Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian - Movie Review and Synopsis

Monday, May 18, 2009

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Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian When the Museum of Natural History is closed for upgrades and renovations, the museum pieces are moved into federal storage at the famous Washington Museums. The centerpiece of the film will be bringing to life the Smithsonian Institution, which houses the world’s largest museum complex with more than 136 million items in its collections, ranging from the plane Amelia Earhart (Amy Adams) flew on her non-stop solo flight across the Atlantic and Al Capone’s (Jon Bernthal) rap sheet and mug shot to Dorothy’s ruby slippers, Fonzie’s jacket from Happy Days, the still from M*A*S*H and Archie Bunker’s lounge chair from All in the Family. With a forwarded resume, Larry (Ben Stiller) becomes another caretaker at the Smithsonian, where Kahmunrah, an evil Pharaoh will come to life with the reestablishing of a tablet as a magical force in the museum bringing the old exhibits (Such as Theodore Roosevelt and Dexter) and new exhibits (like General Custer and Al Capone) back to life, and in conflict with each other. Larry enlists the help of Amelia Earheart, who he develops a romantic interest in, and together they try to put everything back in order.

Similar ideas abound for this sequel, but even naysayers might admit that a better cast has been assembled around Ben Stiller for his second Washington, D.C. adventure. (It’s pretty amazing that Stiller has three active franchises going, if you believe reports that Little Fockers is getting made). Here’s a first look at the film, and a glimpse at how much Stiller has aged over the past couple years. P.S. Is it just me, or does Amy Adams seem kind of annoying as Amelia Earhart? Granted, she’s probably way less irritating than Robin Williams as Teddy Roosevelt, who returns for the sequel (along with two handfuls of new faces), but pinched and snippy just aren’t her colors.

Rated PG for mild action and brief language.

Director: Shawn Levy
Stars: Ben Stiller, Owen Wilson, Amy Adams
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 22 May 2009 (Indonesia & USA)
Genre: Action, Comedy

X-Men Origins: Wolverine - Movie Review and Synopsis

Monday, April 27, 2009

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X-Men Origins: Wolverine An origins story that follows the early life of James Howlett (Jackman), also known as Logan, and best known as Wolverine. The chronicle of his younger years as a mutant connects to his relationship and eventual falling out with Victor Creed/Sabretooth (Schreiber), and his fateful entry into the Weapons X project, the governmental program that turns willing and unwilling beings into living weapons.

Media-friendly producer Lauren Shuler Donner was the first person to promise a bleak look into James Howlett’s backstory (call it Dark Knight effect), but when that didn’t gel with initial reports that Fox wants/wanted a more PG-13 take on their first X-Men spin-off, it seemed like everyone involved with the production stepped up to let fans know everything was (mostly) copacetic on set and in the editing suite. Latest reports indicate director Gavin Hood is “90% pleased” with the final results. And what about the rumors of Ryan Reynolds’s Deadpool project being in development? I doubt it’s an overstatement, and Reynold’s definitely pushing for it.

Director: Gavin Hood
Stars: Hugh Jackman, Liev Schreiber, Ryan Reynolds
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 1 May 2009 (USA)
Genre: Action, Fantasy, Sci-Fi, Thriller

Dragonball Evolution - Movie Review and Synopsis

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

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Dragonball Evolution Upon discovering he was sent to Earth to carrying out a sinister plan, a humanoid alien named Goku (Chatwin) looks to fulfill his dying grandfather’s wish: Prevent the evil Piccolo (Marsters) and his alien forces from collecting seven mystical artifacts which would allow him to take over our planet. In order to fend off the attackers, Goku must find Master Roshi (Chow), who is the one person who can set him on the right path.

Speed Racer’ misfortunes have not stopped Hollywood from aggressively pursuing anime/manga titles to turn into feature films; Dragonball is only the first in a series of movies, which includes Ninja Scroll, The Last Airbender, and Akira (James Cameron has plans for Battle Angel Alita, too). Genre fans wrinkled their noses at just about every Dragonball announcement, save the casting of Yun-Fat Chow as Master Roshi and James “Spike” Marsters as Lord Piccolo, but the any publicity is good publicity cliché applies here, since anime purists have dissected everything from a leaked trailer to a 16-second clip that aired on Japanese TV in an attempt to get a definitive look at the direction in which Final Destination creator James Wong is taking the story. Many indicators tell me that movie fans at large won’t be pulling a Watchmen here and running out to the comic-book shop in order to brush up on this story.

Rated PG for intense sequences of action/violence and brief mild language.

Director: James Wong
Stars: Justin Chatwin, James Marsters, Yun-Fat Chow
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 25 March 2009 (Indonesia), 10 April 2009 (USA)
Genre: Action | Adventure | Fantasy | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li - Movie Review and Synopsis

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li Interpol agent Chun-Li (Kreuk) enters an underground fighting tournament, with her eyes set on M. Bison (McDonough), the contest’s founder and leader of a crime syndicate who may have been responsible for the death of Chun-Li’s father.

You have a few more months to tighten up your Lightning Kick and get your hair into two perfect buns before Fox either a) “ruins” another fanboy property or b) launches the first film in a potential franchise with X-Men potential. Or both? Please note: I make that comparison in terms of the number of characters with shadowy pasts the story can explore, but I don’t think this legend is going to break any box-office records (or put out two great movies, then a crappy third installment). So you’re going to have to hit the theaters and pick this up on Blu-ray if you want to see Ken or Ryu in the future, and, while Kristen Kreuk was strung up with wires in order to simulate the moves that made Chun-Li the first lady of fighting games, there seems to be plenty of gun-toting action present here that will certainly upset purists (this is, after all, brought to you by the director of Doom). Meanwhile, another member of Black Eyed Peas goes rogue in order to, like, expand the pop group’s “brand,” or something. I think this interview with screenwriter Justin Marks is revelatory.

Rated PG-13 for sequences of violence and martial arts action, and some sensuality.

Director: Andrzej Bartkowiak
Stars: Kristin Kreuk, Neal McDonough, Michael Clarke Duncan
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 27 February 2009 (USA)
Genre: Action | Adventure | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Taken - Movie Review and Synopsis

Taken The film follows an ex-CIA “Preventer”, who is faced with recovering his daughter after she is kidnapped by human trafficking|sex-traffickers in Paris, France.

Bryan (Liam Neeson), a former secret agent living in the US. He is skilled in hand to hand combat, divorced; and loves his 17-year-old daughter Kim (Maggie Grace) who lives with his ex-wife and her new husband Stuart (Xander Berkeley). Kim wants to take a vacation in Europe with her friend Amanda (Katie Cassidy), and together follow U2’s European tour. Kim’s mother allows this, but Kim also needs permission from her father. Since Kim fears that Bryan will not consent, she pretends that they will only stay in Paris. Reluctantly, Bryan agrees.

In Paris a seemingly friendly young man named Peter (Nicolas Giraud) proposes to share a taxi with them to the house where Kim and her friend are staying, and so they do. However, the man works for an Albanian Mafia|Albanian criminal organization, to which he reports the address.

Director Pierre Morel’s follow up to the nouveau classique District B13 is looking stressful! And yet how awesome will it be to watch Liam Neeson throw a punch in pursuit of the baddies who made off with Maggie Grace? You have to leave it to Luc Besson and his Transporter cronies (Morel was the cinematographer for the first two Frank Martin chapters and co-screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen has had a hand in all three movies) for making a real-life scenario so freaky/engaging, though I’m hoping I won’t be spoiled as to the story’s twists and resolution before it comes out Stateside since the movie has been out in Asia and Europe for months. Though I will say Ms. Grace, who looks a bit like Jennifer Connelly here, does not do a full reveal for her legion of followers.

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of violence, disturbing thematic material, sexual content, some drug references and language.

Director: Pierre Morel
Stars: Liam Neeson, Maggie Grace, Famke Janssen
Studio: Twentieth Century-Fox Film Corporation
Release Date: 30 January 2009 (USA)


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