Second Chance

The first Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs left me somewhat disappointed, but its sequel was inevitable. Looking at the first trailer, I'll admit, I do have some optimism as there appears to be some creativity put into both the jokes and creation of the "food monsters". Check it out for yourself below and see if you think this has a possibility of being better than the first.

RBR: End of Watch

Films depicting the lives of cops in Southern California are nothing new and yet more continue to get made because they typically offer an effective mix of drama, action, suspense, and character study. This remains true in End of Watch, which follows two cops (played by Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena) as they deal with guns, gangs, and drugs. One of the things that allows this film to rise above the familiarity of the genre is the performances of its two leads. Gyllenhaal and Pena not only bring an authenticity to their roles, but you also truly feel the bond that has been established between these two "brothers", which is how they refer to each other. We really see who these guys are both in and out of the uniform as he film also takes the time to develop characters for their respective mates (Anna Kendrick nicely plays Gyllenhaal's wife). One of the biggest issues of debate surrounding the film is the decision to present this story from a documentary/found footage perspective. On one hand, I feel that this has now become a tired narrative approach that we've seen too often recently. In the particular film, I'm torn on how its used. At times, this approach creates some interesting angles to depict the action, but in other instances I think it handicaps the film's ability to properly tell the story. Ultimately, I would not cite this a reason to skip the movie, but I would be very interested to see how much the film would change/improve if it had used a more traditional filmmaking style. Ultimately, the strong performances and compelling story win out here to make this a much better film than I had anticipated. If you had previously ignored it because of its generic title, familiar storyline, or shaky cam style, don't let that deter you from checking it out now on home video. This is solid cop thriller that will instantly suck you in to its story. Rating: ****

Don't Cross the boss

I know I'm a little late to the game in posting this, but it was too good to ignore completely. A couple weeks ago on Saturday Night Live, they did a movie parody of Tarantino-esque revenge films, called "Djesus Uncrossed". The subject matter is so irreverant that I'm probably going to hell for enjoying it, but it's also so spot-on and hilarious, that it deserves the recognition. Since many of you have likely seen the original skit anyway, I've posted the web-exclusive director's cut version of the trailer below instead.

RBR: Robot and Frank

This small independent dramedy is set in the not too distant future where robots have been designed with the capacity to serve humans as caretakers. Frank (played by Frank Langella) is given one of these robots after his son (James Marsden) grows concerned about Frank's decreasing mental health. Langella, playing the grumpy old man well, is initially resistant to the idea. However, when he learns that the robot enables him to return to his roots as a cat burglar, he warms to the mechanical man. Langella also develops a relationship with a local librarian, played by Susan Sarandon. The film is similar to another independent film that Sarandon was in last year, Jeff, Who Lives At Home. Both are pleasant films that delve into the family dynamic but never quite reach the emotional or narrative heft in order to make them truly great films. I thoroughly enjoyed myself as I watched Robot and Frank, but the whole film has such a light and airy feel to it, that I could never truly get invested in what was happening. I will commend the film for offering up a twist at the end that I did not see coming. Any time a film can surprise me, I am appreciative. This is a simple film that offers a unique story and solid acting, with maybe the exception of Liv Tyler who plays Frank's daughter. If you were to miss this film, it would not be any great loss. But if the premise intrigues you at all, you'll likely enjoy giving this a view. Rating: ****

Ship ahoy

I'm happy to see Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson together again in a comedy - I just wish that the trailer for their latest film, The Internship didn't feel like a 2 minute commercial for Google.

RBR: Paranormal Activity 4

If you recall, I began to warm to this horror franchise with its previous effort. It felt like not only were they giving us some insight into the backstory of this spirit that haunts and kills unsuspecting victims, but they were also finding ways of sticking to the formula of the franchise while still offering some innovative ways of providing the audience with some legitimate scares. It is because of the promise that #3 showed that makes this latest entry so frustrating. This is the epitome of a film treading water. Nothing feels fresh or original here. The scares are telegraphed, no real advancement to the story is made and none of the characters are very compelling. This time around, the film centers around a teenage girl and her suburban family who are asked to babysit a creepy neighborhood boy. Being a teenager, she has to of course record all aspects of her life, so that's how we get all of the paranormal activity documented here. I highly doubt I'm spoiling anything by saying things don't end well for her or her family. And I think that's one of the biggest frustrations I have currently with this franchise - the fight has been so one sided. In most horror films, while the ghost/monster/psychopath goes on a tear of destruction, they usually get defeated or at the very least suffer a setback by the end of the film. To this point, no one has gotten the better of this witches' coven or the spirits they conjure up. I'm ready for some payback at this point. I do believe that this franchise still has life in it, but if the next film once again offers up the same old scares with nothing fresh to offer then I just might have to call it quits on this series. Unless you're looking for a scare, you're not missing anything by skipping this film. Rating: ** 1/2

Take that Barbara Walters

After a nearly year-long hiatus, the awesome "Between Two Ferns" is back with a two-part, star-studded affair with Zach Galifianakis interviewing several Oscar nominees. Enjoy the hilarity below:

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 1 from Zach Galifianakis

Between Two Ferns: Oscar Buzz Edition Part 2 from Zach Galifianakis

My faith has been re-Bourn

Despite the fact that the Cleveland Indians' pitchers and catchers already reported to Spring Training, it appears that the Tribe isn't finished making off-season moves. And this latest one is a doozy as they have signed free-agent All Star center fielder, Michael Bourn. This is a deal that in past years the Indians would never have made, so I'm thrilled to see them be so aggressive. They also signed Jason Giambi and Dice-K to minor league deals. While both of those guys are nowhere near as good as they once were, if we can get anything out of them, it's another plus for this team. For more on the Bourn signing, here's the report from SI.com:

Criticized for not spending enough on free agents in recent years, the Indians splurged on another star.

The club agreed to terms Monday with outfielder Michael Bourn on a four-year, $48 million contract. It's the second major deal this winter for the Indians, who signed free agent Nick Swisher to a four-year, $56 million contract in January.

Bourn, who was an All-Star with Atlanta last season, must pass a physical later this week in Goodyear, Ariz., before the deal can be completed. Bourn batted .274 with nine homers, 57 RBIs and 42 steals last season for the Braves. It's not yet known when Bourn will have his medical exam.

As long as there isn't a hang-up, the 30-year-old Bourn, who has remained on the market all winter, will move into the Indians' starting lineup. The speedster played center field last season and would give an immediate boost to a Cleveland team that has reloaded with the acquisition of Swisher, manager Terry Francona and starter Brett Myers. Fox Sports first reported Bourn's deal.

Bourn, a two-time All-Star, Gold Glove winner and three-time steals leader in the NL, had also been pursued by the New York Mets and Chicago Cubs.

Getting Bourn will cost the Indians picks in June's amateur draft. But it's a small price for a player who will help them score more runs, improve their attendance - Cleveland averaged just 19,797 fans at home - and maybe even close the gap on Detroit in the AL Central.

The surprise signing caught one of Bourn's new teammates off guard. "Did we just sign Michael Bourn?" second baseman Jason Kipnis asked on his Twitter page.

Bourn, a .272 career hitter in seven seasons with Philadelphia, Houston and Atlanta, could wind up in a starting outfield alongside Swisher and Michael Brantley. The Indians also acquired center fielder Drew Stubbs in a trade with Cincinnati, giving Francona options and depth. It's possible Swisher could be moved to first or even be used as the club's designated hitter. Mark Reynolds, also signed during the offseason, can play first or DH.

The deal for Bourn also comes after the Indians signed slugger Jason Giambi and pitcher Daisuke Matsuzaka to minor league deals this last weekend. Matsuzaka must still pass a physical with the club.

The Indians collapsed in the second half last season, finishing 68-94 and 20 games behind the first-place Tigers. Manager Manny Acta was fired after Cleveland lost at least 90 games for the third time in four seasons.

But beginning with the hiring of Francona, the Indians have shown they're not going to sit around and wait for things to improve.

Fur beta kappa

School is almost back in session for Mike and Sully. Here's the new trailer for the Monsters Inc. prequel, Monsters University

RBR: Hotel Transylvania

One good scary-themed kids movie deserves another I suppose. This one centers around a Dracula who is overprotective of his daughter trying to shield her from human beings by keeping her in a hotel he built as a getaway for monsters. The dracula is voiced by Adam Sandler and his usual gang of cronies make up the majority of the voice cast. Guys like Kevin James, David Spade, Jon Lovitz, and Steve Buscemi are all here as monsters. Things run afoul when a gawky human teen, voiced by Andy Samberg, stumbles into the hotel unknowingly. In a lot of ways, this movie plays exactly the opposite of Paranorman. This is fast, loud, and in your face constantly with noise and action, never relenting for a minute of its hour and half run time. A little of that goes a long way, and yet buried amongst it all is a handful of decent jokes and sight gags that admittedly made me chuckle. It also has the father/daughter storyline that, while played too many times before, is tried and true in its effectiveness. This is far from a perfect film and certainly not the best animated film even this year, but it certainly has much more mainstream appeal and will likely offer something to everyone whether you're a kid or just a fan of Sandler's comedy. It manages to scare up just enough laughs to make it worthwhile as a rental. Rating: *** 3/4

Dawn of a new Millenium

This is only fan-made and nothing official, but seeing this poster for the future Star Wars movie has the inner geek in me all excited. Check it out for yourself:

RBR: Paranorman

Thanks to the success of Pixar, we are inundated these days with computer animated kids films, so it's refreshing to see someone take a more old school approach to animated films. Using stop-motion technology, Paranorman tells the story of a young boy who has the ability to see and talk to dead spirits, which makes him an outcast in his town. The animation here is superb, but it's the only thing notable about this rather thin tale of acceptance. The film can be rather slow at times and is awfully morose for supposedly being a kids film. I found myself bored or depressed rather than engaged while watching most of it. I give the film credit for getting its message across in a way that is organic to the story and doesn't feel like ham-fisted proselytizing. And yet, I felt no emotional connection to the story or the primary characters. Those who are fans of this style of animation should definitely give this a watch as the film looks great, but from an entertainment perspective the film lacks more body than the zombies it depicts on screen. Rating: *** 1/2

Iron thrill

You saw the Super Bowl spot, now see the full extended trailer for Iron Man 3 right here.

Thirty shades of grey

The moral ambiguity in real life historical events seems to be a big theme among this years Oscar nominees. This is perhaps no more true than in Kathryn Bigelow's Zero Dark Thirty, which depicts the events that ultimately led to the finding and killing of Osama Bin Laden. Covering nearly a decade of history, the film claims to be giving an accurate representation of these events based on CIA reports, even if they do not always paint our country in the most favorable light.

The first half of the film focuses on the investigation and interrogation of several suspects hoping that they will divulge information on Bin Laden's whereabouts. Most of the film's controversy centers around the fact that the questioning of these suspects reportedly also involved torture tactics like waterboarding. Bigelow pulls no punches in her depiction of these scenes, which can often be difficult to watch. And yet, the film doesn't try to make the argument that torture is effective. Ultimately our discovery of Bin Laden was more due to dumb luck of finding key information in a lost file than it was by anything given up by detainees who were tortured.

Let me be clear that I in no way support these torture tactics, and yet from the perspective of the film's narrative I had almost wished that the torture had been more successful. The film spends a long time depicting the various dead ends the CIA deals with in trying to find Bin Laden. The resolution to this just falls flat and disappointing. I understand that history can't always provide the perfect Hollywood story, but I question why the film chose to spend so much time on this part of the story when it doesn't provide a proper payoff. I should also mention that the storytelling is also hurt by the fact that Bigelow chose to place the date on the screen before each key event. If you're someone who follows the news at all, then you would immediately recognize the dates and understand what was about to happen before it actually did occur on screen.

At the center of this investigation is a woman named Maya, played by Jessica Chastain. Maya may be a real life figure or an amalgam of many individuals involved. Chastain does her best to illustrate the steely resolve of this woman. She is committed to solving this case and will not let anything stop her. As strong as the performance is, I also would have liked more insight into what was driving her. Obviously, there were other people besides her who wanted to see Bin Laden dead, so what made her go on despite the numerous setbacks she deals with. Had there been more background on her personal life or even her career prior to 9/11, then I may have appreciated her determination that much more.

But for as frustrating as the first half of this film is, it turns around in the second half as it shifts towards planning the attack on the compound that is believed to be housing Bin Laden. At this point, the drama is ratcheted way up and is utterly captivating. It begins with the quest to get some sort of tangible evidence to confirm that he is actually inside this building. As the film progresses to Seal Team Six's actual raid, you find yourself getting completely caught up in the story, even though you know exactly what is going to happen. Though I wouldn't go so far as to say it is exploitative, I was actually surprised with how much of Bin Laden being killed was depicted. Some will find some catharsis in this, while others may cringe at the cold savagery of the events.

This is not the easiest film to watch and I certainly don't see myself seeing it again, especially any time soon. However, there's no denying that Kathryn Bigelow is a talented director. In both this film and her Oscar winning effort for The Hurt Locker she has proven that she knows how to effectively present this particularly period of our history. She finds a way of making you feel as if you're are right there amid all the action. And while some will criticize her and the film for its debated accuracy, I believe that a film like this should be seen so that productive conversations can be had both about the actions of our country and the film itself. I applaud the director for her effort to bring this subject matter out of the dark and into the light. Grade: B

Worst week ever

So there was a news story about a 70 year old liquor store owner in Syracuse who was shot in the eye. He's managed to recover and is already back to work. The remarkable thing about the story though is that he claims getting shot was not the worst thing that happened to him that week. To find out what was worse, watch the video below and you'll see why I chose to mention this story here on the blog.

RBR: Trouble With the Curve

Before I get to the review, I just wanted to say that I was disappointed in myself for the lack of posting I had in January. So to make up for it, I've decided to do a little experiment. I'm going to see how many days in a row I can post a new movie review on here. My goal is to go at least a month, but we'll just take it one day at a time. And now on with the review...

At this point in his life, Clint Eastwood doesn't need to still make movies, but I'm certainly glad he does. In Trouble With the Curve, he plays Gus, a baseball scout who's struggling to keep his job as his eye sight begins to fail him. To ensure a successful scouting trip, Gus' daughter (the always adorable Amy Adams), who has an, at best, strained relationship with her father decides to go on the road with him. Being a fan of baseball, I always appreciate when it's the central focus in a film, but this is not one of the better depictions of the sport. Here, it pretty much serves as a backdrop for the father-daughter story. I'm perfectly fine with that though because I was engaged by that story. Adams gives a wonderful performance and Clint has the crabby old man part down to a tee by now. You also have likeable performances from Justin Timberlake as a young new scout and John Goodman as the head of scouting and Gus' best friend. I wish the film had a few more surprises. It is patently obvious how every storyline will play out 30 minutes into the film. Even someone with as bad of eyesight as Gus would be able to see what's coming. Thankfully the amiable cast and the usage of baseball make this an enjoyable film, especially on the small screen. If you happened to miss this one in the theaters, like so many people did, I suggest you give it a shot now that's out on DVD and Blu-Ray. This isn't a home run, but I'd say it's at least a satisfying double. Rating: ****