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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Zero Hour (TV-14)

       If you are a fan of treasure maps and conspiracy theories, then Zero Hour is the show for you. In my book, Zero Hour is a show with an interesting concept and plot line. However, there is one aspect of the show thus far that I have an issue with. Overall, though, I have enjoyed watching Zero Hour.
       Zero Hour centers around magazine editor Hank Galliston (played by Anthony Edwards). Galliston is happily married to his wife, Laila (Jacinda Barrett), until a mercenary by the name of White Vincent (played by Michael Nyqvist) kidnaps her. Desparate to get his wife back, Galliston sets off on hunt to find Vincent.  Galliston and his employees and friends Arron and Rachel (Scott Michael Foster and Addison Timlin) uncover that in 1938, the Catholic Church appointed twelve new apostles in order to keep their greatest secret from the Nazi Party, a secret that could bring about the distruction of not only the world as we know it but of God himself. Each of the new apostles was given a clock that would lead to the next apostle's clock thus creating a trail to the Church's secret. Galliston discovers that Laila was captured so that Vincent would be able to fix any clocks that he found and were broken.

Hank Galliston, Arron, and Rachel receive news from the FBI

        I really enjoy the plot of Zero Hour. The creativity behind the idea of the show is excellent and very involved. Writer Paul Scheuring did an excellent job with the plot line. I enjoy how the show centers around a decades-old conspiracy theory involving such organizations such the Catholic Church and historic figures such as Albert Einstein and Adolf Hitler. It makes the show a lot more accessible for the average person. Also the fact that the characters travel the world make the show very exciting and interesting.
        My main problem with Zero Hour is the character of White Vincent. I enjoy a good villian. So much so that they are often my favorite character in a film or TV show. However, I find that White Vincent is an irregular character. I don't mean irregular in the way that he is insane and therefor unpredictable. I mean that the character is sometimes confusing to watch. In the first two episodes, Vincent is introduced as a calm, unflappable mercenary. However, in the show's third episode Vincent suddenly explodes in rage when Galliston spoke about the love he can see in his wife's eyes. Now I understand Vincent getting angry because Galliston hit a nerve, but this was a bit too far. The random explosion of emotion was in stark contrast to his normal attitude. The scene could be done better if Vincent's anger was more of a calm icey rage. That way, the point about Vincent's insecurities could be made without sacrificing the character of White Vincent. Too me, Zero Hour scores a 3 out of 5 stars. As always, thank you for reading!    


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Dark Skies (PG-13)

      Aliens? Check. Middle class American family drama? Check. Mind-numbing terror? Double check. As far as horror movies go, Dark Skies had it all. But the real question is: was it done well? There were some aspects of Dark Skies that I enjoyed but others that I felt were not as well done as they could have been.
      Obviously, the aim of this movie was to scare the audience. Writer and director Scott Stewart certainly succeeded in that area. After seeing Dark Skies, I was terrified for the rest of the day. I enjoyed how the horror in the movie was handled. I find that in many horror movies, writers simply resort to blood-splattering gore and violence and disturbing exorcisms to scare the viewer. Stewart's brand of horror in Dark Skies was much more clever and often made the audience scare themselves. The way that Stewart scared viewers was by playing with their perception, a method that I greatly enjoy. The fact that the main characters, Lacy and Daniel Barrett (played by Keri Russel and Josh Hamilton), had children made the story all the more scary.

A Grey stalks Sammy Barrett as he sleeps

       Another part of Dark Skies that I enjoyed was the part played by J.K. Simmons. You may know Simmons as J. Jonah Jameson from the Spiderman trilogy or Will Pope from TNT's show the Closer and its spin-off series: Major Crimes. In Dark Skies Simmons played Edwin Polland, an eccentric alien hunter to whom Lacy and Daniel Barrett turned to when their issues with "the Greys" were becoming beyond explanation. Simmons did an excellent job of convincing the audience not only of the dangers the Greys posed, but also of the hopelessness of the Barretts' situation. Even though Edwin Polland was in only a scene or two, he really installed a sense of dread in the audience. Thus making him a character, and an actor, who shouldn't be ignored.
       My main issue with Dark Skies was the aliens themselves. The Greys (as they were called) would watch a particular family for years until finally swooping in and taking the family member with which they had the earliest contact with. I found that the image of the Greys was basic and therefor, a bit underwhelming. The Greys were your quintessential alien: tall, gangly, long-fingered, bulbous head, and large black eyes. The only difference between the Greys and the classic space alien was that the Greys weren't green they were, well, grey. As a science fiction fan, I found this to be a bit disappointing. I understand the need to keep the aliens simple but they would have a better effect on the audience if they looked a little more unexpected.
       Lastly, another complaint I have about Dark Skies is how it ended. More specifically, the fact that it set itself up for a sequel. To me, Dark Skies was a fairly successful movie as far as the horror genre goes. If there was a second movie, it would simply be a grab for more money and the movie would end up being lousy. The fact of the matter is that Dark Skies just wasn't a good enough movie to warrant a sequel. In my opinion Dark Skies scores a 3 out of 5. As always, thank you for reading.


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