MOVIE REVIEW: Les Miserables

I have never seen the original musical nor read the classic book by Victor Hugo in which the movie was based on but it doesn't matter. Les Miserables is a great experience to watch on the big screen anchored by the excellent performances of Hugh Jackman in the role of convicted prisoner Jean Valjean and Anne Hathaway as the tragic factory worker Fantine whose child Cosette played by Amanda Seyfried in her older years, he takes care of. 

Valjean is forever being hunted by Inspector Javert played by Russell Crowe after he breaks parole all throughout the movie and as years go by, with Cosette falling in love with a revolutionary Marius played by Eddie Redmayne, Valjean seeks redemption amid the rising unrest among students in 19th century France.

Tom Hooper, in his first directing job after winning the Oscar for The King's Speech has proven his forte to be the historical crowd pleaser. The shots, with a little help of CGI is gorgeous and the songs that at one point we heard somewhere like On My Own and I Dreamed I Dream was greatly filmed and sung well by Hathaway and Samantha Barks who plays Eponine.

Jackman and Hathaway proved to be versatile performers both with their acting and great voices and I'm not surprised at all the accolades that they're getting. Some question, Crowe's singing voice that but it suits his character well. It actually borderlines on a rock star voice.

Les Miserables is 2 hours and 38 minutes of great movie musical experience.

MOVIE REVIEW: Rise of the Guardians

What if our childhood icons Santa Claus, The Tooth Fairy, The Sandman, The Easter Bunny and Jack Frost actually know each other and they form a group known as the Guardians and they protect all the children all over the world from a risen force of darkness? That's the premise of Rise of the Guardians, an animated movie based on the book "The Guardians of Childhood" by William Joyce and the film is a visual treat in 3D, one of the few times that it's worth paying the extra surcharge for.

When Pitch aka The Boogeyman (voiced by Jude Law) comes back after years of neglect, it's up to the Guardians to save the kids happiness from disappearing into darkness. What's original about the film is that each Guardian has a distinct characteristic of it's own. Except for the Sandman who did not utter a single word, but still his character is lovable and sympathetic, Santa Claus (voiced by Alec Baldwin) is nicknamed North and has a Russian accent, the Easter Bunny (voiced by Hugh Jackman) is a macho rodent with an Aussie twang and the Tooth Fairy or Tooth for short (voiced by Isla Fisher) sounds like a fan of Justin Bieber. Jack Frost (voiced by Chris Pine) has the Peter Pan vibe and the story does revolve around him.

Santa's elves though are poor copycats of the lovable Minions in Despicable Me and as an avid moviegoer, that's easily recognizable. That was the only flaw I saw in the film.

Rise of the Guardians caters to every age group for their are kids out there who needs some fun at the movies and as for us adults too because at one time we were once kids too.

MOVIE REVIEW: Hitchcock

An entertaining and intelligent character study of famed director Alfred Hitchcock (Anthony Hopkins) and his film editor wife Alma Reville (Helen Mirren) as they collaborate in filming what would turn out to be one of the best films of all time.

After achieving both critical and commercial success in 1959's North by Northwest, Alfred Hitchcock was offered left to right films that producers want him to direct, among them an adaptation of Ian Fleming's novel Casino Royale but he refused all of them and insisted on doing a gruesome novel inspired by psychotic murderer Ed Gein called Psycho. Big studio refused to fund the project for it considers the book gruesome and exploitative.

From sourcing funds to film his dream project, to casting and defying the norm in film making, Hitchcock delivers the goods with the powerhouse duo of Oscar winners Hopkins and Mirren. Sir Anthony Hopkins does resemble him and Mirren gave life and vibrance to a true-to-life person in which most of us are not familiar of (including me). Their wit and affection for each other as their character gives the movie it's heart.

Scarlett Johansson is at her bombshell best as the actress Janet Leigh whom Hitchcock cast as a way to shock the moviegoers. Famous for being one of America's sweetheart, Leigh jumped on the iconic role of Marion Crane to mature as an actress and it did turn out well.

British actor James D'Arcy does resemble Anthony Perkins aka Norman Bates and Jessica Biel gives her best performance yet as actress Vera Miles.

Part fantasy but mostly a true story, Hitchcock is a great film about behind the scenes in the making of a great film.

MOVIE REVIEW: Anna Karenina

Director Joe Wright and actress Keira Knightley's 3rd collaboration after Pride and Prejudice (in which Knightley got an Oscar nomination for Best Actress) and Atonement, Anna Karenina looks good on paper with Jude Law and Aaron Taylor-Johnson in the supporting roles but it comes out short for the vision that Wright wanted for Leo Tolstoy's classic tragic novel about an upper-class Russian wife and mother in 1874.

This version has the film being presented inside a theater like a stage play that transitions to some scenes in wintertime Russia and back again on inside the stage.

Unfortunately, adapting a film whose main character has complex emotions and flaws could not connect in a set-up that's best suited for musicals like Moulin Rouge in which the lead also had a tragic ending. Baz Luhrmann's musical and it's production numbers though best suited the theatrical background.

Keira Knightley gives a commendable performance in a film that does not know where to go. Her Anna has the face the vulnerability and tragedy and given a better directed film, she would have shone more.

MOVIE REVIEW: Skyfall

From the action-packed opening scene in Turkey to it's heartbreaking finish somewhere in the United Kingdom, Skyfall is two and a half hours of pure entertainment unlike any other James Bond movie that you have seen.

Oscar winning director Sam Mendes of American Beauty is the right man to helm Bond into the 21st century. After rebooting the series in 2006 with Casino Royale with Daniel Craig as 007 and a disappointing Quantum of Solace in 2008, Skyfall stands out as the best among the three with a story that is more personal to the main character and sets up the stage for more movies in the franchise in years to come with new characters and deviating from a typical James Bond film.

Judi Dench (as M) is the Bond girl in this film and is given more ample time than any other films that her character was in due to the fact that when secret agents of MI6 began to disappear and getting killed at the same time, her mother figure comes out to protect 007 from an enemy never before seen: cyber terrorism in which gadgets and technology can also be used as weapons of mass destruction. This is one of Dench's best performance in her stellar and I dare say better than some films in which she was nominated for an Oscar.

And speaking of gadgets and technology, the film also introduces us to the new Q (Ben Whishaw), a younger college baby-faced looking one compared to past two ones in the role: the late Desmond Llewelyn and John Cleese and unlike in the previous films in the series, Q does not provide flashier gadgets for Bond to use and he is more of an computer whiz rather than an inventor.

No Country for Old Men's Javier Bardem also continues his streak of playing bad guys with bad hair as Silva, a former MI6 agent gone rogue. Over the top with his looks and dialogue, the Spanish actor gives Skyfall a memorable villain. Ralph Fiennes is also in the cast as Mallory, a government official that us moviegoers won't be seeing the last of him.

With Daniel Craig, two Oscar winning actors (Dench and Bardem) and a two time nominee (Fiennes), Skyfall is an actors showcase that compliments the action scenes and exotic locations that the Bond series is known for.

MOVIE REVIEW: Lincoln

A word of advice to those who are not familiar with American history: do some research first on the last four months of Abraham Lincoln in office and you'll have a clearer understanding and appreciation on how great the man was and the legacy he left not only in the United States but also the world.

Daniel Day Lewis gives another outstanding performance as the revered 16th President of the United States in the Steven Spielberg directed film. Unlike his past two acclaimed flashier performances in Gangs of New York and There Will Be Blood in which he received his second Oscar for Best Actor, Day Lewis is much restrained in his interpretation of Lincoln. He humanizes the man that most Americans consider the greatest President they had and puts a persona that most of us only knew him through his iconic stature and built. It also helps that guided by make-up artists, he does look like the one we see on a five dollar bill.

The film focuses more on the two legacies of Lincoln: the abolition of slavery and the end of the Civil War. Even though the film was set in 1865, the political dealings on and the way Washington DC politics works still applies to today in every part of the world. It was an eye opener to see through the film and aided by Tony Kushner's elegant script on how a key piece of legislation was passed during the days where life was so simple in which there were no machines and gadgets to instantly update the citizenry.

Sally Field (as First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln) and Tommy Lee Jones (as Abolitionist Congressman Thaddeus Stevens) are outstanding in their supporting roles. Joseph Gordon Levitt, Hal Holbrook, James Spader, Lee Pace and David Strathairn also gave commendable performances in their roles.

Lincoln is unlike any other Steven Spielberg that I had seen before. Cinematography, Art Direction and Production were inspired by those indie British historical films. The only signature scenes from the director that I noticed in the film was President Lincoln's bonding moments with his youngest son Willie (played by Chase Edmunds).

Lincoln opens this Friday November 9 in limited release and goes wide on the 16th all across the US.

MOVIE REVIEW: Wreck-It Ralph

Wreck-It Ralph (voiced by John C. Reilly) is the bad guy in a Donkey Kong like video game Fix-It-Felix, whose lead character of the same name (voiced by 30 Rock's Jack McBrayer) repairs the broken windows of the apartment building that he destroys and after accomplishing the task gets a pie from the tenants and a medal as well. On the other hand, they throw Ralph off the building. He's tired of being overshadowed by the lead character and always being the bad guy so on the time of the games 30th anniversary, Ralph opens up all his hang-ups to fellow video game villains to an Alcoholics Anonymous inspired group meeting. The result is him going into other video games looking for that medal and ultimately recognition that he did not get from his own game.

From video games characters of the distant past such Pac-Man, Street Fighter's Ryu, Ken and Zangief, QBert, Tapper, Super Mario Brothers' Bowser and many more, Wreck-It-Ralph is such a joy to watch for us who grew up playing them. Add to it the new video games and characters from the movies such as Hero's Duty, inspired by Call of Duty and the Japanese anime inspired Sugar Rush and a funny wisecracking and entertaining script, added by soon to be well-known characters Vanellope von Schweetz (voiced by Sarah Silverman) and Sergeant Calhoun (voiced by Jane Lynch), Wreck-It-Ralph may be not that original, I can see some traces of Monsters Inc., Toy Story, A Bug's Life and Who Framed Roger Rabbit in it, but it doesn't disappoint and gives the right amount of fun and entertainment to people of all ages.

MOVIE REVIEW: Flight

In his first live action film that he directed since Cast Away 12 years ago which earned Tom Hanks an Oscar nomination, Robert Zemeckis is back with Flight, a character driven film with another two-time winner as the lead actor Denzel Washington who gives his best performance since Training Day.

Washington plays Whip Whitaker, a divorced pilot who successfully saves all but six passengers and crew on a regular routine flight from Orlando to Atlanta plane from total disaster after a freak accident due to bad weather. Hailed as a hero, Whitaker's new found glory may be short-lived as investigators unravel his inner demon: alcoholism.

Just like in Cast Away, Zemeckis directs a film about a character struggling to recover after an incident that could had almost killed him. The plane crash and landing scenes were excellent and everything after that turns into a character study of Whip's condition and addiction that can make or break him. Kelly Reilly playing a junkie named Nicole is a standout among the supporting cast and so is Don Cheadle as a lawyer willing to help Washington's character to overcome the legal obstacles at all cost. After Argo, John Goodman makes it two for two in this film as Whitaker's drug dealing best friend.

 After being at the helm of three animated films in a row (The Polar Express, Beowulf and A Christmas Carol), it was quite a shock for me (and I believe most of the audience as well at the screening) that the first scene of Flight involves drugs, full frontal nudity and alcohol. I thought I was in a Scorsese film. Robert Zemeckis finally evolved as a film director and anchored by Denzel Washington's award worthy performance make this a FLIGHT to remember.

MOVIE REVIEW: Chasing Mavericks

In Chasing Mavericks, based on the short but colorful life of Northern California surfing great Jay Moriarty (played by Jonny Weston), the film focused more on how he was able to discover the legendary maverick break in the Santa Cruz/Half Moon Bay area of Northern California, and asked guidance from his surfer neighbor Frosty Hesson (Gerard Butler) to overcome fear and panic and ultimately, to ride those high waves.

This is an inspirational film that would go beyond the usual demographic of the surfer market. Weston gave a charismatic performance of the surfing legend and was ably guided by Butler and Oscar nominee Elisabeth Shue (Leaving Las Vegas) who plays Moriarty's single mom. This rises above from the last two mainstream surfing themed films released: Blue Crush which is purely eye-candy and lightweight entertainment and Soul Surfer, another true story which has some polarizing religious undertones to it. It also helps that Chasing Mavericks are directed by two of the best ones around: Curtis Hanson (LA Confidential and 8 Mile) and Michael Apted (The World Is Not Enough and Gorillas in the Mist) who took over the last three weeks of filming after Hanson pulled out for health reasons.

The shots of Santa Cruz and Half Moon Bay are excellent, it really brought you into that world that exists for hard-core surfers chasing for that mystical waves. Almost everyone (including me) were misty eyed after the closing credits so I can say that Chasing Mavericks has joined the ranks of Rudy and Field of Dreams as sports films that can make grown men easily cry. That was a compliment.

MOVIE REVIEW: Seven Psychopaths

After In Bruges, Colin Farrell teams up again with director/writer Martin McDonagh in Seven Psychopaths, a delightful violently made black comedy that retains the sharp witted charm of their first collaboration with some of the best actors working and changing the setting to Los Angeles, California.

Marty (Farrell) is a screenwriter trying to finish off his script "Seven Psychopaths" with some help from his best friend Billy (Sam Rockwell), a part time actor and a thief targeting dogs and returning them to their owners once it offers a reward. He's doing it with his partner in crime Hans (Christopher Walken) who needs some money himself to help his wife who is suffering from cancer.

Unfortunately, they stole a dog, a shit tzu to be exact, whose owner is a psychopathic gangster (Woody Harrelson). Hilarity ensues in a highly entertaining way that evokes the style of Quentin Tarantino and Guy Ritchie. If you are a fan of those directors mentioned then Seven Psychopaths is a must see. 

MOVIE REVIEW: Argo

The most entertaining political-thriller that I had ever seen and I also say original, which is a triumph because it is based on a true story during one of the difficult times in modern American history, Argo is Ben Affleck's best film so far both as an actor and most specially a director.

The opening sequence of the modern history of Iran through able narration and drawing board sketches gave moviegoers a simple yet interesting backgrounder as to why the 1979 US Embassy hostage crisis in Iran happened. Most of the Americans working in the compound were taken as hostages by the radical protesters but Argo focuses more on the 6 workers who were able to escape and had taken shelter in the Canadian Embassy.

CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck) has devised a plan of unusual proportions that can help the 6 get out of Iran: they will pose as the Canadian film crew scouting for locations in Iran for a science-fiction film called "Argo".  With the help of real life Hollywood people like Oscar winning make-up artist John Chambers (John Goodman) and producer Lester Siegel (Alan Arkin), they attempted the impossible.

From the old Warner Brothers opening logo to Mendez's shaggy hairdo, Argo has the late 70's vibe. Never would I imagine that a real life Middle Eastern political thriller would blend well with comedy and science fiction.  This is a film that you should not miss because this is one of 2012's best and should figure prominently in the upcoming awards season.

MOVIE REVIEW: Hotel Transylvania

It's no surprise that Hotel Transylvania was the number one film at the US last weekend and it help revived the box office after weeks of slump, the animated film was highly entertaining and the actors who did the voices are full of energy and had excellent chemistry due to the fact that they're all friends in real life. It also helped that the name recall of the horror staples that we all know like Dracula and Frankenstein are there, not in a scary but in a whole-hearted fun way.

Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) built a hotel catered mostly to creatures of his kind, away from the human world, many many years back, in honor of his late wife, and to protect her daughter Mavis (voiced by Selena Gomez) from the outside world, most especially humans, in which he expressed disgust of.

Flash forward to current times, Hotel Transylvania is celebrating Mavis' 118th birthday and Dracula invited all his friends including Frankenstein, The Invisible Man and The Mummy to name a few as guests.

But all breaks loose when a young American backpacker Jonathan (voiced by Andy Sandberg) accidentally discovers the hotel and he and Mavis fall in love too. Now it's to Dracula to settle things down.

Great supporting voices led by Kevin James, Fran Drescher and Steve Buscemi, excellent animation and witty one liners make Hotel Transylvania highly entertaining. It ain't as great as the similarly themed ParaNorman but Hotel Transylvania is bar notches above Adam Sandler's most recent films and other animated films that came out early this year.

MOVIE REVIEW: End of Watch

If director Judd Apatow, known for his gross-out comedies that incorporate bromance, made his version of Training Day, then the result would be End of Watch: a violent movie about two LAPD cops, who are also best friends, who became targets of a prominent Mexican drug cartel in South Central Los Angeles after heading a big operation that paralyzed their empire.

Director David Ayer, who also wrote the script for Training Day, is at his comfort zone: LA's grittier side as seen from the eyes of police officers. As with the movie that gave Denzel Washington his Best Actor Oscar almost 11 years old, the film has some excellent performances from the lead actors Jake Gyllenhaal and Michael Pena. Their natural banter on their police car while cruising around between operations is genuinely raw and funny. It does provide a stark contrast to the realistic and graphic images that are prominently featured in the movie. The shaky camera use was greatly integrated into the film, showing it exactly how cops see and feel while on their duty. Anna Kendrick and Natalie Martinez provide ample support as the ladies of the two leads but it is clearly Gyllenhaal and Pena's film.

Violent, graphic, gritty but ultimately and surprisingly feel-good, End of Watch is clearly one of 2012's best.

MOVIE REVIEW: Trouble With The Curve

Making his directorial debut after being the collaborative partner of Clint Eastwood for so many films, Robert Lorenz's Trouble With The Curve has that touch that's unmistakably Eastwood that it can be compared to the directing style of the movie icon. Slow and steady that builds momentum and tugs your heart, Trouble With The Curve is not only a baseball movie but also a film that celebrates the bond between a father and his daughter. 

Gus (Eastwood) a baseball scout in his twilight years still does his job of finding new prospects for the Atlanta Braves even in the age of technology where stats are gathered to find the perfect player. He is joined by his estranged daughter Mickey (Amy Adams) a lawyer who was offered a partnership in a law firm but had to put it on hold when her father's good friend Pete Klein (John Goodman) asked her a favor to join her father, to get to know him better and find out whatever is bothering him. Together with Gus' former find Johnny Flanagan (Justin Timberlake) who now also scouts talent, they rediscover the undying love they have for each other bonded by their favorite sport.

Eastwood plays a slight variation of his Gran Torino character here and it works. Adams is too young to be his daughter though in the movie, the original choice Sandra Bullock would have been better in terms of casting. Justin Timberlake continues his evolution as an actor and acting with a known movie icon and one of the best actresses under the age of 40 around, Mr. Sexyback held his ground.

Trouble With The Curve opened our eyes in the world of baseball scouts. It may be slow at times but in the end, eveything in it's details was worth it.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Words

A drama about the power of writing and moving forward, The Words may be not be for everyone because of it's multi-layered storyline but heartfelt performances from Bradley Cooper and Jeremy Irons makes the film rise from above-average status.

Bradley Cooper plays Rory Jansen, a struggling author who achieved literary success on a novel he didn't write. As he celebrates it's success, the past that came with it will haunt him and make him realize his priorities and contemplates the future after that single mistake. Jeremy Irons plays the mysterious old man that provides him with the link that would connect Rory and the writer of the book. 

That alone has the makings of a good movie but it added another subplot which for me, was the weakest one. The one involving Dennis Quaid as another author narrating Rory Jansen's experiences in a book club reading of his book: The Words. It is totally unnecessary and the movie would had been better without it.

The Words is a beautifully shot film about writing and the power of asking for forgiveness and moving forward. Despite it's flaws, most especially the Dennis Quaid episode, it is one film that lingers on to you, even more if you love to write.

MOVIE REVIEW: ParaNorman

I came to watch ParaNorman without any expectations and the only thing that I know of that's on the positive side was that it was from the makers of Coraline, one of the best stop motion animated pictures in recent memory. Good thing for that thought for I came out of the theater in good spirits, for ParaNorman is the best (so far), animated film that came out this year and is highly entertaining and funny too with sharp writing that can even be compared to Pixar's greatest films. It is also unexpectedly a feel-good film too!!

Norman Babcock (voiced by Kodi Smit-Mc Phee) is a boy with a gift: he can see and speak to dead people. His family, and everyone else thinks his weird except for his friend Neil. The gift eventually will be put into good use for he has uncovered a curse in their small town in which he will play a big part in removing it permanently.

ParaNorman is like Haley Joel Osment's character the Sixth Sense smashed with touches of a Tim Burton flick plus the look and feel of the B horror movies of the 50's. It's also very funny too!! This is one of 2012's best films for me and should be a contender for Best Animated Feature come awards season time.

MOVIE REVIEW: Sparkle

I never saw the original Sparkle made in 1976 which starred Irene Cara and even the recent movie that is also being compared to which is 2006's Dreamgirls which was a box office hit and won some Oscars too but based, on the synopsis of what I'd read from the movies mentioned, this 2012 Sparkle, despite all the cliches is one highly entertaining film. I was never bored watching every single minute of it.

The film setting is 1960's Detroit and Motown was still the dream of aspiring songwriters and singers who wanted to be recognized by the legendary recording company. American Idol season 6 winner Jordin Sparks plays the titular character, the youngest of three sisters raised alone by Emma (Whitney Houston in her final film), a strict religious lady who doesn't want her daughters to commit the same mistakes she did when she was young thus preventing her kids for pursuing whatever they want. Her performance here is way different from the other three movies that she did. A film with Whitney Houston isn't complete without her singing and her rendition of the classic "His Eye is on the Sparrow" is a great swan song for a life that maximized her talent but cut short by vices.

Eldest daughter named Sister (Carmen Ejogo) is the good looking one who fell in love with some bad decisions straining her relationship with her mom. The sassy one Dolores (Tika Sumpter) is the trail blazing one in terms of fashion sense but is always still there for her family. The two actresses gave outstanding performances in the movie and hopefully in the future be given good roles in better films. It helps that their characters are the flashier ones therefore leaving Sparks acting as bland.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Odd Life of Timothy Green

Disney's latest live action offering "The Odd Life of Timothy Green" is certainly the most original offering the studio has ever made in recent memory and yet it is also the weirdest. Married couple Cindy and Jim Green (Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton of Warrior) had exhausted all efforts to bear a child so one night, before closing the chapter and moving forward with their lives, they wrote all the qualities they wanted if they had one, put it in a wooden box and buried it on their backyard.

A few hours later, after a freak storm, a young boy (CJ Adams) comes out of the spot where they buried the wooden box and the Green couple suddenly have an instant son Timothy.

Parents all of a sudden, the Greens find ways to integrate their son into the world that they revolve: the small all-American town of Stanleyville.

Peter Hedges who wrote the brilliant screenplay adaptations of "What's Eating Gilbert Grape" (based from his own novel) and his Oscar nominated script of Nick Hornby's About A Boy ably directed his film for this is his forte. Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton bring in credible performances. 2-time Oscar winner Dianne Wiest's grumpy matriarch of the company where the Green couple work, M. Emmet Walsh's Uncle Bub and Ron Livingston, channeling his iconic role in the cult classic Office Space are the standouts among the supporting cast.

However, the best performance in the film comes from Timothy Green himself, the child actor CJ Adams. Appearing only in his second film after 2007's Dan in Real Life, Adams gives the right amount of charm as the unusual titular character. He was born to play this role. If there are any awards for best performance of a child actor in 2012, CJ Adams is definitely a surefire nominee.

A dark bittersweet unusual family film, The Odd Life of Timothy Green gives the right amount of sentiment that's fit for a family day at the movies. 

MOVIE REVIEW: The Campaign

In time for the upcoming US presidential election comes "The Campaign", a comedy about the congressional race in the 14th District of North Carolina where the long-time Democrat incumbent Cam Brady (Will Ferrell) is facing his biggest challenge yet after a scandal shot down his popularity.

Two CEO brothers (Dan Aykroyd and John Lithgow) with some huge business interests in the district decided to find an opponent that can beat up Brady and yet make him their back and call protecting their investments. They found that man in Marty Huggins (Zach Galifianakis) the local naive tourist guide who gladly accepted the challenge because he simply wanted to serve the district and make his father proud of him.

Directed by Jay Roach (Meet the Parents, Meet the Fockers and the Austin Powers trilogy), it uses every possible gag that can be used in an election campaign and surprisingly it works. This is due to the fact that both Ferrell and Galifianakis have great chemistry. I can put this film along Ferrell's best (Talladega Nights, Anchorman and The Other Guys comes to my mind). Galifianakis is just doing a rehash of his role in Due Date (with the dog as props) and it compliments his character as the surprise opponent for Ferrell's Brady.

Jason Sudeikis plays it straight as Cam Brady's campaign manager and also the voice of reason. Dylan Mc Dermott is suavely evil as candidate Huggins' manipulator.
If you love the jokes from the previous films of the two lead actors then by all means watch The Campaign.

TEASER TRAILER: Zero Dark Thirty

The Hurt Locker's Kathryn Bigelow's follow-up film after making history as the first female to win the Academy Award for directing. Opens this December in the US.

MOVIE REVIEW: Killer Joe

Based on the off-Broadway play by Tracy Letts, Killer Joe is the story of the dysfunctional stereotypical white-trash family in Texas: the Smiths. Drug-dealing son Chris (Emile Hirsch) owes a substantial amount of money putting his life in danger, he enlists the services of Killer Joe to end the life of his biological mother, who is separated from his dad Ansel (Thomas Haden Church) who got married to another lady Sharla (Gina Gershon) who absolutely hates Chris with a passion. He got a little sister Dottie (Juno Temple) who becomes a pawn in all of this. Once the kill is done, they would get a big amount from his Mom's insurance since he's been told that her little sister is the main beneficiary. All of them gave outstanding performances that pushes the boundaries on what they had done before on their respective careers on film.

Secrets are revealed and it all comes down to the gut-wrenching finale that either one would love or hate. You will never look at a KFC drumstick the same way again after watching a movie.I still can't believe that this film was directed by William Friedkin, who made two of the best films in the 70's: The French Connection and The Exorcist. Killer Joe is a mash-up of Quentin Tarantino movies mixed with the same feel of the Coen Brothers' No Country for Old Men. 

If 2012 is the year of Channing Tatum in the US box office with three $100 million plus grossing hits in a span of six months (The Vow, 21 Jump Street and Magic Mike), the year is turning out well too for his Magic Mike co-star Matthew McConaughey in terms of acting performance. After an Oscar-worthy performance as Dallas in the Steven Soderbergh directed film, he comes up again flawlessly in the title role of Killer Joe. I doubt if the Academy would notice his performance given it's restricted NC-17 (No children under 17 admitted) rating here in the US but he completely erases the romantic comedy actor image he held for so long after Magic Mike and this film.

TEASER POSTER: The Hangover 3

MOVIE REVIEW: The Watch

What if suburban American was suddenly and quietly being invaded by aliens, whatcha' gonna do?? That is the premise of The Watch which is a hybrid of the Men in Black trilogy, Ghostbusters and almost every recent Vince Vaughn movie released.

American comic superstars Ben Stiller, Vince Vaughn, Jonah Hill and British Richard Ayoade play the different variant of the suburban male, who when a mysterious death happened, of all places Costco, where Stiller's character is the manager gave them a chance to escape from their humdrum lives to form the neighborhood watch and to help catch the killer. What they did not know is that it's not from the planet.

I had a good laugh with Ben Stiller's character Evan because I know of some people that eerily resembles him: uptight, on the go but neglectful of what matters most: family!! This is one of Vince Vaughn's funniest films but the role of Bob is just a rehash of his character in Couples Retreat: a dad who just loves to cuss. The only Oscar nominee among the cast, Jonah Hill, plays it safe and predictable in a role that's found in most gross out comedy that we saw the past couple of years.21 Jump Street is still his best film for 2012. Richard Ayoade is a surprising find and he plays his role of Jamarcus with perfect comic timing. He deserves a better comedy film than this.

The Watch is funnier than what the trailer suggests but that's not much of a compliment. Too much vulgarity and crudeness prevents it from being a family film but if you want a quick laugh and some extra time to kill then this film is for you.

MOVIE REVIEW: Step Up Revolution

The fourth installment of the popular movie franchise takes us to South Beach Miami, Florida where a dance crew named The Mob conducts flash mobs around the city to win in a viral video competition. It's leader Sean (Ryan Guzman), who also works as a waiter at a posh restaurant of a hotel, falls in love in Emily (Kathryn McCormick), an aspiring dance and also the daughter of the owner (Peter Gallagher) of the complex whose ambitious real estate development threatens the neighborhood where Sean and the rest of the dance crew lives.
After Step Up 3D two years ago, this film also maximized the use of 3D technology in the film and it works well in the dance scenes. However, the story leaves more questions and even simple minds can figure that out. Most of the actors in the film are dancers in real life and their acting abilities are commendable. Bottom line though, this is just a 97 minute long music video that is better seen on MTV and/or VH-1.
If you have some time to spare, Step Up Revolution is harmless fun but it's not worth to pay the extra 3D unless you are truly a fan of the series.

A CLASS ACT: Christian Bale visits the victims of the Century 16 Aurora Theater shooting.

The Dark Knight Rises lead actor Christian Bale visited the victims of the Century 16 Theater shooting at the Swedish Hospital in Aurora, Colorado in his own capacity. No accompanying press or TV cameras. Pictures of him were uploaded by people in the hospital through social media. A class act!!

MOVIE REVIEW: The Dark Knight Rises

Eight years after the events that transpired in The Dark Knight (2008), The Dark Knight Rises begins with Gotham City's crime rate at it's all time low thanks to the able perseverance of Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) , the city's District Attorney whose murder was blamed on Batman (Christian Bale). His alter-ego Bruce Wayne now lives a reclusive life and is jolted when a new villain Bane (Tom Hardy), with a past that's connected to him comes to wreck havoc on Gotham. Like what the title implies, the Dark Knight comes back or rises from whatever things that has been keeping to himself.
I saw the film in IMAX and it compliments the movie really well. The beauty of using it's different kind of camera was well executed in some scenes that maximized the big screen there is out now. I for one applaud Christopher Nolan's choice of not converting the movie into 3D for it lessens to impact of the lessons that the movie wants to impart that is in parallel to what's happening in the US right now. I don't want to spoil the movie but to give you guys a clue, it involves the "1%" living in the country right now.
Nothing can beat Heath Ledger's Oscar winning performance in the previous movie but the rest of the cast deliver outstanding performances as well. All that is required of Bane was executed with brute force by Tom Hardy and the trio of Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman and Gary Oldman is consistent with their acting since Batman Begins (2005) of Alfred Pennyworth, Lucius Fox and Commissioner James Gordon respectively.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt brings a different variation in his character in Inception, another Nolan movie and that is a compliment. Anne Hathaway does a respectable job of portraying the cunning Selina Kyle or Catwoman but it is Miranda  Tate (Marion Cotillard) who brings more fierceness in the film, in a role that will surprise you.
This is the best film that I'd seen in the IMAX format and you won't regret spending your hard-earned cash in watching it. What a great conclusion to this trilogy that Christopher Nolan created.

VIDEO:Jason Biggs Unreleased 'Magic Mike' Audition Tape

MOVIE REVIEW: Ted

Ted is one over the top comedy that pushes boundaries on its jokes, not surprising since the creator is Seth MacFarlene of TV's Family Guy, aided without the boundaries of television, the movie actually works and despite it's crassness and vulgarity, Ted is a slight variation of the typical Hollywood buddy comedy that we see but with a touch of sentimentality and a big heart.

John Bennett (Mark Wahlberg) got to have Ted (voiced by MacFarlene), a talking teddy bear, as his best friend, as a result of his childhood wish. They grew up together, smoke pot and drink beer together but then John falls in love with Lori Collins (Mila Kunis) and thus the conflict begin. Will John ever be stuck with his best friend for life despite having a relationship with a woman she loves or can he handle them both?

From The Fighter to now Ted, Boston native Wahlberg is at his best when he's playing local. Kunis is ever reliable in comedies, as evidenced in That 70's Show and last year's Friends with Benefits opposite Justin Timberlake. Be also prepared for an unexpected cameo from one of Hollywood A list actors in a role that will take you off guard.

The movie shows us that at a point in life, we do have to grow up and make choices that make us responsible for ourselves. Beneath the crude humor, Ted teaches us life lessons that is entertaining yet enlightening. This for me is one feel-good movie

MOVIE REVIEW: Magic Mike

They say luck comes in threes and after scoring two $100 million grossing hits this year at the US Box Office with The Vow and 21 Jump Street, Channing Tatum might as well have his third with Magic Mike, arguably one of 2012 most awaited films, which doesn't disappoint!!
Based on his life as a male stripper in Florida before he became an actor, Magic Mike is ably directed by the Oscar winning director Steven Soderbergh.
The premise is simple, a veteran in the field of male strip dancing Mike (Tatum), brings a 19 year old newbie Adam played by Alex Pettyfer, whom he met at one of his day jobs, under his wings and introduces him the tricks and the trade of the business, in the club managed by Dallas, played by Matthew McConaughey. There, along with Adam, we meet the other cast of characters who comprises the club, that Tampa ladies go to.
Male bonding to the point of bromance is Soderbergh's signature style as seen in the Ocean series in which he also directed. The characters are well believable to the point that you laugh along with them but not exactly wanting to be like them. Tatum gives a commendable performance but it is McConaughey, who gives away the film's best lines, is one actor that Oscar should not forget come awards season time as one probable nominee for Supporting Actor.
The genre that the Oscar winning film The Full Monty has monopolized for years finally has company with Magic Mike.

MOVIE REVIEW: That's My Boy

For my generation who grew up watching Adam Sandler films such as Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison while struggling to finish our collegiate years, That's My Boy feels like the child of the two above mentioned movies, who like us grew up but still retained the naughty child in us.
Sandler plays Donny Berger, who impregnated his teacher Miss McGarricle (Eva Amurri Martino) while on his early teens in school, thus having a son Han Solo (Andy Samberg) who does not want to do anything with him for he's a loud mouthed alcoholic who basically did not grow up as a person. He moved out of his Dad when he was 18, even changed his changed his given name to Todd and had a career as a hedge fund manager.
When Donny found out that his son is getting married, he shows up uninvited to the pre-wedding happenings and that's when all the craziness begins.
This is classic Adam Sandler, this time you would actually be rooting for him. I never thought that Samberg, best known for his SNL's skits such as the Emmy winning Dick in a Box with Justin Timberlake, would effectively play the part of the serious son. Both of them have similar features and the casting of them as father and son was perfect in my opinion.
I had never laughed so far in any recent Adam Sandler movies than this. After the crap that was Jack and Jill, I hope that audiences who like me, loved the laughs that Happy Gilmore and Billy Madison provided, to give That's My Boy a peek.

MOVIE REVIEW: Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted

How do you top an animated franchise about a group of animals who escaped from the Central Park Zoo in New York to return to their roots in Africa only to experience more adventures? Simple, bring them to another continent, join other animals in the circus and enhance it through 3D!!
Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted is one fast-paced animated film with characters that moviegoers of all ages that saw the first two films adore; from Ben Stiller's Alex the Lion, Chris Rock's Marty the Zebra, Jada Pinkett Smith's Gloria the Hippo, David Schwimmer's Melman the giraffe and Sacha Baron Cohen's King Julien following the ever cute Penguins as they attempt to get some loot from a Monte Carlo casino and joining a travelling circus across the continent to escape the wrath of Animal Protection head Capitaine Chantel DuBois, voiced by Frances Mc Dormand, the main protagonist. Inspired by Cruella DeVil mixed with a bloodhound's mannerisms, she is one of the best animated villains that came out in recent memory.
New characters are introduced using the circus as the backdrop and it's perfect!! I saw the film in 3D and it truly utilized the technology especially in the circus scenes.
There has been a void in animated  films the last couple of months with Dr.Seuss' The Lorax being only the certified box office hit and The Pirates: Band of Misfits hardly making noise despite being critically acclaimed. Madagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted will likely bridge the gap.

MOVIE REVIEW: Men in Black III

The first Men in Black, released in summer 1997, was an unexpected blockbuster hit, both from the moviegoing public and the critics, earning more than the sequel to Jurassic Park's The Lost World, which was expected to top it all. It even won Best Makeup at that's year Oscars, beating even the film which swept most of the awards than night, Titanic.
Five years later, a sequel was made and was an unispired one, earning less than the first film.
This year, the third Men in Black was dubbed the film that nobody asked for, but you guys are gonna be in for a pleasant surprise.This is how a summer blockbuster sequel is supposed to be.
The movie starts off as convicted alien Boris the Animal, played by Jemaine Clement from Flight of the Conchords, escapes from Lunar Prison to find the agent that put him there and that made him lose one of his arms as well. It turned out to be Agent K (Tommy Lee Jones) who suddenly disappears. When Agent J (Will Smith) finds out, he has to travel back in time in order to save K and not alter the course of history.
The element of time travel brings a fresh approach to a film whose last installment was ten years ago. Aside from the two leads, Men in Black III has some outstanding supporting actors with Clement, Oscar Winner Emma Thompson and Josh Brolin, who plays the younger Agent K. His mannerisms and way of talking are eerily like Tommy Lee's.
You don't have to watch this movie in 3D to enjoy. A regular screen would be fine to enjoy it like it was in 97, when the first one came out.

MOVIE REVIEW: The Avengers

After Marvel Studios made box office hits, starting in 2008 when the first Iron Man movie was released and The Incredible Hulk a few months after that till last year when Thor and Captain America both came out. It eventually lead into this: The Avengers and believe all the hype; the movie is awesome and for me, it is the first great film of 2012!!
After Nick Fury played by Samuel L. Jackson made some cameo appearances in those mentioned movies, he gathered them all with his group S.H.I.E.L.D, a global peacekeeping agency when the world is threatened by a force far superior than what earth has ever known.
Robert Downey Jr. is his usual suave self as Tony Stark or Iron Man. Scarlett Johansson's Black Widow has more exposure in this film than her first appearance in the Iron Man sequel and so Jeremy Renner in hs uncredited role in Thor.Chris Hemsworth and Chris Evans continue to be pitch perfect in their now trademark roles as Thor and Captain America respectively.
Seeing Iron Man, The Hulk, Captain America, Thor plus Black Widow and Hawkeye together on one screen is every film and comic book buff's dream and for two hours and twenty minutes, it is genuine entertainment for people of all ages.

FIRST IMAGE: The Lone Ranger

First image of Armie Hammer and Johnny Depp as the Lone Ranger and Tonto - something to look forward to in 2013!!

MOVIE REVIEW: This Means War

This Means War is a highly enjoyable action comedy with Academy Award Winner Reese Witherspoon (Walk the Line), Tom Hardy (Inception, Bronson) and Chris Pine (Star Trek, Unstoppable). The two actors play CIA operatives who are also best friends but their friendship is tested when they both fall in love with the same woman, played by Witherspoon.
The Oscar Winner and one of Hollywood's top box office actress always delivers in comedy, as proven in the Legally Blonde films, Sweet Home Alabama and Four Christmases but the biggest surprise of this film are the two lead actors. Pine and Hardy both have excellent chemistry and good comic timing. And who would thought that Tom Hardy, next seen as the villain Bane in this summer's The Dark Knignt Rises, could excel well as a comedic actor, as he is well-known in dark films such as Bronson.
Chelsea Handler also stars as Witherspoon's best friend who engages in dirty sex and foul language, to which I should say is her forte.
The film is directed by McG (Charlie's Angels series and Terminator Salvation). This is one chick flick that guys too would enjoy.

Entertainment Weekly: 25 Movies to See Before Oscar Night

Every January, the US magazine Entertainment Weekly publishes their Oscar Race issue forecasting the nominees for the Academy Awards for films released the year before. Aside from that, they also list the 25 films that you need to watch which has the potential to score some nominations. Here is the list to help you.

1. The Artist


2. The Descendants

3. War Horse

4. The Help

5. Hugo

6. Midnight in Paris


7. Moneyball

8. The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

9. Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close

10. The Tree of Life

11. Beginners

12. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2

13. The Iron Lady

14. Rango

15. My Week With Marilyn

16. Shame

17. Albert Nobbs

18. The Ides of March

19. Kung Fu Panda 2


20. Bridesmaids

21. J.Edgar

22. We Need to Talk About Kevin


23. Drive



24. Young Adult

25. Paradise 3: Lost Purgatory