The Smurfs

 

Growing up I remember watching The Smurfs cartoons as much as possible. When I heard that the Smurfs were going to come to the big screen I was really unsure how I felt because I did not want this journey of them to the big screen to ruin the memories I have of the cartoon when I was younger.  While I was not sure how they would do the film, in the end they tried to do The Smurfs similar to the Muppets movies just with a substitution the Muppet puppets with CGI smurfs and having them interact with regular actors. While this formula has worked well in the Muppet movies, with The Smurfs that formula felt very forced and was lacking something in the end. It is clear that of course this movie was meant for kids and the trying to make adults enjoy the movie too seems to miss the mark for the most part.

 

Neil Patrick Harris plays Patrick, an advertising executive who inadvertently brings the Smurfs home in his work boxes that are full of product for the campaign he is working. While Harris is his typical self in the role, he just does not come off well as the stressed out employee with a boss that is finicky and so he is stressed out worrying about keeping his job. Harris plays the light hearted roles so much better as those seem to fall into his strengths. While I did laugh with his character I just did not really connect with him. Hank Azaria in the role of Gargamel, the villain that goes against the Smurfs and is completely obsessed with using the blue essence of the Smurfs for all of his own purposes. Azaria greatly embodies the role and really is all in on being his character completely. Azaria was a perfect live version of Gargamel not only in look to that of the animated version, but had the mannerisms down perfectly as well. Sophia Vergara as the finicky boss while believable, they could have taken her character a couple steps farther to help Harris' character be stronger and it would have been nicer to see her on screen more. In the end though the cast ended up being fairly average and I am not sure if it is as much how their characters were written or if it was just average performances by most of the cast.

 

The story for The Smurfs just did not work. everything in the story felt thrown together and did not gel and work together as a cohesive unit. Somehow they needed to integrate the story and conflict of the Smurfs and Gargamel better with the main story arc for Patrick and his trying to make the ad campaign work. Even though having the Smurfs staying with him makes it tougher, it feels like Patrick does not get too involved with their conflict with Gargamel. The story showed initially that they may combine the conflict by having Gargamel working with Patrick's boss, but they merely teased it and nothing came from it. While the pacing was precisely what one would expect from a movie targeted at kids as it kept moving, but the pacing only further disjointed the story. One aspect within the story that was enjoyable for me was in the climax they went with the fad in movies currently and used some classic rock music, particularly AC/DC which made me smile since I love classic rock.

 

The Smurfs was a kid targeted movie that probably struggled for even some kids to enjoy. While Neil Patrick Harris and Hank Azaria were enjoyable in their roles they could not make up for the weak story. The story tried to follow the Muppet formula, but it did not translate well. I may have enjoyed the movie more had Sophia Vergara been on screen more and  had her character been written to fit her better, but instead I found myself bored. I am giving The Smurfs two buckets of popcorn out of five. For all the loyal followers, I am sorry for all of the kids animated movies lately. I will get a greater variety of movies reviewed again soon.

 

-The Movie Man

The Odd Life of Timothy Green

 

When I saw the first trailer for The Odd Life of Timothy Green, I was really on the fence with my interest level in going to actually see this movie. To me I got the initial feeling that this was a Disney movie with the typical Schmaltzy type feel that happens throughout the entire film. The plot device is quite interesting and original, something you don't see too often any more with all the sequels and prequels and spin offs. We end up getting the story of two parents played by Jennifer Garner and Joel Edgerton, who after receiving bad news from a fertility doctor try to move on from not being able to have kids by burying all of the great traits that their child would have had. They awake to find a child named Timothy in their kitchen, and thrusts them immediately into being parents. While Timothy has his own secret, aside from the leaves growing from his ankles. He teaches the Green's more about parenting and raising a child then they could have imagined and is really a movie that has those moments that can really touch audiences as they can relate to different things that happen onscreen within their own lives.

 

Joel Edgerton does a decent job in the role of Jim Green, but I would have really preferred to have seen more out of his character in the end. While he gives great emotion and really connects to the audience I wanted to see more out of his character and for him to give some depth in understanding a little more why his relationship is the way it is with his dad. Jennifer Garner int eh role of Cindy Green I felt was a little lacking as well. The chemistry between Garner and Edgerton was just off and I found that there moments of connection were off and on throughout the movie and it really threw things off. CJ Adams really outshone Garner and Edgerton as Timothy. Even though his character of Timothy is one that other kids growing up would consider to be weird and awkward he is very likable to the audience. He definitely showed he has promise as an actor so it is intriguing for me to watch and see if Adams has the ability to be more then just a child actor or if he ends up being a child actor that just disappears as he gets older.

 

The story for The Odd Life of Timothy Green was definitely unique and although it was not a perfect story or plot it worked alright for a Disney movie. The development of the plot involves all the good qualities that they imagined their son would have—though he is different and even odd. He befriends a girl  who is self-conscious because she has a birthmark, he changes Jim's intimidating father, he shows his musical talent by beating a rhythm on a coconut shell, he ends up scoring the winning goal(albeit different then what one would imagine) and he frequently throws out his arms with his face to the sun. And, always the leaves, both on his legs and on the trees are part of the story. While all of these plot points move forward and are interconnected fairly well throughout, I think the movie could have definitely benefited from an additional 20-30 minutes, giving more depth to the characters. To go along with the plot points we get a range of emotional issues such as father/son relationships, sibling rivalry (Cindy and her sister Brenda Best—her name is appropriate), bullying, competition, love and sadness. With all of these emotional issues I would have loved to seen smaller number of emotional issues and instead given us a deeper scope into a few of these emotional issues.

 

The Odd Life of Timothy Green is an alright movie and while my wife really enjoyed it, for me it was not exactly my cup of tea. I want my movies to give me those feelings of happiness and while the Odd Life had those moments it had some sad moments which I felt were not necessary to what the story was actually needed. Unfortunately, I was a little disappointed in what Edgerton and Garner brought to the table when in the end they could have brought more to their characters I felt. The movie though really was carried by the young CJ Adams and while he was not perfect in his role he really did a strong job carrying the movie. The story was unique and unexpected which is nice when remakes and sequels seem to be the biggest things that Hollywood is making currently. While this was not exactly my typical type of movie I am giving The Odd Life of Timothy Green two and three quarter buckets of popcorn out of five. While I may not recommend this to be one that you have to see in the theater, it is one that will be worth renting.

 

-The Movie Man

Kung Fu Panda 2

 

 

Kung Fu Panda 2 is an excellent sequel to an excellent preceding film and is a truly fun and entertaining film to experience with your family and friends. Kung Fu Panda 2 is a movie that is just as enjoyable as the second time watching as it was the first time. Here, the elements from the first film are improved and drawn for this sequel to create a wonderful, stunning and memorable adventure this will surely entertain all its audiences and leave them hungry for more Po. In this go around Po and his friends fight to stop a peacock villain from conquering China with a deadly new weapon, but first the Dragon Warrior must come to terms with his past.

 

Jack Black reprises his role as Po and he does a good job. While at times Jack Black can come off as being so over the top that his annoyance takes away from his role. Yet, his performance as Po works perfectly as this is one of those roles that in the end just fits his personality and acting style perfectly. Countering Po in this go around we have Gary Oldman in the role of Lord Shen, an albino peacock who is set on conquering China and Kung Fu once and for all. While a peacock seems like a weak choice for a villain especially after the comparison of the tiger in the first movie. However, Oldman is able to play the role with such strength, confidence and even disdain for everyone that he ends up being a great villain for the Dragon Warrior to go up against. The supporting cast all give great performances once again and the depth added to Angelina Jolie's character was nice and worked well. While her character had a lot of strength in the first film we get some added finesse to her character that makes her tiger character better in the end.

 

The story for Kung Fu Panda 2 is one that ends up working as it is more enveloping then the first movie. While the first movie gave a good story that shows Po becoming the Dragon Warrior and trying to deal with living his dream. With Po and the Furious Five going against Lord Shen and his new weapon that supposedly cannot be conquered by Kung Fu, forces Po to not only grow more as the Dragon Warrior, but by coming to peace with his past in a way this ends up being an origin story for Po. Which surprisingly works for a sequel. The pacing for Kung Fu Panda 2 is set at a pace that not only works for a kids movie, but keeps adults entertained as well.

 

Humor is a big part of the Kung Fu movies and Kung Fu Panda 2 took a fairly different approach then the first. Kung Fu Panda 2 took out a lot of the toilet humor that was a big aspect of the first movie and instead it went a lot more on the slapstick side. the action sequences for Kung Fu Panda 2 really is exciting. Just like in Megamind with the flying sequences, feeling like you are actually flying with the characters. The action in Kung Fu Panda 2 has that same type of feeling. While I did not see it in 3D, it looks like it could have easily been very enjoyable and could have added to the action sequences. Some of the great action sequences take place with Lord Shen, it is great to see how they used the feathers along with his fighting movements. Hans Zimmer delivered a great musical score for Kung Fu Panda 2. The music had a great feel to it and in the end it had a great feeling of China while at the same time it was light and it had a fun feeling to it.

 

Kung Fu Panda 2 is one of those animated movies that ends up being a very good sequel. Oldman as the villain Lord Shen is really a great villain and he gives a great performance. The story for King Fu Panda 2 worked well as an origin story, which ended up being fairly unique for a sequel. The action sequences worked well as they really made the audience feel like they are a part of all of the action that is going on and happening. I am giving Kung Fu Panda 2 three buckets of popcorn out of five. This is one of those movies that is very enjoyable to watch as a family and is one that will be added to the movie man's family movie collection eventually.

 

-The Movie Man

The Muppets

 

The Muppets are one of those characters in life that for some reason is able to be ageless. The Muppets have been around for decades and yet even after all this time, to me they are far from over done and have a great ability to come across fresh time and time again, while still being able to appeal to new generations of kids. Growing up I could remember watching all sorts of Muppets movies and that no matter what they were doing it was enjoyable and fun to watch. Watching this movie at home I was amazed at how my little boy sat and watched this movie with complete interest and they were able to keep his entire attention for the entire running time for the movie. The Muppets movie in this go around knew exactly what it wanted to be and from the start it never took itself seriously and where other comedies try to be funny, but then have those serious moments at the same time and The Muppets does not fall into this trap, but is pure goofiness throughout and even comes across silly during those serious moments.

 

For the most part the acting in The Muppets does not require much. while the Muppets do not actually have to do much in the acting since they are all puppets they still do a fairly good job at coming to life onscreen that you kind of forget from moment to moment that they are puppets and not real. Jason Segel in the role of Gary is the most prominent human onscreen and the goofiness of this movie just really works well for him. Segel gives a truly strong performance as the movie while about the Muppets getting back together is a part of the story, the big aspect of the movie centers around his relationship with his girlfriend and his Muppet brother Walter. Segel works well on camera with both Adams and his Muppet brother. Amy Adams in the role of Mary in a way is undervalued. Adams plays the girlfriend who is pushed aside consistently to be a part of the relationship between Gary and Walter. The rest of the human cast all do great jobs and I particularly laughed a lot at Zach Galifinakis in the role of Hobo Joe. His role is the human equivalent to the old men Muppets as he has one-liners similar to those that they use. The star cameos also were enjoyable and did a great job at making me smile as well.

 

The story for The Muppets is truly a simple one that has definitely been used before in movies, yet with the Muppets the story worked all the while having a great lightness about it. The story ended up working for me because of the simplicity. The Muppets needed the simplicity of the story because of the mass family appeal. The story worked on many levels in that the kids could be entertained still and the adults are not overly bored from being at a kids movie. Of course, the story in the end really does not have much of a bearing on the overall enjoyment because of the story being one that everyone has seen before.

 

The comedy in The Muppets really worked for me and it made me laugh throughout the movie. The great part of the comedy that really works is how they make references about this being a movie, I love that they are not afraid to make fun of themselves. One of the best bits of comedy was that of the traveling by map. It was funny as they talked that when you need to get somewhere fast the quickest way to get to a destination is to travel by map, which is the map you see in movies to show characters moving to another location.

 

The Muppets is a movie that I never knew would be as good as it was. It is definitely a great thing to see the Muppets and the fact that they are ageless. The main human actors of Segel and Adams do a great job and really work well together, even though Adams character was greatly under utilized. A simple story and the comedy brought into The Muppet movie really worked. that is why I am giving The Muppets movie three buckets of popcorn out of five. This movie will make for a great family movie night because of the appeal to all ages, and is definitely one that older people can watch and be taken back to their own childhood of watching the Muppets.

 

-The Movie Man

This Means War

 

This Means War is what I believe to be a hybrid of a chick flick and a guy movie as they have definitely tried to appease both men and women. Our story is we have two CIA agent partners who inadvertently end up dating the same girl and decide that they will let her decide who the better man is in the end, while trying to track down an international arms dealer at the same time. This was a movie that from the trailer looked very fun to watch and interesting as a concept, but the most intriguing aspect with these two partners at the CIA competing for the girl how they would make the audience care about the characters and hopefully have it so that we did not dislike one of the CIA agents. In the end everything about this movie ended up being pretty simple and formulaic and I would have loves seen something a little more unique and creative and not so predictable.

 

Chris Pine in the role of FDR does well and creates a character that is Likable, suave and even funny at the same time. Pine while far from amazing in the role really shows a lot of the potential he has. Tom Hardy counters against FDR as his partner at the CIA, Tuck. Hardy has a keen ability onscreen to be able to use his charisma to really instantly have the ability to become likable to the audience. Hardy in the ends shows with each role that he really will be a star, and that the sky is the limit. The chemistry between Pine and Hardy really works as they work well together and have some great witty banter back and forth. Reese Witherspoon in the role of Lauren, our girl in the middle of the love triangle and her character struggles throughout the movie. Witherspoon is only average as I found her to be kind of uninspiring and like she was truly just playing a role and not believable like I felt Pine and Hardy were in their roles. Til Schweiger in the role of Heinreich, our villain for the story is a great character that is in the end under used. Schweiger just looks the part of the villain and so his role really could have been a strong one had they given the part sufficient time.

 

The story and the pay-off for This Means War while some may have felt the story was a strong one, I knew what the buildup was moving toward and so I found it to be unsatisfying and boring since I knew where the story was going and what the end was going to be like. I think a big lackluster aspect with the story was the romance factor; with most of your rom-com movies the romance part resonates with women, but can still be enjoyable for men as well. In This Means War something was lacking in the romance and for me I felt like that is because there was not the chemistry between Witherspoon and either Hardy or Pine, so the romance felt off and almost teenage/high school relationship like as it was full of awkward moments. The part of the story that truly worked for me was that of how the characters of FDR and Tuck using CIA resources to not only spy and learn different things about Lauren, but also use it to sabotage the dates of the others. I am sure everyone in this movie universe would have loved to learn that their tax dollars were going toward these two dating and sabotaging each other.

 

This Means War was one of those action romance movie that I was intrigued by at first because I like the whole concept of two CIA guys battling it out for a girl and how they could use CIA resources to their benefit. While I enjoyed the performances put forward by Pine and Hardy, I was really disappointed that Witherspoon phoned in her role. The story for This Means War had its ups and downs and that is why I am giving i three buckets of popcorn out of five. This Means War is a movie that you could easily rent if trying to impress a date or just wanting an excuse to impress your wife and is worth the price of renting.

 

-The Movie Man

Kingdom of Heaven

 

Swords clashing as religious sects from both Christianity and Islam fight for power over the Holy Land, each claiming they are acting based on their faith. This is precisely what Kingdom of Heaven deals with and by mere chance I happened to stumble across Kingdom of Heaven on BBC America, so I was able to use the amazing technology of a DVR to be able to sit down and watch this movie at my own leisure. Kingdom of Heaven is simply one of those movie that one must go into just simply wanting to sit back and watch, especially those if you are a fan of the movies that take place during the middle ages. Kingdom of Heaven gives us the story of Balian, a blacksmith, who learns his father is actually a Crusader, and is invited to come back on the journey back to the Holy Land with him. Balian amid the pageantry and intrigues of Medieval Jerusalem, he falls in love, grows into a leader and ultimately uses all his courage and skill to defend the city and the people against seemingly insurmountable odds. Ridley Scott tells the story of Kingdom of Heaven with a grittiness that is rarely seen in the Crusade movies simply because most of the stories are fairly romanticized pertaining to why the Christians were actually shipping out on these Crusades to the Holy Land.

 

Orlando Bloom stars in the role of Balian and he really surprised me and exceeded the expectations I had for his performance. For some reason I find Bloom in these roles that deal with the different periods of time to be ones that seem to fit him perfectly. Bloom is able to make his character be one that the audience can care for. Unfortunately we get all of his character development within the first quarter of the movie and then from there his character becomes the knight/hero. Eva Green in the role of Queen Sibylla is one that was under utilized, yet she takes advantage of the moments when she is on screen because she draws attention to her. While she plays in part the love interest to Balian, this is under played and a little more of her on screen may have helped the movie to be stronger. Liam Neeson in a fairly small role of Godfrey, our Crusader who has come to let his existence be known to his son. Neeson in the role of the spiritual mentor to the hero for some reason he has a great ability to be able to play this role perfectly, and he is able to only build hero factor of Balian. The rest of the supporting cast give strong performances and he use of a lot of actual Arab actors helped give great credibility to the Saracen side of the Crusades.

 

The story of Kingdom of Heaven is very straight forward and is one that can be categorized into three acts. The first act deals with Balian learning his identity and from there starts the journey to finding who he truly his. From there we are taken into the second act which deals with the religion and politics of the time. While normally this may seem disconnected to the first act it is the way though that the way the politics and religion is ran and done in Jerusalem that only further entrenched Balian into what true knighthood was during the middle ages. All of the politics and religion leads to the third act of the battles and siege of Jerusalem. The third act ends up being exactly what everyone that loves these epic adventure movie expects from the battle part of a story. The three act part really worked well and made the story flow well and really helped to make the main message be one that I really liked that in the end what matters is what is truly in your head and your heart and that noble actions speak louder then mere empty and repetitive "praise the Lord" chats.

 

The battle sequences are great and necessary for an epic genre movie like Kingdom of Heaven. The pan-out shots and general landscape sweeps are mind blowing and even on my smaller then theater screen TV they still had an awe inspiring feel to them, that will leave you wanting more. The huge battle scenes in Kingdom of Heaven are epic in grandeur and to me were fairly reminiscent and to the same scale of the siege on Helm's Deep and Mirnas Tirith from The Lord of the Rings films. I mean for me there were a couple of moments where I was half expecting Bloom to magically pull out a bow and start cutting men down with rapid speed as he fired or even hop on a shield and ride it like a surf board down a set of stairs. The battle scenes though were done really well and are ones that are memorable and will stick in the audiences mind for some time.

 

Kingdom of Heaven is one of those movies that is truly an epic movie. Bloom surprised me and exceeded what I expected from him and I felt there were a couple moments where I was a blond wig, pointy ears and a bow away from him being Legolas in the battle sequences. I found myself greatly enjoying just sitting back and watching everything unfold on the screen. On a side note an interesting part with Kingdom of Heaven that intrigued me was that of Saladin, I found myself wanting to research him and learn more about who he really was and how true to actual person was the role that was portrayed on film. I am giving Kingdom of Heaven three and a quarter buckets of popcorn out of five. This is a movie that anyone that enjoys knights, swords and the middle ages or Crusades should kick up their feet and eat a bag of popcorn while enjoying this movie.

 

-The Movie Man