World War Z (PG-13)

      Based on the book of the same name by Max Brooks, World War Z is a thrilling apocalypse film. Beginning with an opening credit sequence that installs a sense of foreboding in the viewer (more on this later), World War Z does not let up on the excitement until the last minute. Sure to be a hit for both zombie and movie lovers alike, this film leads the viewer on a quest full of excitement and terror that one is sure to remember.
      World War Z opens on ex-UN worker Gerry Lane (Brad Pitt) and his family taking a trip into the city of Philadelphia. When the family car is stopped by heavy traffic, Gerry steps outside to investigate. As soon as he leaves the car, a police officer shouts at him to stay with his family... and then is hit by an eighteen wheeler. Soon the city dissolves into chaos as the undead make their appearance. After several close calls with zombies, Gerry gets his family out of the city and eventually, onto a United Nations aircraft carrier. However, upon conversing with his friend Thierry Umutomi (Fana Mokoena), Gerry discovers that he must join a quest to find a cure for the zombie plague if he wants his family to stay safe upon the carrier. Thus begins the globe-trotting race to save the Earth before it falls to the undead.
       As a fan of the novel, I will admit that I was rather nervous when I saw the first trailer for World War Z. First of all, the zombies were all wrong. In the book they were slow and moaned whenever they see their prey. In this movie, the undead sprinted at the humans and... screeched? Secondly, the novel didn't have a main character. It was more of a collection of interviews with survivors of the Zombie War. This was in fact one of the many reasons why the book worked so well. However in the movie version, the main focus of the story is Gerry Lane. Lastly, I'm not exactly a fan of Brad Pitt. I don't really like his movies (except for Moneyball and Ocean's 11) and I am of the opinion that he needs to cut his hair.
        All this being said, I saw World War Z twice in theaters and loved every second of it.
        Everything about this film blew me away. Not only that, all of my preconceived notions ab

A hoard of zombies climb the wall surrounding Israel

out it were proven wrong almost immediately. The running zombies were an interesting change that actually turned out to be a great idea. I was convinced of this right after our first glimpse of the undead. In this scene an unnamed man is bitten by a zombie and begins transforming into one of the ghouls. This was, perhaps, my favorite sequence in the whole film. As the poor man begins changing, the voice of a child counts down the seconds until he is fully transformed. When he is, he turns and jumps through the air at the car containing Gerry's family and smashes his head against the truck's windshield. This vicious display proved to me that fast zombies were an excellent (albeit terrifying) change to the story. Even the zombies' bone-chilling screeches were fantastic
         Having an actual main character in World War Z was a good call as well. This is what made the viewer care. We want Gerry to succeed and we want his family to survive the crisis that is gripping the world. Also, as critical as I am of Brad Pitt, I believe his acting was most impressive in this film.
          One of my favorite parts of World War Z is actually the opening credits sequence. This was comprised of carnivorous animals tearing into their prey and news anchors discussing sickness and end-of-the-world scenarios. What is so masterful about this is that everything in the sequence points to a zombie epidemic without actually saying it.
          World War Z is filled to the brim with moments both shocking and beautiful complete with a haunting score that floats through the film with natural perfection. I really enjoyed World War Z and would be sure to recommend it to anyone. This film seems, at first glance, like it shouldn't work. But nonetheless, it really does with all actors, writers, and director pulling their weight and then some. Overall, I would rate World War Z a 4.25 out of 5. Thank you for reading! be sure to check out my next review for Now You See Me.

Looper (R)

        A thrilling and mind-bending science fiction film, Looper keeps viewers on their toes with confusing time travel and a plot that is constantly twisting and turning. This film was not only enjoyable but also thought-provoking. A win for co-stars Bruce Willis and Joseph Gordon-Levitt alike, I would recommend Looper to anyone searching for a skillfully made and captivating movie.
         Looper takes place in the year 2044 where time travel has yet to be invented. Howecer, in thirty years it will be and the mob is using this to their advantage. Looper's protagonist, Joe (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), is a employee of the mob known as a Looper. Whenever the mob wishes to take an enemy out of the picture, they send their victim thirty years into the past where a Looper such as Joe waits to shoot him or her and dispose of the body. Joe is happy with his job's pay until one day his victim is none other than his older self (Bruce Willis).  Now on the run from the mob and searching for his older self, Joe discovers that before he was sent back in time, the older Joe's wife was shot by the mob. Now Joe Senior is on a quest to find the Rainmaker, the head of the mob in the future, as a child and kill him so that his wife never dies. Meanwhile the younger Joe finds the Rainmaker, a child named Cid (Pierce Gagnon) and his mother Sara (Emily Blunt) living on a small farm in the Kansas countryside. Joe realizes that Cid is an extremely powerful telekinetic who can kill if he looses control of his powers. Looper draws to an epic conclusion as the mob, the overwhelmed young Joe, bloodstained older Joe, and the unstable and angry Cid converge at Sara's farm.

Joe holds his younger self hostage

            As a science fiction fan, I enjoyed Looper. Some parts of this film caused the viewer to stop and think which means that the plot was well thought out. Writer and director Rian Johnson handled Looper very well and made sure that it was the best it could be. Throughout the film, Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Bruce Willis did their best to act as mirrors of one another. They succeeded. I was very impressed with Gordon-Levitt as he had Willis's mannerisms down so that he was a convincing younger version of Bruce Willis. Even the way Gordon-Levitt spoke was identical to Willis's own  articulation. Contributing to this was Gordon-Levitt's makeup artist, Jamie Kelman. Kelman made several small changes to Gordon-Levitt's face such as enlarging his nose and thinning his upper lip in order to make him look like Bruce Willis.
            One of the actors that gave a stunning performance in Looper is Pierce Gagnon who played Cid. As  a telekinetic and a boy genius, Cid is extremely powerful for a ten year old. Gagnon's skillful acting at such a young age blew me away. This acting was so convincing that when Cid was angry, I was genuinely scared of this small child. Having a character such as Cid played by such a talented actor made it difficult for me to decide whether I wanted Cid, Sara, and young Joe or Joe Senior to come out on top.
             Looper won the Austin Film Critics Award for Best Original Screenplay and the Critic's Choice Award for Best Scifi/Horror Movie. Both of these awards were well deserved and writer/director Rian Johnson should be proud of creating such an excellent piece of work. I certainly would recommend Looper to anyone and I rate it a 4 out of 5 stars. Thank you very much for reading.


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G.I. Joe: Retaliation (PG-13)

        A heart-pounding action film, G.I. Joe: Retaliation is sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. The sequel to G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, Retaliation continues the story of the military unit known as "the Joes". With almost an almost entirely fresh-faced cast and director, this film promises to be a different approach to the G.I. Joe franchise. Overall, Retaliation is an action movie that takes place on a huge scale. In the end, there were some elements of this film that I enjoyed and others that I just didn't understand.

Roadblock in action

        Retaliation opens with the Joes sent on a mission to Pakistan to retrieve a nuclear bomb. The assault on the warehouse goes smoothly and the Joe unit is bivouaced and waiting for further orders when they are attacked by their own air support. The only surviving Joes, Roadblock (Dwayne Johnson), Lady Jaye (Adrianne Palicki), and Flint (D.J. Cotrona) are now outlaws of their own nation with nothing to lose. Vengeful over the death of his best friend and commanding officer, Roadblock vows to find the person responsible for the massacre and bring them to justice. After much investigation with the help of another undercover Joe by the name of Snake Eyes (Ray Park), Roadblock and his team uncover that the attack was ordered by the terrorist Zartan (Arnold Vosloo, Johnathan Pryce), cleverly disguised as the president. Zartan is working with the Cobra Commander (Luke Bracey) who's goal is none other than world domination.
           My main issue with Retaliation is its originality, or rather, lack thereof. The basic story was one that has been done many times over. In fact, it reminded me a bit of the first Mission Impossible film except on a much larger scale. Another aspect of this film that wasn't very original was the villain, Cobra Commander. Allow me to digress a moment here. I absolutely love a good villain, in fact, they are often my favorite character in a story (i.e. the Joker, the Master, Darth Vader, Jim Moriarty, etc.). However, Cobra Commander was simply disappointing. He was, more or less, a reinvented Darth Vader in that he required a face mask to not only keep him alive but also to hide his disfigured face. He even had a deep menacing voice!
           Another problem I had with Retaliation was the "Joe" military unit themselves. Some of the members such as Roadblock and Flint were your stereotypical military commando. However Snake Eyes and the character Jinx (Elodie Yung) were ninjas. It was as if the Joes were split up between modern military and ninjas. I found this confusing and, in the end, pointless. However, this may just be a part of the G.I. Joe franchise that I simply am not aware of.
           Even though I have the aforementioned complaints about Retaliation, there were certain aspects that I did enjoy. One of these is the retired General Joe Colton played by none other then the unflappable Bruce Willis. Willis's dry humor and trigger-happy tendencies made Retaliation an action movie that was fun to watch. Another part of this film that was made well were the battle scenes. These scenes were filmed on an epic scale to match that of the movie itself. Advanced weapons and vehicles added to the grandeur. One such scene was when Snake Eyes and Jinx are battling enemy ninjas while swinging between Himalayan peaks.
          Although not the best action movie I have seen, G.I. Joe: Retaliation was certainly entertaining and filled with scenes that are sure to keep you on the edge of your seat. Overall, I rate Retaliation a 3 out of 5 stars. As always, thank you all for reading and keep a look out for my next review: Looper.


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Life of Pi (PG)

        An epic story of unlikely survival at sea, Life of Pi blew me away with breathtaking cinematography and  an intense script. Based on the novel by Yann Martel, Life of Pi paints not only a picture of a boy's will to survive but also of a young man learning who he is. Director Ang Lee gives us a stunningly moving piece of work that you will want to watch over and over again.
        Pi Patel (Suraj Sharma) is a spiritual boy living on his family's zoo in Ponticherry, India. He has just met the girl of his dreams when his father (Adil Hussain) tells him that he plans to sell his zoo and move to Canada. Crushed, Pi, his family, and the zoo animals (to be sold in North America) board a Japanese freighter headed to Canada. Halfway through their voyage, the ship hits a vicious storm leaving Pi adrift on a life boat with a zebra, a hyena, a orangutan named Orange Juice, and a magnificent Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. Slowly the zebra, hyena, and the orangutan die until only only Pi and Richard Parker are left on the life boat. What happens next is a endearing tale of survival and unlikely friendship between man and beast.

Pi approaches Richard Parker while at sea

        I was very impressed with Suraj Sharma as young Pi. Most of his scenes were spent alone with a CGI tiger on a lifeboat. As such, Sharma didn't have many other actors to play off. Even so, Sharma gave a stunning performance as Pi. He made the character believable and, more importantly, someone you grow to care about. As Pi faces terrible odds surviving terrible odds adrift on the Pacific Ocean, Sharma shows us how a boy of that age really would react to difficult scenarios. All in all, an excellent performance.
         One cannot discuss Life of Pi without speaking of its amazing cinematography. Cinematographer Claudio Miranda made sure that the life boat that was Pi and Richard Parker's home for several months was not only realistic but also seemed like it was being tossed about on the ocean. This cinematography was so excellent that in some places my breath was taken away. For example, in one scene Pi and Richard Parker's lifeboat is becalmed at sunset. The Pacific waters act like a mirror reflecting the orange-yellow sky and clouds, a breathtaking vista.
         Of course, Life of Pi's special effects were just as awesome as its cinematography. For course the Bengal tiger, Richard Parker was entirely CGI. Also many of the amazing things that happened to Pi as he was at sea would not have been possible without the visual effects prowess of Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, and Donald Elliot. One of the best displays of these wonderful visual effects is when a humpback whale erupts from the ocean amid luminescent jellyfish. If I hadn't known better I would have thought that the whale was real. Another breathtaking visual effects experience was the thousands of meerkats on an island that Pi ran aground on.
          Life of Pi won four Academy Awards, all of which were certainly well-deserved. Director Ang Lee won Best Director, his second Academy Award. Claudio Miranda won Best Cinematography while the team of Bill Westenhofer, Guillaume Rocheron, Erik De Boer, and Donald Elliot won Best Visual Effects. Life of Pi also won Best Original Score which was written by Mychael Danna. This film was also nominated for Best Picture but was beaten by Argo. I truly enjoyed Life of Pi and would rate it a 4.5 out of 5. Thank you for reading!


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A Thousand Words (PG-13)

         Most of us speak billions of words throughout our lifetime. A great number of which have no purpose whatsoever. But what if we could only say a thousand words? How would we communicate? What would happen to our life? A Thousand Words explores that possibility. Starring the comic genius Eddie Murphy, A Thousand Words is a comedy that left me disappointed. I felt that there were many chances to make this movie great that director Brian Robbins simply missed.

McCall struggles to communicate

         Literary agent Jack McCall (Eddie Murphy) is a fast-talking man who will say anything to make the deal. Until, that is, he lies while making a deal with a guru named Sinja (Cliff Curtis). Soon after his meeting with Sinja, a tree with a thousand leaves pops up in McCall's back yard. Every time McCall says a word a leaf falls off the tree. Sinja explains to McCall that the agent is spiritually connected to the tree and if he uses up all of the trees leaves with his words, he will die. Chaos ensues as McCall struggles to find ways of keeping his job and his family without speaking. Frustrated by McCall's lack of words, his wife, Caroline (Kerry Washington) takes their son and leaves him. Quickly sinking into depression, McCall gets all of his affairs in order (and with only three leaves left) and visits his late father's grave. Finally finding peace with his father, McCall utters the words: "I forgive you" and dies. However seconds later, McCall comes back to life enlightened.
          When I watched this ending, the only thing I could do was shake my head. This scene did not have the profound impact on the audience that I believe it was supposed to. It was a cheesy idea and very unoriginal. The fact that McCall resurrected so soon after he dropped dead, made the whole threat of death seem irrelevant. If McCall was always going to come back to life seconds after he died, why kill him off in the first place?
         Another issue that I had with A Thousand Words was the character of Jack McCall himself. This basic character was another part of this movie that was unoriginal. This was just another film where the main character is a man too wrapped up in his work to realize that he is hurting the people close to him. Quite a large number of movies are like this. To be specific, the Jim Carrey movie, Liar Liar comes to mind. Eddie Murphy's character in A Thousand Words is almost exactly the same as Carrey's in Liar Liar. Both are pathological liars who's work is so important to them that they fail to notice how much they are hurting their loved ones. The only difference is that instead of having the inability to lie, Murphy's character can only say a certain number of words. In short, McCall was not an original character and was therefore not as funny as an original character would be.
           One of the few redeeming values in A Thousand Words was Eddie Murphy. True, Murphy was given a bum character but he worked with what he had and made McCall as funny as he could. The comedic genius of Eddie Murphy is always a great thing to have in any film. He certainly drew quite a few laughs from me as I watched.
           A Thousand Words is a film that is funny to watch once and then forget about it. This was certainly not a film that I will watch again. This film could have been worthwhile but it fell on its face instead. I believe that A Thousand Words deserves 2 out of 5 stars. Thanks for reading! Keep a lookout for my next review: Life of Pi.



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We Bought A Zoo (PG)

        We Bought A Zoo is a feel-good family drama that just so happens to be based on a true story. This film boasts a star-studded cast that features Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, and Thomas Haden Church. We Bought A Zoo is based off a book by the same name written by Benjamin Mee about the events beginning at his wife's death to cancer and culminating in his successful purchase of a run-down neighborhood zoo.
         Benjamin Mee (Matt Damon) and his two children, Rosie (Maggie Elizabeth Jones) and Dylan (Colin Ford), are struggling with the death of their wife/mother due to cancer. Mee has so much on his hands that Rosie has begun to make lunches for the family while Dylan has become a problem child who draws gory pictures and gets expelled from his junior high school. Tired of the sympathy of local families, Mee pulls Rosie out of school, packs up his things and moves to a rural farmhouse that also is a closed zoo. After much thought, Mee agrees to clean up the zoo and re-open it to the public with the help of the local zoo staff such as head zookeeper, Kelly Foster (Scarlett Johansson). Although Rosie is immediately thrilled with the thought of living on a zoo, Dylan sinks deeper into his anger and continues to draw disturbing pictures. Until, that is, he meets the cheery Lily Miska (Elle Fanning). Although Dylan is dismissive of the new girl at first, the two soon become quite close.

Foster gives Mee a tour of the zoo

          We Bought A Zoo has a skillfully written screenplay that makes sure that you are attached to the characters whether you like it or not. Towards the climax of the film, Mee has to make a difficult decision as to put down Spar, an old tiger who lives on the zoo. Spar is in extreme pain and is dying. Mee however, does not want to put down the tiger because he is still mourning his dead wife. As Mee is thinking over what to do about the tiger, he looks through pictures of his late wife which of course brings back open memorys and opens wounds that have yet to completely heal. As a flashback of Mee, his wife, and his children ensues, I found myself on the verge of tears. This shows how well the director (Cameron Crowe), writers (Aline Brosh McKenna and Cameron Crowe), and actors did with making sure that the audience connects with the characters.
          One of my favorite actors in We Bought A Zoo is Thomas Hayden Church who plays Duncan Mee. Duncan is Mee's brother and financial adviser who, from the start, advises against buying the zoo. Duncan is the comic relief in this film and Church brought his own brand of sardonic humor to the character. Even when there was an emotional point in the film, Church made sure to deliver his line at the right time and with the right intonation for a hilarious break from the film's raw emotion. Another of the film's great actors is young Maggie Elizabeth Jones who plays Rosie Mee. At only seven years old, Jones is an excellent actress who delivers the right emotions at the right times to add to the weight of any particular scene.
          We Bought A Zoo was an inspiring family film that is certainly worth watching. Although a see-saw of emotion that is funny one scene and depressing another, this film is one that is fun to watch. I rate this film a 3.5 out of 5. Thank you all for reading and keep an eye out for my next review.


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Skyfall (PG-13)

          The latest installment in the James Bond franchise, Skyfall is a heart stopping action movie that delves into 007's life before he became the super spy we know him as. This action-packed film directed by Sam Mendes, grabs the viewer's attention right off when James Bond (played by Daniel Craig) is shot down and "killed" by one of his fellow MI6 agents. Discovering that M (Judi Dench) called the shot that nearly killed him, Bond fakes his death and drops off MI6's radar. Meanwhile in London, M is struggling with the grief of accidentally killing her very best agent. To add to the list of MI6's troubles, a list of field agents falls into the wrong hands, compromising agents the world over. After the MI6 headquarters is attacked, M relocates the agency. Upon seeing the danger England's agents are in, a vengeful Bond returns to work. Little does our favorite spy know, M's shadowy past is returning to haunt her.

Raoul Silva speaks to his captive: James Bond

            Their are a great many excellent things about Skyfall. One of them, of course, is Daniel Craig reprising his role of James Bond for the second time. Although no Sean Connery, Craig is certainly a worthy Bond. His mixture of English manners and cold humor make for an interesting hero. This is most easily shown in the first scene in this film. While chasing a rouge mercenary on a moving train, Bond jumps into a half-destroyed train car, adjusts his cuff links, and moves on. Other notable actors in this film are Judi Dench as M and Javiar Bardem as Raoul Silva. Silva is an ex-MI6 agent who wants revenge on M for leaving him for dead. Bardem gives his character an insanity coupled with a sadness which makes the viewer sympathetic towards him when he is finally killed.
             Another interesting aspect of Skyfall is how much it delves into Bond's childhood. The climax of the movie takes place at Bond's childhood home in the Scottish highlands. It is here that we learn how Bond has become the spy he is. Of course, I won't give away such a huge spoiler here. However learning this, makes Skyfall a bit more personal to the viewer and gives you that much more of a reason to root for the unflappable James Bond.
              Skyfall was an excellent Bond film that I would recommend to anyone searching for a good action movie. This film won one Academy Award: Best Original Song. The song, entitled "Skyfall" was written by the extremely talented Adele and Paul Epworth. This award was well deserved as "Skyfall" is a haunting song that perfectly explains the essence of the film that is its namesake. Skyfall also tied with Zero Dark Thirty for Best Sound Editing. Per Hallberg and Karen Baker Landers made every sound, from explosion to gunshot, as realistic as possible allowing the viewer to become immersed in the film. Overall, I would rate Skyfall a 4 out of 5 stars. Keep a lookout for my next review: We Bought A Zoo. Thank you all for reading.



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