Movie review: Vantage Point

I liked Vantage Point even more than I thought I would. I don't understand why it didn't get better reviews in general...

The story is told many times, from different point of views. Each time more information is revealed, sometimes correcting what we thought we knew about the events we have already seen. So there's several surprises during the course of the movie, which I liked. It's hard to talk about a scene without giving out a spoiler, but I remember one instance where we are shown an event and I was sure I had figured out the twist, which a following scene proved me right, but then another one later revealed another aspect I had not even considered for that same event.

The short version of the story is that a world conference where world leaders gathers, in front of a crowd, turns to chaos when the US president is shot. We see the events prior, during and after this shooting from the point of view of the president, a Secret Service agent, played by Dennis Quaid, some spectators, including one played by Forest Whitaker, the people behind the shooting, a news crew and a few others.

If you can figure out what is going to happen before it happens, you are a much better detective then I am, because they surprised me, even fooled me, several times. There's also many good action scenes, including car chases.

Movie review: Semi-Pro

Semi-Pro is a comedy with Will Ferrell and I found it very funny! It's about a basketball league which is about to merge with the NBA, but not all teams will make it, so Jackie Moon (Ferrell), the owner, promoter, coach, player and heart of the Tropics will attempt all he can to be one of the team to be in the merger. Of course, it won't be easy. Moon got his money from a one-hit wonder from his singing career, in the Disco era, in which the story takes place.

The trailer for the movie is a very good indication for what to expect, even though not everything in that trailer ends up in the movie (I bet it will be on the DVD!). Also, this is not for the whole family, because of some of the content and strong language. I laughed a lot during the movie and I was not the only one in the room. I don't understand why the user's rating is only 6.4 on IMDB. Again Cinema-Montreal's 8.4 is much more in agreement of my appreciation for this movie. Those ratings will likely change in the coming days and weeks, but I imagine not by much.

I really liked the story, the acting and the crazy ideas and jokes of Semi-Pro. It really takes a comedy like this to make me go see and enjoy a sport-theme movie. Even if you are not a sport fan and don't know much about basketball, such as myself, there is a lot to make you have fun watching this movie and get most of the jokes. So unless you really hate Will Ferrell, I recommend that you go see Semi-Pro for a good LOL-fest!

Upcoming Movie: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

When I went to see Jumper this week-end, I was treated to a movie preview I was looking forward to see on the big screen: Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull! Long title, but I would go see it even if it was called Indiana Jones reads the phone book. Probably... But such is not the case.

I know I'm not the only one who just can't wait to see this movie. Harrison Ford is older, sure, but he's still "The Man"! The trailer, more of a teaser, is very promising. You can check it out at the official site by clicking the title of this blog entry above. Other links goes to IMDB. Other nice things to see on the site too, including a countdown to opening day. 85 days to go as of this writing, which makes it May 22, 2008. Hmm, that looks like a Star Wars date... George Lucas must have something to do with that. Is it too early to go wait in line? I'm sure my boss would think so! ;-)

Are you excited to go see this movie? By now, you know I am! Let's all go see it on day 1, OK? See you there!

Movie review: Jumper

The version I saw, at the AMC in Montreal, was actually called Jumper DLP. I guessed it meant it was a digital projection and I was right. It looks beautiful! No scratches, pops or other shows of deterioration. Digital is the future.

Now, for the movie itself. I had low expectations for Jumper, after seeing how others reacted to it, on different Internet sites. But the previews showed me action and adventure and I thought it would be enough entertainment for me to enjoy. And it was! The storyline is different enough from other movies with similar ideas and it looks good, including the special effects.

The concept is that the main character David Rice, played by Hayden Christensen, discovers that he can teleport - or jump - one day, as he almost dies drowning (this is in the trailer...). So of course, he eventually starts to use his gift to enter bank's vault and "borrow" some money. Turns out he is not the only jumper around and there is a group of Paladins hunting them down, led by Roland, played by Samuel L. Jackson, re-uniting the two Star Wars actors together.

So lots of action, a few twists and decent acting makes this a fun movie to watch.

Movie review: The Spiderwick Chronicles

I saw The Spiderwick Chronicles earlier this evening and I really liked it. It's another movie aimed at a young crowd, but that did not stop me from going, obviously. It's got a good story, great visuals and a very good cast. One thing I did not realize until I saw the credits is that the two brothers are played by the same actor, Freddie Highmore! This is a great feat for both the young actor and for the special effects. The later are handled by ILM and Tippet Studios, amongst others.

This movie was filmed in the city I live in, Montreal, but I did not recognized any landscape and is not meant to be happening in Montreal. Actually, most of the story is taking place in a "middle of nowhere" type of place, in the woods. The fact that it has "Chronicles" in it's name makes me think there could be sequels, but the end does not set it up for such a possibility. Unlike Golden Compass, it actually has an end, but this doesn't mean they can't start a new one.

I saw the Imax version and there was not a single trailer before the movie, just the standard Imax introduction, which I have seen several times. This means no Indiana Jones trailer, which is attached to this movie and which I was looking forward to see on a big screen, but I guess this screen was just too big... :-( But I don't regret seeing this version, as it looked spectacular!

If you like fantasy movies, you should treat yourself to this one. While it is aimed at the young ones, the youngest ones could be scared by some scenes, since we are dealing with an ogre and nasty goblins, who inflicts a few wounds to other characters and get some of their owns.

Knight Rider is coming back!

For those who care and are not yet aware of this, Knight Rider is back with a two hours TV movie on NBC this Sunday, February 17. This follows the original TV series that aired from 1982 to 1986, starring David Hasselhoff, as Michael Knight.

It also stars a car, KITT, who is equipped with weapons, is nearly indestructible and which as an advanced AI (Artificial Intelligence) computer capable of controlling the car itself and can hold a conversation, analyze dangerous situation and take decisions on it's own. Other copy-cat shows followed, including one with a motorcycle and another with an helicopter. Viper was probably the more popular and interesting copy and starred a Dodge Viper. I don't remember these shows to have an AI brain vehicle, though.

The original KITT, which stands for Knight Industries Two Thousand, was a black Pontiac Trans Am and had a few improvements over the one available at standard car dealerships. Besides the AI, it has a Turbo Boost, which can make it jump over obstacles, a paint cover as though as a tank's armor, ejectable seats and an attitude. The new KITT, which now stands for Knight Industries Three Thousand is a black Ford Mustang and I'm sure is at least as well equipped as the original one.

I hope this new version will be fun to watch. It can be hard to compete with one's youth memories. Of course, younger viewers who have not seen the original will not be comparing the two versions, but my generation sure will. This can be a good or bad thing, depending on the way they produce this "remake". Actually, it's more a continuation, since the story should follow up on the existing one. Michael Knight is even supposed to show up, with a cameo appearance from David Hasselhoff himself.

The official site has a few clips from the new show, including TV spots, so you can check them out while waiting for the full length feature on Sunday.

Movie review: The Golden Compass

Late to the game, but I recently went to see The Golden Compass on the big screen. It's a fantasy movie, where the story happens on an alternate Earth. I have not read the book(s) this is based on, but I'm sure there must be a few and that there will be a sequel, based on at least one unachieved goal in the story and the way it ends. Actually, I just checked IMDB and there is a sequel in the work, The Subtle Knife...

I liked this movie and will likely go see the sequel, but I wouldn't call it a great movie. It's directed at a younger crowd, but is still interesting for adults, I would say, like Harry Potter is. Another similarity to HP, is the hero, who is a teen, but in this case, it's a girl. The special/visual effects are well done and the actors do a good job. If your young, or at least young at heart, you should find it entertaining.

The main difference on their earth, compared to ours, is that their "souls" are not within them, but in the form of an animal that follows them everywhere and whose live is linked to their own. One cannot survive without the other. Interesting concept...

Movie review: I Am Legend

I finally saw I Am Legend, in Imax. I liked it and Will Smith is really good in it. Good thing too, as he is often the only one on screen. The story takes place in the near future, after a deadly virus kills most of the human population. Neville (Smith) is trying to find an antidote to this virus, while living alone in New-York, with his dog. He is immune to the virus, like a very few others are, which is why he is still around.

One scene in particular was really touching and had me almost crying, because it reminded me of a sad event from my own past, which probably happened to most people as well, I imagine. I can't say more without giving it away, but what is so good about it is how Smith express what is happening, even though the actual event is off camera. All you see is his face. I just now had to stop typing for a few seconds, thinking about it again.

The story is intelligent and fairly realistic, if we accept the possibility that the virus also has a third effect on humans, besides killing and being non-effective: It can also turn them into zombie-like creatures. I heard that in the original book, they were more like vampires then zombies, which would explain why they can't stand bright lights, particularly UV and why the sun can kill them very quickly, as it burns their skin.

There is some violence, as it can be expected, but it's certainly not a gory movie. It is rated PG-13 in North America.

Besides a few standard trailers, we get to see a scene from the upcoming Batman movie. But Batman is barely seen in the main scene we are shown. This is much more about the main vilain, the Joker. Just a few days ago, I would not have been in the same state of mind while watching it, as I was this time. Of course, this is because the Joker is being played by Heath Ledger, who passed away on the 22nd, only 3 days ago. It's kinda hard not to think about that fact, when seeing him on screen, even though the heavy makeup really gives him a different look, to say the least.

Movie review: Cloverfield

My first movie for 2008 (what's wrong with me?) was Cloverfield. I didn't know much about it before seeing it, beside possibly being a Godzilla ripoff. It wasn't quite that, but there is a big monster. Unlike Godzilla, we don't see it that much and it's not a man in a suit. Another thing I knew was that some people who had seen it complained of being "sea sick" due to the camera movements of some scenes, being shot à la Blair Witch Project. What I did not know was that the whole movie is shot this way. The concept is that the military found this tape shot by someone who started recording at a party and got in the middle of the action that greatly changed Manhattan.

I found this movie fairly interesting and not too conventional, which works for this story. I don't want to give away too much, but it's not the typical fight the monster and live to tell about it, let's say. The main characters are not fighting the monster, the army is, as best as they can. For most everyone, it's a matter of survival and running away, at best. It's also about helping each other.

One thing I thought was not realistic at first was that the camera battery was lasting a pretty long time, but after further consideration, I realized that it was an uncut tape (simulated, of course!) and camera can last the length of a movie. How could bootleggers stay in business if they couldn't? ;-) It's not a one take story, but the cameraman would stop shooting when there wasn't something worth recording going on.

So, I found it to be a good movie, after thinking more about it. I wasn't too sure as the movie ended, which is not something that happens often to me. I like that, for a change!

Before the movie, I remember two previews, above the others. Hellboy 2, which was a standard trailer and a teaser for another movie that I'm really looking forward to and that I didn't figure out until the few last seconds of it: Star Trek! Really cool teaser.

Happy New Year! Bonne Année!

Happy New Year!
May 2008 be a wonderful year, with lots of good things and less of bad ones...

Bonne Année!
Que 2008 soit une année merveilleuse, avec beaucoup de bonne choses et moins de mauvaises...