Knight and Day

Knight and Day is a simple popcorn munching movie. It's a pleasant diversion, a fun time that doesn't ask a lot of the audience and offers an enjoyable ride. While these action comedies have become a movie type that we see quite regularly, if you go into this movie thinking you have it figured out based on the trailer, you will be shocked to know how wrong your thoughts on what Knight and Day would end up being. Knight and Day though is almost a parody of action movies, as it takes all the action sequences to an over the top feeling throughout. When the stuff happens on the plane at the beginning, it is not even remotely believable, but that is the point. Knight and Day establishes right away  that this is a garish, over the top comedy. The ridiculous opening sequence clearly shows that it is not only a comedy but an outrageous one at that.

Knight and Day hinges on the interactions of the two main characters. Tom Cruise plays Roy Miller, the spy who throughout the movie the audience does not truly know if he is a rogue spy or still fighting for the good guys. While there are those who do not like Cruise because of his public antics, one needs to forget that and just look at the performance he puts in. Cruise plays his role perfectly and he is aptly fit for this role. He is able to bring a great confidence, strength and even humor to the role. Cruise definitely puts a fill effort in to any role he is in and it always shows. Starring alongside Cruise is Cameron Diaz in the role of June Havens, the woman who is accidentally thrown into the spy world. Diaz brings some great comedy with her and while some may not think so, I find her to be pretty funny. The chemistry between Diaz and Cruise is great and they really work well off one another for some great comedic timing. The supporting cast does a good job as well. Peter Sarsgaard in the role of Fitzgerald does well in helping to shroud Cruise's character in more mystery in not allowing the audience to know who really is good and who is not.

With the story and the action being so over the top the film makers are simply betting the vivacity of the action and the charm of Cruise and Diaz will get you involved. They want that involvement to grow rather than diminish as the story progresses. The action action is preposterous, but the protagonists are in trouble, so you forget it's silly and start to worry, but you don't forget to laugh...which you are meant to do. The movie manages to ramp up all three aspects and keep everyone entertained. This is all in an effort to appeal simultaneously to three different genre demographics: comedy, action and romance, and it manages to do a fairly good job at that. While the story is nothing unique it is suiting for the movie and serves its purpose to help with the action continually to move. The action likewise was definitely over the top and in your face particularly at moments when it is completely unnecessary.

Knight and Day is a movie that from the get go was never going to win any awards. A movie does not have to be in line to win awards to be a good movie and enjoyable. Knight and Day gives us an over the top action comedy that is meant to make us laugh and forget about our troubles. The chemistry between Cruise and Diaz worked perfectly throughout the movie and it was this chemistry that allowed their presence on screen to work so well with the great one liners and great comedic timing. I am giving Knight and Day three buckets of popcorn out of five. This is a fun movie to kick back, relax and just enjoy everything that comes at you on the screen.

-The Movie Man

Season of the Witch

Season of the Witch was one of those movies that I was very much on the fence upon seeing the first trailer on how interested I was in seeing it. While I am a big fan of movie that take place in the middle ages and deal with knights and mystical magic and such, the trailer had a feel that I was not sure about if it would be the knight type adventure/quest movie that I enjoy. Season of the Witch is a journey film that deals with a couple of knights and the task they have undertaken to help a town infected with the plague by taking a witch, who confessed to giving the town this curse, to a monastery with monks who can deduce the source of her power.

Nicholas Cage stars as Behmen, a knight from the Crusades, who has become disillusioned with the Church's senseless killing in the name of God in the Middle East. Cage gives his usual type of performance and he always seems to do a great job at passing off to the audience at being very believable at whoever he is portraying. This believability into his role of the knight and the true emotion that one struggles with after having killed, is a strong showing of the amount of preparation that Cage puts into a role. Cage also shows this preparation with his not only handling of a sword but his ability to fight with a sword as well. Cage even though he does have a tendency to play characters in a way that they all seem to be half a second away from being insane it makes his portrayals memorable and I think only strengthens his acting particularly in this movie. Starring along Cage is Ron Pearlman as Felson, Behmen's trusted friend who has become disillusioned as well with the Church and the killing in the name of God. Pearlman has the part of the duo in being the strong, competitive knight that also brings in some comedic relief from time to time as well. Pearlman plays this role well and his chemistry with Cage really gives you the feeling that the two of them have been through a lot together and these experiences have bonded them in ways that most do not survive through. The supporting cast is very minimal and while the rest of the group transporting the witch are onscreen most of the time we do not get more depth of what makes them who thy are as well as the witch. With the witch Cage's character has pity on her yet as the audience we are not given truly enough to care more for wanting to understand more fully why he has this pity on her.

Anyone that saw the trailer and the movie would realize that the trailer is anything but a good interpretation of what the movie is truly about. While the general plot and story were not earth shatteringly new, I though it was a good story that had an intriguing magic/witch aspect to it. It was definitely a nice twist as the climax approached and  I thought it would turn out one way only to give a completely unexpected reveal. It is always a great aspect for a movie when they do a twist in a way that you are thinking one way the entire time only to change your thoughts on how it will all turn out at the last possible second. To go along with the good storyline is that of the action sequences. Enjoyable action sequences are really the parts that can make or break a movie like Season of the Witch. I really enjoyed  the sword fighting that took place throughout the movie. One of my favorite parts of action took place when the group is attacked by a plethora of wolves. During the attack Behmen is being attacked nearly simultaneously by a wolf in front and one from behind. So he slashes the one in front of him and then spins the sword into a backward stab without looking to get the wolf that was coming at him from behind.

Season of the Witch is a movie that ends up being not exactly what it seems. I really enjoyed the action sequences throughout the movie and they all flowed perfectly within the story. Season of the Witch was a good movie that had plenty of sword fighting, knights and even some weird magic. The acting by everyone was very believable and did a strong job at portraying the emotion that one would have definitely felt during those times with a plague spreading. I am giving Season of the Witch three buckets of popcorn out of five. This movie was well worth the price of renting and is a fun enjoyable movie that you can sit back and relax.

-The Movie Man

The Lincoln Lawyer

This is one of those movies that I was not sure how bad I wanted to see. While I waited and did not see this movie in the theaters, I was really glad when I saw it. Lincoln Lawyer tells the story of Mick Haller, a lawyer, who because of the morally questionable clients he feels with he finds it easier to run most of his client meetings from the back seat of a Lincoln Town Car. Things turn intense after he takes the case of a privileged, rich kid who has been accused of the rape of a prostitute, as the story unfolds Mick comes to find out this new clients has ties to a past client that was accused of murder and Mick convinced to plead guilty to the murder. What ensues from this knowledge, is an edge of your seat thriller which has you wondering how Mick can get around attorney/client privilege to make things right.

Matthew McConaughey plays the role of Mick. McConaughey is fit for this role because while lately he has been in a lot of romantic comedies where he does not really have to act, this role allows him to show the range of emotion he is capable of giving. He is really believable as the lawyer who is all about the money and his ability to win in the courtroom, no matter who he is defending as long as the price is right.  He plays so great the moments of absolute disdain as this smooth talking lawyer who defends any scumbag that can pay, then turn your feelings around completely with his likability from his southern charm. McConaughey has such a believability as we feel his internal strife as he tries to figure out how to best handle his situation. Ryan Phillippe in the role of Lois Roulet, the main antagonist in the film plays his role with such a coldness that it only adds to the edge of your seat feelings. While there is a good argument to be made that Phillippe plays every role with this cold almost wooden emotion, this time it definitely worked for his character. The coldness and lack of emotion his character gives this great no remorse, cold and calculating traits that make him a perfect antagonist to match against McConaughey's character. The rest of the supporting cast does a great job at really helping to bring even more strength to the overall storyline. With such a strong supporting cast it makes for great interactions and scenes through the entire movie. Every scene is not a wasted one which is a rarity in films nowadays. William H. Macy in his role as the private investigator/friend to Mick is particularly strong. In a way Macy's character plays the role of the grounding or even almost the moral compass to Mick and helps him at least stay somewhat moral as a lawyer.

When I saw this movie I felt like it could be a John Grisham novel. Later, I found out there is a whole series of books written by Michael Connelly about Mick Haller. The direction by Brad Furman does such a strong job of weaving the story moment to moment that the movie does not have low points or even scenes that are just there for filler. Everything that is put in has been put there for a purpose. This simply just helps to build the intensity of the film as it progresses toward the climatic moment. While I believed throughout that I knew how it all would end, it really kept me off balance and tense in such a way that I did not know how it would end until we finally hit that point. The story does a great job at not only putting us right there with Mick as we are almost in his head as he tries to make decision as to what to do. The range of emotion that is portrayed through the film fits perfectly. Knowing how attorney-client privilege works I could not help but feel anger with the legal system as Mick comes to the realization as to what Louis Roulet's foolproof plan is truly about. Also it was nice that they did not muddle the story with a lot of legal jargon. There also moments of humor sprinkled here and there to lighten the mood of what has been taking place. There are twists thrown in that make you wonder how will Mick get out of this one? Only for him to do just that in a way that is completely unexpected.

The Lincoln Lawyer ends up delivering an edge of your seat courtroom mystery drama movie. McConaughey and company make every scene worthwhile and exciting. While I do feel like they had three points where they could have ended the movie, I would have liked it to end with the viewer questioning what happened and also questioning the ethics of what happened. I am giving The Lincoln Lawyer three and three fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. While this is a movie that is not for everyone and that not all will enjoy, it was one that I enjoyed from start to finish.

-The Movie Man

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is the first movie based on the Percy Jackson and the Olympians book series. After seeing this movie I was intrigued and wanted to read the books so I went out and read the series. Unfortunately, after reading the books it really effected how I felt about the movie. While it is totally understandable within a thousand page Harry Potter book to take out moments here and there but in a book that is only 350 pages you do not get that same liberty. Percy Jackson without reading the books ends up being a fine enjoyable movie, but with the knowledge of the book series the movies loses a lot. One can view the first movie and the first book as being completely different stories. Given that Percy Jackson was still an interesting and fun new update to Greek mythology in a way that the audience forgets that mythology has been around for hundreds of years.

Logan Lerman in the role of Percy Jackson does a fine job. Lerman does a very solid job gibing the audience the hero/underdog in a way that we cant help but want him to succeed. He is also believable in the unbelief he has at first in relation to being a half God. The audience grows with Lerman throughout the movie as I felt his resolve and presence onscreen get stronger as the movie moves forward. While I liked the selection of Alexandra Daddario in playing the role of Annabeth, the characterization for Annabeth was not what it needed to be to match the book. Daddario many may recognize her from her small role on the show White Collar as Kate. The problem with the character of Annabeth is that she ends up being the hybrid of Clarisse and Annabeth from the books. Daddario plays her part the way it was written which is just fine, but it ended up feeling disappointment that her character was written so far off form the book. The rest of the cast while okay, I felt there were some definite casting issues. For me Brosnan, Thurman, Coogan and Dawson were wasted in their roles. These four always give strong performance and in Percy Jackson it is not different, but the star power ends up being a little distracting to the viewer. The viewer with some of these being such small roles that by the time you finish think "Oh cool, Uma Thurman is Medusa" her role has already hit its climatic moment and is beginning to move on.

Had Percy Jackson been a stand alone movie that was not so loosely based on a book the story would have been a strong one. Now with the announcement of working on another installment based on the second book, some of the weaknesses that I could have overlooked are now true weaknesses that will hurt the overall ability for fluidity, unless they are able to repair these definite shortcomings. The most glaring issue is the lack of the overall villain who is the mastermind that is orchestrating everything throughout the entire book series, without the introduction of Kronos, we are left with a book series that is nothing more then mere adventures in each following movie. The lack of laying the villain foundation for Kronos would be like the first Harry Potter movie leaving out any mention of Voldemort, it is just unimaginable that they would have left that out. Also leaving out Clarisse, Aries, the Oracle and replacing the Chimera with the Hydra were omissions and changes make this adaptation a real struggle because these all play vital parts in future books.

The battle sequences and action were a definite strong point. The battle with the flying sneakers was a nice new twist for a climatic battle. It was very enjoyable to watch the action unfold throughout the movie as it really helped to keep everything moving that I was caught up that I was not wondering how much longer the movie would be. Along with the action, a movie that deals with mythical fantasy creatures must do a good enough job on these creatures that the audience is willing to believe that they are watching a creature that is actually possible and does not look fake. The CGI and special effects are able to make the creatures believable and it works well for me.

Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief would have been a great movie if it was not based on a book series. My overall feelings for the movie were effected by reading the books, and it really hurt my opinion since it so loosely followed the source material. The young stars in this film have definite star potential for the future, and I look forward to seeing how they improve as this possible book series all get made into movies. Since Percy Jackson was not as close to the book as I would have liked I am giving it two and a half buckets of popcorn out of five. I hope that the second movie will fix on the weakness from the first movie and I hope they will follow the book closer. If you have read the books go into watching this movie with very low expectations and you will enjoy it. If you have not read the books and do not plan on reading them then you will greatly enjoy this movie.

-The Movie Man

Clash of the Titans

Clash of the Titans from the moment I saw the first trailer I looked forward to this movie and the action sequences that would be throughout. While this is a remake of a very campy version that was made in the 80's, I was very pleased that this go around was not just a step up from the original but several steps up with the visual effects and action sequences. Clash of the Titans tells the story of Perseus in his quest to prevent the underworld and its evil from destroying the earth. Clash of the Titans was a fast paced pre-summer blockbuster that while it did not deliver the strongest script it made up for that weakness with strong action.

Sam Worthington in the main role of Perseus fell a little flat for me. I do not know if it is either the writing or what but the characterization of Perseus just seemed hollow. Worthington did suffice greatly on the action sequences as he is very believable as an action star. Worthington is definitely a rising star and will only continue to be a strong action star. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes do a great job in their roles of Zeus and Hades. While I would have liked to see both Neeson and Fiennes utilized more, it was at the same time nice to see big stars be willing to have supporting roles in films where the lead role is being played by an up and coming star. Not too mention they shared the screen perfectly with Worthington in they came across as being gods without taking over the scenes. The rest of the supporting cast ends up being very forgettable as they do not stand out.

Some of the action sequences are quite impressive and boast fairly decent special effects. The various creatures Perseus encounters aren't quite always photo-real, although the sheer size of the creatures are impressive enough to allow the viewer overlook some of the creature flaws. However, seeing as this blockbuster lives and dies by its amped up, large scaled action sequences--the screenplay truly suffers and does not even bother to try to link between the action sequences and make the audience care about the epic plights of these characters. One aspect that I was pleased with was the simple fact I did not see this in 3D.  From everything I heard the 3D added in at the last minute did nothing to immerse the audience, but instead used it to pop things at the audience.

Clash of the Titans ends up being your run of the mill action adventure that relied on the action to keep the audience involved I have loved to see a strong story to link the action together. While Worthington worked in the action the lack of strong writing really hurt the development of the character of Perseus. With a sequel in the works I hope they recover from the mistakes in the first movie and realize that a strong story is just as important as the fun action sequences. I am giving Clash of the Titans two and three fourth buckets of popcorn out of five. If you want to be just entertained and see some amazingly strong action sequences then Clash of the Titans is worth the price of renting.

-The Movie Man 

The Eagle

The Eagle is the latest in a long line of movies that deals with the Roman Empire. This movie revolves around the disappearance of the ninth legion along with the eagle that they carried into battle with them. Fast forward twenty years and the son of the standard bearer has taken a post in Britain so that he can hopefully be able to go and find out what happened to the legion and hopefully to recover the eagle and return the honor back to his family's name. The Eagle wasn't overly ambitious, which worked for this movie, it is exactly what I expect from a story of friendship and adventure. While I went in expecting a ten minute introduction educating us on the socio-political climate of Roman occupied Britain, I was pleasantly surprised with the character focused introduction. Surprisingly, I did not see this movie movie for historical accuracy, or to be preached to about the triumphs of the human spirit. It is a simple story, but epic with its presentation.

Channing Tatum stars as Marcus, a soldier in the Roman army who asks for a post in Britain so he can work to restore the honor of his family. This is definitely Tatum's best work, he plays a stoic Roman with great conviction. The audience is able to know that while he is a good soldier at the same time he has an inner battle with his feelings of disgrace because of his family name. With this we see him as a great leader to the soldiers, but not untouchable as he is injured in a battle early on in the movie. Jamie Bell in the role of Esca the servant to Marcus after his life is saved by Marcus. Where on the journey Marcus is the stoic one, Esca is the loose cannon that one never knows what he may do once past Hadrian's wall. Bell plays this loose cannon ability perfectly. Bell plays perfectly on the knowledge the audience is given concerning the reasons behind why Esca has a hatred for Marcus, with this throughout the movie it gives the audience a sense of distrust for Esca that we expect throughout the journey for him to betray Marcus. Although a small role Donald Sutherland gives some heart to the movie playing the uncle to Marcus. He is able to give this heart as he is a strong father figure to Marcus.While it may have been nice to see Sutherland on screen more, at the same time it may have been his lack of screen time that made his role so full of heart those moments when he is on-screen.

A great aspect of this movie was that of using very little CGI, which kept a very nice human element throughout. A lot of times in battle movies it makes it easy to go with CGI overkill in your battle scenes, instead with such limited CGI we see a lot more battle interaction in a one on one aspect. Using hand cameras for the action which has become the new popular choice by directors in action movies, we get this shay camera that gives us in the audience the feeling of being right in the middle of the action. At times the shaky camera effect can be annoying and distracting, in The Eagle it made me be on the edge of my seat because I felt I needed to keep my head on a swivel just to be ready for someone attacking me from behind or the side if I am not prepared. As well as ready to see what comes next on screen.

The attention to detail in this movie is something that can easily be overlooked in movies that are set centuries in the past. On such an instance of this is Marcus is having dinner with his uncle and they eat with candlelight, and with the candles they room is still fairly dim and really makes you feel like you are back in a time before electricity. A lot of movies try to make a viewer believe that a few candles can fully light a room with only a few candles. Another aspect used in this movie that is not always used in films is the Scots spoke in a Gaelic tongue every time they talk on the screen. A lot of movies that use a foreign language will use a line two in the foreign language and then either give an excuse  as to them being able to speak English or just switch with no explanation.

The Eagle ends up being a fun movie that exceeded expectations. While this movie is far from being epic like Gladiator, it uses its own merits to be simple yet epic. With admirable acting that goes out and gets the job done. The attention to detail at different points is really what helped exceed the expectations I had for The Eagle. I am giving The Eagle three buckets of popcorn out of five. The Eagle is well worth going out and renting for an enjoyable movie night.

-The Movie Man

Sucker Punch

Sucker Punch is a movie that from the first trailer, I was not only intrigued but looked forward to seeing this movie. In a world filled with mindlessly violent movies and flimsy plots with practically noting to substantiate the actions of the characters, I went into this movie expecting mindless action/violence and girls with guns and not much more. Sucker Punch ended up not being what I was expecting, which is not necessarily a bad thing. This movie was not about a girl escaping reality by setting up a fantasy within a fantasy and use that to escape from the reality of an institution. This movie is in turn about a young woman who had lost all hope and was willing to accept that, but is saved by someone she eventually calls an angel, told from the angels point of view.

The acting while not superb is sufficient for the needs of the movie. Emily Browning stars in this film in the role of Baby Doll . While the dialogue is far from strong Browning does an admirable job and comes across as being very believable. She is a young actress who this is the first movie I have seen her in and I saw some potential for the future. The part of her that was interesting is she is this petite, innocent looking girl, but then once she goes into her fantasy world, she is the same innocent girl who at the same time can beat up anyone that gets in her way. The supporting cast around Browning does a good job as well. For me it was totally different to see Vanessa Hudgens in the role of Blondie this was such a hundred and eighty degree  difference in all of her previous roles (yes, I have seen the first two High School Musical movies). Abbie Cornish, Jena Malone and Jamie Chung as well doing fine jobs themselves in their roles and each one of them brings something different to the pack of girls. There is definitely chemistry  between the five main girls and with the amount of time when they are on screen together this chemistry is vitally important.

The direction of Zach Snyder is so visually stunning , that it works perfectly in these fantasy worlds to immerse the viewer into and forget the life that they are all in. It was great to see Snyder directing his own source material for the first time. While he has been successful in his directing of graphic novel material in 300 and Watchmen, the visionary imaging and cinematography can lose all of its awe making ability it can get muddles in a weak storyline. Snyder has a keen touch to blend his vision with some finesse with this being a movie with tough girls. one instance that showed this finesse with strength at the same time is when Baby Doll is in her fantasy world and in the heat of battle, she pulls out a gun that has little charms hanging from it.

The story of Sucker Punch ended up being one that was not what I expected. This is a story where one has to sit back after watching and think about what actually happened in the story throughout the movie to actually understand whose story we are actually being told. The story that is told is a lot deeper then what gets portrayed in the trailer. The action that goes along with the story blends perfectly together in that it does not feel disjointed like you get out of some movies. The action sequences end up being imaginative and are true strengths for this movie. The different villains Baby Doll and the girls go up against in the fantasy world are out there and  a lot of fun. Personally I enjoyed them going against the zombie Nazis. The imagery and color contrast in the different worlds makes for the stronger fight sequences to be all the more immersing.

Sucker Punch is a movie that ended up being a lot deeper and completely different from what I was expecting. Snyder shows once again how much of a visionary and talented director he is and I am now even more excited to see how his vision comes across on the Superman reboot movie. The acting, story and action all work very well together. Sucker Punch exceeded my expectations and that is why I am giving it three buckets of popcorn out of five. Sucker Punch is a movie that is well worth your time to see.

-The Movie Man