Bullock, Melissa McCarthy, Marlon Wayans, Michael Rapaport, Jane Curtin, Michael Tucci, Thomas F. Wilson, Taran Killam, Michael McDonald

Directed by: Paul Feig

Rated: R

Run Time: 117 mins

Genre: Action/ Comedy/ Crime

Opens June 28th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Usually New Yorkers and Bostonians are mortal enemies until they are forced to worked together. FBI Agent Sarah Ashburn is from the New York office sent to Boston to help close a case on a notorious drug lord. If she does well on this case, she will be up for a very big promotion. Agent Ashburn is not known for her people or social skills as she is normally uptight, arrogant and over-eager to prove herself.  When she gets to Boston to interview her first suspect, she meets her match in Officer Shannon Mullins (Melissa McCarthy), a no-nonsense, loose cannon personality whose bull-in-a-china-shop antics constantly override Ashburn's tactical training and procedures.

Ashburn is forced to partner up with Officer Mullins and time is of the essence on this case. Officer Mullin’s brother  Jason (Michael Rapaport) is about to be released from prison and she fears that he may go right back into his old lifestyle dealing drugs. Afterall, she was the one who arrested him in the first place. Can Ashburn and Mullins put aside their differences long enough to close the case or will it all go down in flames endangering their lives and loved ones?

When you team up two masters of physical comedy such as Melissa McCarthy and Sandra Bullock, the potential for laughs is tremendous. The chemistry between the two is explosive;  mixing elements of “Miss Congeniality”, “Identity Thief” and “Bridesmaids”, these two women really know how to pull off excellent characters. Director Paul Feig puts a new spin on the “good cop/ bad cop” shtick by giving two females a chance to play out their comedic talents and aggressive competitiveness.  Although these two had fantastic chemistry, the rest of the story line fell flat in the pacing, taking time too much time to get the momentum to build. the remaining cast members were under utilized as it would have been nice to see more of the Mullin’s family or with the bar patrons. Some of the gags ran longer than they should, but it does pay off in the end as the story pushes past predictability and goes into uncomfortable comedy boundaries. Just a fair warning to parents, that this film is heavy on the profanity, so it’s best to leave kids out of the theater on this one. Catch “The Heat” when it opens in theaters nationwide starting Friday June 28, 2013.

Movie Review for White House Down

White House Down 

Starring: Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Richard Jenkins, Jason Clarke, James Woods, Jimmi Simpson, Lance Reddick

Directed by: Roland Emmerich

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 131 mins

Genre: Action/ Drama/ Thriller

Opens June 28th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Film Fans!  Opening this week is the action / thriller “White House Down” starring Channing Tatum, Jamie Foxx and James Woods. You may remember another film earlier this year, “Olympus Has Fallen” that was also about terrorist taking over the White House, but how does it stack up to Director Roland Emmerich’s (Independence Day, 2012, Godzilla)?

Capitol Policeman John Cale (Channing Tatum) has some problems. He’s not known for this follow through on anything, always giving up when it gets difficult. His pre-teen daughter Emily (Joey King) pretends that she hates him for never being around, which Cale is trying to rectify by scoring tickets to her idol’s home, The White House. This visit to Pennsylvania Ave. home serves a dual purpose, Cale has a job interview for a Secret Service position and to get Emily’s good graces because he missed her talent show the week before.

As with anything in Cale’s life, everything has to be difficult. His interviewer for the position is an old girlfriend from college, Agent Finnerty (Maggie Gyllenhaal), who knows more about him than his file reveals. After getting the brush off from Finnerty, Cale takes Emily on a tour of the White House, defeated, but determined to find another way into the program. Cale gets his chance when terrorists take over the White House lead by one of their own men, ex-Special Forces soldier Stenzt (Jason Clarke). Pulling the strings to make this all possible is retiring Secret Service Director Walker (James Woods). It’s now up to Cale to get his daughter out of this situation and protect the leader of the free world President Sawyer (Jamie Foxx) since his own men have turned on him. Will Cale be able to pull this off or will he fail just like everything else in his life?

If you have viewed the trailer for this film you pretty much have the gist of the film from the 2 minute preview. If you had previously seen "Olympus Has Fallen" earlier this year, you may be wondering how does it compare to the aforementioned film? Out of the two, “Olympus” is far better for a variety of reasons.1.) It is difficult to consider Jamie Foxx seriously in the role of Leader of the Free World. Much of his character was modeled after the current president, his family and various vices likes and dislikes. 2.) Channing Tatum doesn't need to be in every action film or comedy as a soldier or law enforcer role that has a Peter Pan complex. 3.) Maggie Gyllenhaal is not a strong enough actress to pull off a powerful role as a Secret Service agent. Her voice is too mothering and sweet, giving the impression of a weak leader.  4.) Many of the scenes were outlandish and so ridiculous that it was borderline comedic instead of action driven. If you're going to make a film about the POTUS that is an action driven plot, try not to make it look as if we have a bunch of fools running that branch of the government (insert your own opinions on that subject here). The office of the Executive Branch deserves respect regardless of the genre of film, own political beliefs or current headlines. I don't think that Roland Emmerich did this film justice and is better off doing films about space invaders than political leaders. You be the judge when "White House Down" opens in theaters nationwide starting Friday June 28, 2013.

The Bling Ring Movie Review

The Bling Ring  

Starring: Emma Watson, Katie Chang, Israel Broussard, Claire Julien, Taissa Farmiga, Leslie Mann, Gavin Rossdale, Carlos Miranda

Written & Directed by: Sofia Coppola

Rated: R

Run Time:90 mins

Genre: Crime/ Drama

Opens June 21st

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Based on actual events, Writer/ Director Sofia Coppola recounts the crimes of what the media dubbed "The Bling Ring", a group of teenagers who robbed celebrities homes in the Hollywood Hills.

Bordering on the cusp of exploitive and edgy, Coppola tries to keep a middle-of-the-road approach to her storytelling by showing the rise and fall of the celeb-obsessed, drug-fueled teenagers. Using the power of the interwebs and sneaking into celebrity homes for sport, the group of teens walked away with thousands of dollars in cash, clothes, jewelry and shoes from the like of Paris Hilton, Megan Fox, Audrina Patridge, Orland Bloom and Lindsay Lohan.

What was so interesting to watch was the transformation of Emma Watson, who played Nikki, the aspiring model/ actress, turning from Hogwart's smart sweetheart to this ruthless, two-faced, ditsy crook who didn't have much remorse for her actions. The rest of the cast rounded out by Katie Chang (Rebecca), Israel Broussard (Marc), Claire Julien (Chloe), and Taissa Farmiga (Sam) showcase the darker side of the teenage years quite well, capturing the essence of L.A.'s club scene. There are a few good lessons to be learned from this film as don't leave valuables in cars, lock all doors and windows and get a well hidden safe. Let's just hope that this film doesn't reignite an interest in Paris Hilton's career. Check out "the Bling Ring" when it opens in theaters starting Friday June 21, 2013

Monsters University Movie Review

Monsters University Starring: Billy Crystal, John Goodman, Steve Buscemi, Helen Mirren, Nathan Fillion, Peter Sohn, Joel Murray, Sean Hayes, Dave Foley, Charlie Day, Alfred Molina, Tyler Labine, Aubrey Plaza, Bobby Moynihan, Bonnie Hunt, John Krasinski

Directed by: Dan Scanlon

Rated: G Run Time: 110 mins Genre: Comedy/ Animation/ Adventure/ Family

Opens June 21st

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Also opening this week is the prequel to the Pixar animate hit “Monster’s Inc.” (2001). More of an origins story, will audiences still be enchanted by the lovable monsters in their younger years?

As a young monster, Michael Wazowski (Billy Crystal - Voice)dreams of one day working at Monsters Inc. While on a school field trip to the Monsters Inc. Scare Factory, Mike was enchanted that he follows one of his scare idols Frank McCay (John Krasinski - voice) into a child's room to witness a live scare. If he was discovered by a child, it would've been disastrous for all of the monsters. When Frank found out that young Mike was also in the scare room with him, he was impressed by Mike's agility, stealthiness and speed. As a souvenir, Frank gave Mike his MU cap, igniting the drive to attend his hero's alma matter.

All monsters who work at Monsters Inc. have to go through college to get their training. Where else would they go? They all attend Monsters University, the premier institution for training to be employed by Monsters Inc.

When Mike first met Sully (John Goodman - Voice) it wasn't the same dynamic of their partnership from Monsters Inc., but more of a competitive relationship from the start. Sully was immediately well-liked and popular on campus due to his natural scare ability and his family legacy through university. Mike, on the other hand, had to work extra hard and study every day to be able to gain entrance into the Scare Program. Mike was jealous of Sully with his lackadaisical attitude about classes and studying while Sully was jealous of Mike's knowledge on scare tactics.

When an unfortunate accident eliminates Mike and Sully from the scare program they have to find another way to regain admittance to prove their worth as scare students.

Dean Hardscrabble (Helen Mirren- voice) will be keeping a close eye Mike and Sully as she was challenged by Mike to get back into the Scare Program. If their fraternity Oozma Kappa wins the Scare Games, Mike, Sully and their whole fraternity can gain the entrance back into the scare program. Will Mike and Sally be able to make it back into the program or where the will their differences get the best of them?

Pixar always does an exceptional job with their films, this one is no exception. The animation is gorgeous, the voice actors are fantastic, and the story is always fun for children of all ages, except this time around. Monsters University meets all the usual Pixar standards, but the story may not be too interesting for small children who may not be as engaged in the story since is deals with college life. The story is great for pre-teens and older, but younger kids may have a challenging time keeping interest. There are several scenes of slapstick antics but not enough to keep their attention long enough between those types of scenes. Overall the film is rather enjoyable but just for a slightly older crowd. Check out "Monsters University" when it opens in theaters starting Friday June 21, 2013.

Movie Review for World War Z

World War Z 

Starring: Brad Pitt, Mirelle Enos, Daniella Kertesz, Fana Mokoena, Matthew Fox, David Morse

Directed by: Marc Forster

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 116 mins

Genre: Action/ Drama/Horror

Opens June 21st

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Opening this week is the zombie apocalypse film “World War Z” starring Brad Pitt, based on the graphic novel by Max Brooks. Will fans of the novel be impressed or disappointed by this big budget Hollywood film? Read on to find out.

 Retired United Nations employee Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) has been enjoying life as a stay-at-home dad. When a deadly virus spreads like wildfire it's now up to Jerry to save his family and figure out the source of this disease. This disease can turn someone into a flesh eating zombie within 10 seconds. At the time of his retirement, Gerry was one of the top UN investigators who was sent to some of the most dangerous places on earth.  Being pulled back into service by his previous employer, Gerry travels the world trying to locate the source of what started this disease. A few world governments had advanced notice of this disease before the pandemic broke out, so Gerry has to visit these places before to try to figure out how they knew why didn't tell people. With each new stop of investigation, Gerry learns more and more about the infection and what triggers the zombies to attack. Gerry is now in a race against time to help save the world and his family from being overcome by zombies. Can he do it or will he succumb to the disease himself?

For those expecting a gory, bloody zombie film, you may be disappointed in the lack of blood and guts that are spilled. Set up to be more of a psychological horror, the zombies are unlike what one would have seen in “The Walking Dead”, “Shaun of the Dead” or “28 Days Later”. What looks more like the setup of an elaborate video game, the zombies dogpile their way into places and are predatory cat-like in nature with their speed and prowess. It’s surprising that the quality of film so lackluster with a few heavy hitters in the film world behind the scenes. This script went through a few re-writes, but with names like Drew Goddard (The Cabin in the Woods, Lost), Damon Lindelof (Lost, Star Trek Into Darkness) one would expect it to be more engaging. So is it the writing or the directing that was the problem or a perfect storm of conflicting circumstances? The characters are underdeveloped; the performances underwhelming and the storyline is rushed, not giving any room to really identify and care about the film. The special effects are pretty decent, especially in the wide shots showing the invasion but with such an enormous budget it’s a disappointment that the quality of content is so low. You be the judge when “World War Z” opens nationwide starting Friday June 21, 2013.

Man of Steel Movie Review

Man of Steel 

Starring: Henry Cavill, Michael Shannon, Amy Adams, Russell Crowe, Diane Lane, Kevin Costner, Laurence Fishburne

Directed by: Zack Snyder

Rated: PG-13

Run Time: 143 mins

Genre: Action/ Adventure/ Fantasy

Opens June 14th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Considering this is one of the most anticipated films of 2013, the latest film in the DC arsenal is under heavy pressure to perform to keep its superhero franchise films in the running against Marvel. It’s chances look good especially when you have a name like Christopher Nolan as an executive producer to offer a guiding hand. Will audiences re-embrace the beloved superhero or has Superman’s time come and gone? Read on to find out.

On the planet of Krypton, Jor-El (Russell Crowe) and Lara Lor-Van (Ayelet Zurer) have given birth to the first natural born child in centuries, Kal-El. Sadly, the planet is about to implode, politically, socially and ecologically speaking. As Jor-El is making an impassioned plea to the high council, General Zod (Michael Shannon) stages a coup to overthrow leadership. Quick thinking by Jor-El, he manages to save his son by shipping him off to a far off Galaxy before Zod can reach him, destroying the only hope of restoring the Krypton bloodline.

Before his sentencing, General Zod vows to find Kal-El and bring justice to the people of Krypton. As he is whisked away to another dimension, Krypton is destroyed, along with all lifeforms remaining.

On Earth, Kal-El is found and raised by a Kansas couple, Jonathan (Kevin Costner) and Martha Kent (Diane Lane) who raise him as Clark Kent (Henry Cavill). Clark is a most unusual child, experiencing difficulties with sensory problems, extreme strength and labeled as a social outcast. As he grows older, Clark takes on a solitary life, wandering from town to town, assuming various identities, helping those in need and then disappears after helping a dire situation.

The rouse is up when Daily Planet reporter Lois Lane (Amy Adams) arrives on site of a military excavation of an object trapped in ice somewhere in the Arctic Circle. Curious by nature, her instincts lead her to follow Clark one night where he finds a key in discovering his origins, triggering a chain of events that will put everyone on Earth at risk. Can Clark become the man he is meant to be and be accepted? Or will the world reject him out of fear?

DC Comics took a risk reviving the beloved superhero, re-branding him into a sleeker, modern version of the former versions, which pays off immensely. The smartest move was bringing on Christopher Nolan as an Executive Producer to work behind the scenes with Zack Snyder ("300", "Sucker Punch"). Not to put any doubt into the directing abilities of Snyder, but having the Dark Knight films under his belt gives a little more assurance that Man of Steel will be quality versus flashy. There are so many qualities about this film that make it a great film that discussion after viewing, the conversation may go on for a while. Henry Cavill is the perfect choice for the Clark Kent/Kal-El role for the sensitivity, brooding, physicality and depth he brings to the role. The supporting roles are equally fantastic as Amy Adams is fierce yet not too helpless as Lois Lane. It’s great to see Michael Shannon cast in larger roles as his talent for drama and action are showcased brilliantly as General Zod. The technology has finally arrived for the comic book/ superhero genre where it looks absolutely seamless and dazzles the senses between the flying, chase and fight scenes. Even the score is hauntingly brilliant giving the audience a sensory overload of delight, wonder and amazement of this movie going feat. How does it compare to films like “Iron Man”, “The Avengers” or the “Spiderman” franchise? Let’s just say that the fight scene in Metropolis makes what happened in the Avengers look like playtime. This is not to say “Man of Steel” is the superior film of the two, but that it holds its own in terms of cinematic excellence and entertainment. Be sure to check out “Man of Steel” when it opens in theaters starting Friday June 14, 2013.

Movie Review for This is the End

This is the End  

Starring: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride, Michael Cera, Emma Watson, Mindy Kaling, David Krumholtz, Christopher-Mintz Plasse, Jason Segel, Paul Rudd, Rhianna, Channing Tatum, Kevin Hart, Aziz Ansari

Directed by: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen

Rated: R

Run Time: 107 mins

Genre: Comedy/ Action/ Horror

Opens June 12th

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix film fans! Opening midweek is the comedy “This is the End” starring James Franco, Seth  Rogen, Jay Baruchel, Jonah Hill, Danny McBride, and Craig Robinson. Bringing the gang together from films such as “Pineapple Express” or any Apatow film or TV show over the last decade, this film is more like a gathering of friends just screwing around with a movie camera, but will “This is the End” be able to live up to the hype?

When a quick weekend getaway for Jay Baruchel (self), turns into a living nightmare, what better way to go through the end of the world than with a bunch of actor friends?  Playing somewhat “exaggerated” versions of their real life personas, Seth Rogen and Jay go to a party at James Franco’s new house. When Jay and Seth arrive, the party is in full swing, and it’s a who's-who of the comedy circle as party guests. Jay has never fully integrated into the L.A. group of actors that Seth has joined, feels uncomfortable and sulks off in the corner smoking. After a while, Jay wants to leave, but gets Seth to join him in a cigarette run when strange natural occurrences start happening.  When they get back to James’s house, no one knows what has happened, continues to party until a massive earthquake effectively ends the festivities, swallowing half the guests.

The remaining party goers; Franco, Hill, Rogen, Baruchel and Robinson now have to figure out what is going on, either wait for the authorities to arrive and rescue them or perish a long painful death from starvation. Will they be able to make it or is it truly the end for this group of friends?

“This is the End” is one of those screwball comedies that looks really awful during the trailers, but surprisingly a lot of fun to watch. I actually jumped out of my seat three times during the film which is unusual for this genre. More horror/comedy than a horror movie “This is the End” may pleasantly surprise even the harshest critics of this bunch of actors with all the goofy laughs silly pranks and juvenile jokes that one would expect from a Seth Rogen/James Franco/Jonah Hill type movie.  Normally when each of the aforementioned actors tries to carry a film on his own (cough, Seth Rogen, cough), the film’s charm and appeal suffers severely as the personality/ shtick leans towards the abrasive side. That changes for the better when put in an ensemble piece such as this where each actor is just a sampling of their talent and humor balances  perfectly. Of course,  there is plenty of jokes regarding bodily fluids emissions, phallic symbols, drugs and alcohol; would you expect anything less? The apocalypse doesn't look so bleak while you're a Hollywood star as James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Craig Robinson, Danny McBride and Jay Baruchel show in this film. This film packs a lot of cameos into about 15 minutes of frames so keep an open eye for your favorite comedian, ranging from Jason Segal, Aziz Ansari, David Krumholz and Emma Watson and much more. Michael Cera makes an appearance as a surprising spoof on himself which is actually really really hilarious. Check out “This is the End” when it opens in theaters starting Wednesday June 12, 2013.

Interview with Jordan Vogt-Roberts, Director of “The Kings of Summer”

Interview with Jordan Vogt-Roberts Director of “The Kings of Summer”

By Lisa Minzey of The Reel Critic.com

PHOENIX – It’s hard to believe that it’s been two months since the Phoenix Film Festival where Jordan Vogt-Roberts sat down with us to talk films, being on the festival circuit and the importance of making good films. Vogt-Roberts is one to watch, not just for his colorful linguistic articulation for the art of film making, but for this power house of film-making talent that is yet to be fully tapped into with feature films. Vogt- Roberts is a former resident to the Valley of the Sun, which makes it even more enjoyable to see a local filmmaker getting a nationwide theatrical release of their first feature film.

PFF: Have you been enjoying the festival circuit so far? [The Kings of Summer premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival]

JVR: It’s been amazing; Premiering at Sundance is a fucking dream.  It’s been incredible. I was legitimately in a place where I thought people were going to hate the movie. The fact that people are responding so well to it; it’s amazing. Everything that has happened with the film, it’s surreal. I’m still sort of processing it. I wanted to make a move that did new things, or tried. I didn’t know that some of the different things in the movie if they were going to work because that’s experimenting. The fact that those elements are the points that people are responding to, is incredibly gratifying.

PFF: This is your first feature, correct?

JVR: Yes, correct; it’s the first feature film.

 PFF: Being that this was your first feature,  what was easy/ challenging about the process that you didn’t expect?

JVR: At the end of the day you train yourself in a craft long enough, that ideally, when a curveball comes you can handle it; you stay cool under pressure. I’ve done a lot of TV and commercials projects; at a certain point a set is a set, you know what I mean?  Being on a set whether it’s TV or Film it’s the same thing. Films, obviously take a much longer time and you’re telling a much longer story, so you’re always keeping track of where things are. Honestly, my favorite things on set are when things go wrong. I love it. I love it when shit hits the fan, because you’re forced to figure out the most creative solution. Nine times out of ten, that creative solution is better than what you could have scripted or planned for because it’s so raw and in the moment and it shows. There’s a lot of stuff in the movie that comes out of nowhere because something wasn’t working or we got rained out. Those are the moments that really feel raw and effective because everyone is scrambling, like “Lets fucking figure this out!”. The biggest thing to me is that you have to go for it. You have to fail boldly and fail bravely. I feel this weird responsibility for my first feature that I’m not have it be something new. You know? Like I want to give audiences a reason to go , “This is really cool. You should go check it out.”  It’s like something you’ve seen before. It has a lot of things you’ve seen before but it stands on it own. It’s borrowing a lot of influences from a lot of different places.  It’s just one of things like where you think about for so long doing a feature and you bid it up as this massive, massive thing and then you’re there and it’s like no big deal. Your dreams just become your reality at a certain point and then there’s something new to aspire to. When that happens I think it shows that you’re doing things right; that you’re trusting your instincts enough.

I had a conversation with Ross [Director of Photography] because the visuals were a large part of the story. We wanted it to be cinematic; we wanted it to be beautiful and look good, where we said, “Look, ideally we trained ourselves well enough, that if we started shooting tomorrow that our base level of execution would be acceptable, but that’s not acceptable to us. Right now we both need to step our game up in every area. Every part of this need to be better than the best part we’ve done before. We just threw down the gauntlet to ourselves; we pushed ourselves really hard.

 PFF: How did you come across this script?

JVR: A couple of executive friends sent me the script and told me that I would love this writer and I would love the script. At first,  I pushed it aside and was like “Nah.” [makes pushing motions] I didn’t read it. Then I had two more people send it to me to read it. Still didn’t read it. Finally, it was sent to me again by the company that bought the script because they saw a short film I had made, “Successful Workaholics”, which was at Sundance a few years ago, which balances a really tricky tone which “Kings of Summer” does. I thought it was a joke at first. I was unconvinced that a director was not already attached to the script. I fell in love so hard with the movie. I then had to do the movie. I needed to do the movie. If I was to lose the film, I wanted to lose it on merit. I wanted to know that they beat me because they were better for it than I was. So I put together this giant material, shot videos and put together this book. I loved it so much not only was the script great, [screenwriter] Chris Galletta’s voice was really unique, but I knew that I can do everything what I wanted to do with it. Let’s make it a comedy but also have it be real, be heartbreaking, be beautiful and cinematic, you know all those things that movies aren’t these days. There’s a lot of disposable content out there that viewers quickly forget about, they don’t care about. Comedies are put into a box; its like “Keep it flat. Keep it boring. Have it just be comedic. Don’t try to emotionally invest somebody.” I just knew that this script was like a perfect jumping off point, because I could try to combine Terrence Malick with John Hughes.

PFF: That’s a great comparison. Wow. (laughs)

JVR: I just knew that was what I wanted to do and I was passionate about it.

PFF: The characters in this film are brilliant. I absolutely loved the Biaggio character. How did you find these kids?

JVR: It was a long process. A really long, involved process because the first thing I said was “No one over the age of 18”. Normally on a film like this you end up with 21 year olds and 25 year olds paying high school kids. It was really important to me that these kids feel like kids. They feel young and you look at their bodies and they’re underdeveloped because they’re still in puberty. I wanted people to look at them and be like “That’s a kid”. Obviously they’re all good looking kids, but they’re not model-esq.  You know what I mean. It’s not like that kid’s a movie star that looks perfect in every shot. In fact, we had a rule, that if a kid had pimples, we wanted to see them. Unless it hurts the scene or the moment, let’s see these kids as kids. So it turned out to be a really, really long process. Saw a lot of kids until we found the ones who were right. Nick [Robinson], Gabe [Basso] and Moises [Arias] were the absolute right people for the parts.

 PFF: Nick Robinson resembles a young Joseph Gordon Levitt, in my opinion.

JVR: I get that a lot actually.

 PFF: The chemistry between the three boys and the father Frank (Nick Offerman) was so brilliant, was there a lot of improve on the set or was that all scripted?

JVR: I actually did a lot of improv on the film. I sent the kids to improv training because I wanted them to be comfortable in their skin. I didn’t want them to spout out one-liners but I wanted them to be comfortable enough in the role, that if I didn’t yell cut and the script ran out, they would keep going in character. I’m not 14 anymore, and the writer is not 14 anymore and to me the movie needed a handful of moments that would be like “That. Right there that could have only come from the brain of a 14 year-old.” You know what I mean? Those real, authentic things. But it was also helping create a family. I wasn’t like, “Oh, the kids are on set. No. It’s the actors are here. There are adults, kids, we all in Ohio; it was a little family. It would be sad when someone would leave. It was an interesting dynamic because we shot the adults and the kids on the first half of the shoot. The halfway through filming, all the adults left and then it was just me and all kids. Then it enters a new kind of phase. It was just a friendly environment where we all became like a family.

 PFF: Now that you have your first feature under your bet, which do you prefer: TV,  Features or Shorts?

JVR: I love all mediums. I want to work in all mediums, but I’m here to make films. I have my own TV show on Comedy Central called “Matchup”, which is great and a lot of fun. Hopefully we’ll do a Season 2 of that, but I came out to L.A. because I love movies. There’s a lot of stuff I would like to do in TV; there’s a lot of stuff I would like to try. I love doing commercials because it’s a lot of fun, the budgets are nice and you get paid well. I’m here because I grew up on movies like “Stand By Me”, early Amblin stuff (Spielberg’s Production Company) and “Star Wars”; films that were fucking memorable, that made an impact on me. I don’t know what those types of movies are for kids these days. Not even just for kids; for people in general. But yeah, I want to make movies.

 PFF: Change the direction of the genre?

JVR: I feel like there’s a responsibility to try new things, to reinvent things. Take a genre that’s dead and find a new access point to it. Just find a way to make good shit. Find a reason to -

PFF:  Can I quote that? “Make Good Shit?” (laughs)

JVR: (Laughs) Yeah, make good shit! Absolutely quote that. Make good shit because it’s like there’s a lot of distractions out there. There’s Netflix; people have large TVs, there’s not a lot of reasons to go to theater anymore when you have it in your home, you know?

You got to give people a reason to go to the theater and not only to like the movie but have them want to tell all their friends to go see that movie; have them take an ownership or sense of pride in their film selections instead of saying, “Yeah, it’s OK”.

 PFF: What one piece of advice hat you would give to a fellow filmmaker who’s just getting to make that jump from short film to features?

JVR: Make good shit? Uh, no, just keep fucking doing it. Just keep hustling and take risks. Fail boldly and fail big.  Not everything you’re going to make is going to be good right away, but that’s not the point. The point is, if you want it; this is a hard business. It’s a really nebulous one. There is no right path. You just have to make your own path and that’s a weird thing. Find what you love. Find out how to get paid for what you love and just keep doing it over and over and over again. There’s this famous interview with Ira Glass where he talks about how creative people are ultimately people with good taste and how if you have good taste, it takes a long fucking time before what you’re making is on par with your taste. Then there’s that book, “Outliers: The Story of Success” by Malcolm Gladwell, that says to be a professional, you need like 10,000 hours of experience at something. I think that’s legit. It takes a while and you have to keep growing, keep pushing yourself.  If you get stagnant, you just –

PFF: Creatively die?

JVR: Yeah, just fuck it.

 PFF: So just make good shit then?

JVR: (laughs) Yeah. Make good shit.

 PFF: What would you tell that indie filmmaker how to get of over that fear of failure that halts their creativity?

JVR:  Just the basic knowledge that everybody in the world is a scared person? That we’re all children pretending to be something. We’re all faking it.

 PFF: Fake it until you make it?

JVR: You never feel like you make it, you know what I mean? So it’s like when you meet a big celebrity and you cross that point when you’re talking and realize, “You’re just like a normal person”. You get these ideas of how you should be. I think it’s totally normal and you’re not scared that’s the bigger problem; you should be scared. You’re going head first into this business and into life, totally undefined and it’s scary. It’s also rewards and that’s what makes it so great.

Be sure to catch “The Kings of Summer” when it opens in theaters starting June 7, 2013.

The Kings of Summer Movie Review

The Kings of Summer 

Starring:  Nick Robinson, Gabriel Basso, Moises Arias, Nick Offerman , Erin Moriarty, Megan Mullally, Marc Evan Jackson, Alison Brie, Eugene Cordero

Directed by: Jordan Vogt- Roberts

Rated: R

Run Time: 93 mins

Genre: Comedy

Opens June 7th

By Lisa Minzey of  The Reel Critic.com

Hey Phoenix Fim Fans!  Another film that played at this year’s festival is opening in theaters nationwide this week, “The Kings of Summer”, directed by Jordan Vogt-Roberts. This film was also nominated for the Grand Jury Prize at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival but has a local connection to the Valley. Vogt-Roberts is a former Phoenician, not living and working in Los Angeles but it’s always exciting to see indie filmmakers get their first theatrical release.

Another school year has ended and Joe (Nick Robinson) is dreading being at home with his father, Frank (Nick Offerman). The relationship between the two has been extremely strained since his mother passed a way as Frank tries to micro manage every aspect of Joe's life. Joe's best friend Patrick (Gabriel Basso) has equally overbearing, if not more intrusive, parents who love to capture every moment of their precious boy's life.

While walking home from a party one night through the woods, Joe and fellow school mate Biaggio (Moises Arais) stumble upon the perfect spot to build their dream home, a clearing large enough to hold a large place, yet hidden in plain sight.  After yet another disagreement with his father, Joe convinces Patrick to move out for the summer to the house they built in the clearing. This gives them the chance to live without the hovering and nagging of their parental figures and to have the most epic summer ever.

Joe and Patrick  gain a housemate out in the woods, the unusual classmate Biaggio who is just bizarre enough to be cool. Now that the three young men have their new found freedom, will they be able to last the summer or will fate, the elements or teenage angst step in to wreck their plans? It's very rare when you leave a theater, and you're first thought is that you would go back and sit through the film again because you left feeling happy about a film just viewed. Following in the footsteps of films such as "Stand By Me", Ferris Bueller's Day Off", "Goonies" or "The Breakfast Club", Jordan Vogt-Roberts has captured the essence of film nostalgia that make going to the theater fun again. Screenwriter Chris Galletta penned a brilliant script which Vogt-Roberts and Cinematographer Ross Reige help recreate the world of teenagedom with amazing artistic shots, fantastic characterization and brilliant performance from its young cast. This is a must see film of the summer as these are names you want on your radar for future filmgoing excursions. Be sure to check out "The Kings of Summer" when it opens in Phoenix starting Friday June 7, 2013.