TMNT

Title: TMNT (2007)
Dir: Kevin Munroe
Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars



In a nutshell (turtleshell?), this movie just did nothing for me. I was a big fan of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles as a kid, but I wasn't too keen on this CGI thing. The movie itself felt like an extended episode of the newer TMNT series. It felt very different from the Turtles I am accustomed to.

So here's the plot: Leonardo has left the Turtles for some soul-seeking venture in the jungle. Meanwhile, the other three have grown apart, especially Raphael who starts doing solo vigilante work. When four mysterious statues arrive in town, along with a slew of giant monsters, Master Splinter re-unites the four turtles so they can save the day once again.

Perhaps I did not like this movie because it was basically a CGI sequel to the first three live-action films. So everything that occurs is post-Shredder. Boooooring. So it felt like one of those cartoon episodes that make you sigh because it's about some lame side-villain you've never heard of. Ya know, like turning on Batman: The Animated Series for some badass Joker or Scarecrow action only to find this week's episode is about...the Clock King? Aww, c'mon.

I would love to see another TMNT movie (cgi, liveaction, animated, whatever) about the turtles vs. Shredder, Brain, the foot clan, etc. That's the Turtles I know and love! The villains in this movie - which are basically resurrected statues - are boring, nonthreatening, and never seen prior to this film. It truly felt like one of the crappier episodes of the new tv show. Oh, and lest I forget how terrible Casey Jones and April O'Neil are in this movie! Voices by Chris Evans and Sarah Michelle Gellar, no less. Give me a break.

On the plus side, the CGI is pretty good. Particularly during a fight scene in the rain, I thought the fx looked really well-done. I think the filmmakers spent so much time on visuals, they forgot to write a good story. Tis a shame. The 8-year-old in me will just have to keep waiting.

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The Host

Title: The Host -aka- Gwoemul (2007)
Dir: Bong Joon-ho
Rating: **** out of 5 stars

You've probably heard somebody utter the cliche, "They just don't make movies like they used to." Well, guess what - they do. Namely, Koreans do. The Host is a modern-day monster movie in the vein of Jaws or Jurassic Park. It has all the classic elements - a giant terrifying (and occasionally sympathetic) beast, children in peril, and regular people doing heroic things.

In The Host, years of dumping chemicals into the Han River has created a mutant amphibian that wreaks havoc on Seoul. When the monster makes off with a young girl, her bumbling father Gang-Du sets out to rescue her. Meanwhile, the government is trying to contain him for having touched the monster which they believe to harbor a contagious disease. So Gang-Du, with the help of his father and siblings, must hunt down the beast whilst also evading arrest.

Exciting as this film is, what it's really about is family. In their quest to rescue young Hyun-seo, this family puts aside their differences and finds a sense of togetherness long since missing. Gang-Du's brother and sister leave behind their big city careers to help find their niece, and Gang Du's heroism proves him to not be the incompetent idiot his family thought he was.

I'd classify The Host as an action/adventure film, though it certainly has its horror aspects. A scene where the monster goes into a trailer full of people is particularly horrifying. The movie isn't really gory, just intense and exciting. And the monster looks pretty good for being CGI.

Apparently some people dislike this film for USA-bashing? I don't get that. Firstly, if most American action/horror movies can have Russian terrorists or German mad scientists, I see nothing wrong with American villains in an overseas film. In The Host, the Americans are sort of to blame for the monster's creation (not necessarily all our fault), and they are also the bad men in plastic suits trying to capture Gang Du for testing. And so frickin what? Sometimes the US government does pretty fucked up things - get over it.

Anyway, I had to get that out there. I really enjoyed The Host. It's singular flaw for me was an aspect of the ending, which I won't reveal since obviously it'd be a huge spoiler. If you've seen the movie, you may know already what I mean, or you can ask me. That aside, it's a great, fun movie. Hopefully you got to see it in theaters like I did. Regardless, don't miss this one.

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Hot Fuzz

Title: Hot Fuzz (2007)
Dir: Edgar Wright
Rating: ***** out of 5 stars



Hot Fuzz was probably my most anticipated film of 2007. I nearly shat myself when I heard it was green-lighted, so you can imagine my excitement over actually seeing the final film. With Edgar, Simon, and Nick in attendence, no less!

Well, I wasn't disappointed - this film is frickin hilarious. It's not quite on par with Shaun of the Dead (one of the greatest films ever made) but it's pretty damn great. The Brits have delivered a spot-on parody of American action movies.

When hot-shot police constable Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) starts making his fellow London officers look bad, he gets transferred to Stanford, a quiet town in the English countryside. Once there, he finds an inept police force who aren't accustomed to any real crime. That is, until a mysterious killer starts offing local residents. While the rest of Stanford shrugs the incidents off as accidents, Nicholas and a local constable (Nick Frost) hunt down the killer and uncover some dark secrets along the way.

Needless to say, Pegg and Frost have great chemistry together. Pegg, truly an underrated actor, can be so damn funny and then completely nail the emotional scenes. Another actor who cracked me up in this was Paddy Considine. I just love that man. He accompanies a fantastic cast that includes Jim Broadbent, Bill Nighy, and Timothy Dalton. And if you watch carefully, you might catch the cleverly-hidden cameos by Cate Blanchett and Peter Jackson.

If you are a fan of action films like Bad Boys or Point Break, you will especially love Hot Fuzz. It is not a direct spoof of those films, but it playfully pays homage to the genre. As Edgar Wright said, "There is a good reason action films aren't made in England." That is the whole joke behind the movie - injecting stereotypical American action into a small British town has some hilarious results.

And last but not least....Edgar Wright is goddamn genius. His directing style is bold and unique as with Shaun/Spaced/etc. and also mocks Tony Scott-esque flashiness. He purposefully uses quick-cutting and loud music during the most mundance sequences (ie, paperwork). I still notice new jokes everytime I watch this movie. I love love love Edgar Wright.

You needn't be a fan of action or Shaun to appreciate Fuzz. It is funny no matter what. But the fans with high hopes for this movie will not be disappointed. Do yourself a favor and go see this movie a couple times.

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Zodiac

Title: Zodiac (2007)
Dir: David Fincher
Rating: **** out of 5 stars



Another great film from a great director. Zodiac isn't as "cult-y" as Fight Club - it plays more like a straight drama - but it is tense, beautifully shot, and loaded with great actors.

Based on Robert Graysmith's books, this film tells the true story of a notorious killer nicknamed Zodiac who terrorized San Francisco during the 1960s and 70s. In particular, the movie focuses on the men (a cop, a reporter, and a cartoonist) who became obssessed with catching Zodiac.

The movie is split between a detective (Mark Ruffalo)'s hunt for the killer, and a newspaper illustrator (Jake Gyllenhaal)'s personal quest to solve the mystery. Both actors - personal favorites of mine - are at the top of their game here. Robert Downey Jr. is also fantastic as sleezy reporter Paul Avery, who was targeted by Zodiac at one point. And there are numerous cameos by great supporting actors like Brian Cox, Elias Koteas, John Carroll Lynch, and more.

Visually, the film looks great. Fincher delivers both the dark, smoggy feel of San Francisco, and the unmistakable 60s/70s nostalgia. You can actually sense the culture changing during the timeline of the Zodiac case, which really emphasizes how much of their lives the protagonists threw away while trying to catch the Zodiac killer.

The most surprising thing about Zodiac is its sense of humor. It is also downright scary at times. You may never look at basements or Roger Rabbit the same way again. If you like true crime stories, or cat-and-mouse thrillers, or just good character drama, you should really enjoy Zodiac.

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300

Title: 300
Dir: Zach Snyder
Rating: **** out of 5 stars



This film is like a crash-course in badassery. It starts off a little slow, but makes up the slack later. The movie has warriors, monsters, sex, a great Greek story, and blood. Ohh, the blood. All from the mind of Frank Miller. Seriously, what more could you ask for?

300 re-envisions the Battle of Thermopylae, where King Leonidas and few hundred Spartan (and other assorted Greek) warriors famously took on the Persian empire, numbering a couple million soldiers under the rule of King Xerxes. Much of the story is based loosely in fact, but Miller's graphic novel did throw in some larger-than-life creatures for flare. This great story combined with Zach Snyder's visionary directing resulted in one kick-ass fantasy/war film.

Gerard Butler makes up for Dracula 2000/Timeline/Tomb Raider/everything else he's ever made by playing Leonidas. He is such a badass character and Butler brings a lot of passion to the role. It may look like a lot of screaming and grunting from the trailers, but I swear, it is thrilling stuff. I also loved Vincent Regan as Leonidas' second-in-command. Another great, passionate character. He really stood out to me.

As you can probably tell from the advertisments, 300 is very quotable. Tonight we dine in HELL!! Come on, you have to love that. The movie just oozes cool. The only real downside I can think of is that it starts off kinda slow. But it gets so exciting, it really doesn't matter. The battles are just awesome, as are the different warriors from all corners of the Xerxes' empire and the various monstrosities.

And of course, the visuals are outstanding. Zach Snyder out-did himself on this one. The cinematography is draw-dropping. I'm not talking about filters and slow-motion here. I'm talking about lighting and mise-en-scene. 300 goes beyond flashiness and almost qualifies as art. Granted, a lot of that is Frank Miller. But Miller's drawings and Snyder's interpretation onto film come together beautifully.

I am anxiously anticipating Snyder's forthcoming adaptation of The Watchmen. He has done beautfiul (albeit underrated) justice to Romero and Miller. I am so excited to see how he handles Moore!

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Reno 911! Miami

Title: Reno 911! Miami (2007)
Dir: Ben Garant
Rating: **1/2 out of 5 stars



Firstly, it has to be said: I LOVE THE STATE. No matter how many god-awful movies Thomas Lennon and Ben Garant write, I will always love them because of The State - because of sideways houses, and wide-open gates to Dallas, and $240 worth of pudding.

And I also really like the Reno 911! series. But...this movie kinda sucked. The Reno sheriff's department heads to Miami for a police convention, only to be kicked out because they weren't registered. Then a biological weapon is unleashed at the convention with all the local cops inside, resulting in a quarantine. So it's up to the ragtag Reno police to find the terrorists, get the antidote, and save the day.

The movie had a few funny sight gags, but most of the humor, where it existed, was too juvenile. Some of the funniest bits were in the trailer (eg, "I just had the weirdest dream" "You know you're driving, right?"). I think the concept of the series works best in a 20-minute show, with the COPS format. It really can't fill a full feature film. At least Reno 911! Miami had all 11 members of The State together for the first time in years, and for that I am eternally grateful. I just wish it were funnier.

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