The Grey....More like ..."The Letdown"

   If you have seen "Taken" then you know that Liam Neeson plays a great bad a$$. The Grey has all the makings of a "man against the elements, battle for life and death. If you've watched a trailer. The movie, unfortunately, doesn't deliver. The plot is OK. Liam plays an interesting character, but the movie lacks in many ways.
 The plot is a combo of "Alive" and "The Edge." Neeson is on a plane of workers that crashes into an undisclosed frozen wilderness. The men find themselves fighting the elements, wolves, and sometimes each other. One of the greatest lines I've heard in along time is uttered," In about 5 seconds I am going to beat the s@#& out of you and you will swallow a lot of blood." I will carry that one with me for awhile and coming from Liam Neeson it's believable.
The battle wolves hunt them. The men do not get along and I found myself curious, more so than caring, who will survive.

The film does have it's breath taking moments. The crossing of the canyon and the frozen tundra that they traverse. My problem with "The Grey" is the fact that I never became emotionally divested in the characters. The movie does it's best to show glimpses of their past stories, but I never found myself rooting for them to make it. It will make you jump at times and there are a few tense moments, but all in all I spent two hours waiting for a pay off that doesn't come. The only thing the movie did was make me appreciate the warm bed that I sleep in. In my opinion go see "Red Tails" instead or die hard Liam Neeson fans should just rent "Taken" again.

"Real Steel" is the "Real Deal"

   What could be cooler than a live action version of "Rock 'em Sock 'em Robots?" At a glance that is what many would think of Real Steel. The reality couldn't be further from the truth. This is a movie with heart, surrounded by large boxing robots. Shawn Levy directed a very feel good movie while still appealing to the average fan boy. My Michigan peeps will recognize many of the downtown Detroit and Lansing areas that served as a back drop for the film.

 Hugh Jackman plays a down on his luck boxer trying to make a buck. Boxing has been replaced with giant remote controlled robots and he is in the fighting game. He gambles, he loses, and he finds out he has a son. Dakota Goyo is the Canadian new comer who plays Hugh's troubled son. A perfect father figure Hugh isn't. He decided the best way to make a buck and keep funding his fight/gambling addiction is to sell his rights to his son. While some would already turn their heads at that concept others would find it hard not to like Jackman's character. They discover a special training robot that can mimic movement and use it to build a contender. Throw in Evangeline Lily from Lost as Hugh's partner/girlfriend and you have a nice little story with that does more than just appeal to the science fiction crowd.

 What makes "Real Steal" work is it's story. This is a movie that has heart. Hugh Jackman is very likable. Even when he is a slime ball you still find yourself rooting for him. The robot stuff is a good time and the effects are top notch. It's a science fiction world, but it never becomes to cartoon-ish. It almost makes you wonder how far away from robot boxing we actually are. Ladies will like this for the story. Guys for the action. I was skeptical when I saw the first trailers for this, but it is worth a rental or purchase. "Real Steel " is a little bit "Rocky," a little bit "Over The Top," and a lot of fun.

Underworld....UNDERWHELMING

  Kate Beckinsale is back as the vampire death dealer Selene in the latest chapter of Underworld.

The story picks up after the end of Underworld: Evolution. Selene and Michael head into hiding, but the world has changed drastically. Humans know of the existence of both species and begin “the cleanse.” That is where the story goes wrong. The government begins going door to door and wiping out both vampires and Lycans (werewolves). Selene is captured and frozen for twelve years. The question everyone asks is, where’s Michael? We will answer it and you might not like the answer you get.

  Selene awakes and finds that she and Michael have a hybrid daughter and the running begins. We get introduced to some new characters. David, a vampire caught up in the legends of the Death Dealers and a human detective. They along with Selene set out to protect the hybrid child and get to the bottom of the conspiracy.

What worked? Kate Beckinsale is great as Selene. She is one of the best female action leads in quite some time. She went from being cold and bent on revenge in the first two movies to being broken hearted and protective in this installment. All of that, but she is a believable vampire bad ass. The idea of a hybrid daughter is cool, but I think it could’ve been done better. The new characters are ok, but not enough back stories. They never become more than accessories. The 3-d was also fantastic. The right amount and very well done. The timing was also great. The movie didn’t drag. 90 minutes. Thanks for watching.

What didn’t work? Several things, let’s start with the villains. Victor and Marcus were both fantastic villains. The owned the screen and were the right balance of charismatic evil. The evil scientist and “hulk” type lycan just don’t do it for me. The scale of the movie seems too small for the entire human race to be exterminating both species. The story lacks. The first to movies told a great story and brought you into a very cool world. This would have been better left to the vamps and wolves. Keep the humans out. What was the biggest flaw? Michael. He is acknowledged by name, but Scott Speedman said “no” to a role reprisal and we are left with a fill in and some bad C.G.I. These movies are notorious for taking the second most powerful character in its universe and weakening him. I hope they do him justice at some point.

Will there be another? It’s left open, but it depends on the box office take. It’s not the strongest of the series. I didn’t hate it, but I was left wanting something better. It’s a good popcorn flick, but it might be getting by on fan boys alone this time around. The best word to describe awakening would be underwhelming.

Haywire???

  Where do I begin with this one? Let me start by saying that I really wanted to like this. It has the makings of a movie I should like. Good cast. Good director. Good trailer. I am an M.M.A. fan and love Gina Carano. I can't say that I dislike the move, but I can't say for sure that I liked it either. Confused? So am I.

 Let's start with Steven Soderbergh. I was a huge fan of the Ocean's Franchise. They were fun,well written, and packed with stars. Soderbergh is one of the directors that the "Hollywood A-list" seems to always want to work with. He pulls together large ensemble casts and he does it again here. Even if they are only in the movie in small doses, it works.

 Gina Carano is a female M.M.A. fighter and one of the best. The big question? Can she act? The answer is yes. She was not bad. Soderbergh did a great job by surrounding her with a good cast. I won 't say that she is up there with Kate Beckinsale, Jennifer Aniston, or Sandra Bullock, but she is better than one would expect. She plays a great bad ass and because of her background all of her fights come across as believable.Let's come back to the fighting in a few. She looks good, but make no mistake she is a very muscular girl and cannot hide it.

 Carano plays an ex marine/ private contracted "Black Ops Agent." Ewan Mcgregor is her ex boyfriend/ current boss and plays a really good weasle. Michael Douglas is the government rep that wants her for a job and Antonio Banderas is the partner of Ewan's character. Mcgregor asks her to do one final mission before quitting and she reluctantly agrees. As you can imagine things go wrong for her and they attempt to kill her.
It plays out a ot like the "Bourne Identity" minus the memory loss. Michael Fassbender (Magneto/Xmen First Class) play s the European Agent that she is set up with. The fight scene between them is pretty good and in my opinion he is not in the movie enough. There are rumors that they are looking at him as a Daniel Craig replacement in the James Bond Franchise. He would be an excellent choice.

 Bill Paxton plays her ex-marine father and Channing Tatum is the fellow agent she has a fling with. It is nice to see him get his ass kicked during most of the movie. Maybe I just wanted some payback for the first G.I. Joe , but it was still entertaining. The mystery of whats going on is kind of fun, but not on the level of Ocean's or even Contraband. Carano does the best she can and if ever a live action Wonder Woman comes to be, Gina would be the perfect choice.

What Haywire lacks and where it disappoints is action. The trailer would say otherwise, but the sound needs amped during the fights. Soderbergh went for this "artsy" approach and I think that is where it fails. The car chase from inside the car doesn't work for me. The "caper" type music is horrible for this type of movie. Give me a driving rock or hip hop score and this movie easily get better. The cast is good. The story has it's moments, but overall I think Haywire fails to excite. It's not good. It's not bad. It's just OK.

What would MLK think?

 It's been interesting to see all of the things posted about Dr Martin Luther King today.
Regardless of your color or creed, you cannot help but be in awe of M.L.K. Even some fifty years later his words are still so powerful. He spoke with passion and conviction and I can't help but wonder where all of that passion and conviction has gone. I wonder what Dr King what think if her were alive today?

We live in the richest country in the world, but people starve. We elect people to speak for the people, but so many people go unheard. Home ownership is part of the dream that was America, but so many people can't buy one regardless of how hard they work. Martin Luther King was a man of peace , but in almost every city, in every state, streets bearing his name are some of the most violent. I can't help but wonder what he would think today? Is this the America he and others like him dreamed about?

 It's been fifty years and there is still racism. Our teens are beaten, broken down, and ending their lives based on the opinions and cruelty of others. Our government is more worried about "political agenda" than actually helping the people of America. Is this the dream? There was a dream where people could be different and live together in peace. Are we there yet? Are We even close?

 In 1963 one man spoke with conviction. One man fought and with his voice alone moved people to action. You could hear the passion. His words made you believe. He fought, but not with his hands. He changed the richest nation in the world with faith, love, and the belief that there was a better way.
This country has so many people who speak just to hear themselves talk. What are they even saying? Anyone with a computer can post a video. It's not the same thing. The passion isn't there. I am curious to see who comes next. Who will be the one to do some of things that Martin Luther King did? Who is the next person who will defy a country, and truly not be afraid to dream of a better world. Who will speak the words that will make the politicians of this great country take notice?

 Will it be a teacher, a house wife, or the dwindling middle class father working his fingers to the bone so his family can live? Will it be a black man, a Asian woman, or the college student who dared to be different? I hope I get to see it. I love the fact that I get to use my voice for a living. I am still in awe of the fact that M.L.K'S words still hold so much power, so many years later. There was/is a dream. There are so many voices yet to be heard. I can't wait for the one that truly restores my faith in the world.

Some Great Contraband

 Mark Wahlberg is back! Contraband is the latest vehicle and it delivers.
Smuggling is highly illegal and often dangerous, and Chris Farraday is one of the best at it, that is until he married and had a couple of kids. He started his own business and leads a quiet life with the family. Of course a movie with Marky Mark frolicking with the family would be boring, his past comes back to haunt him.

 Things go bad when Farraday's brother-in-law, played by Caleb Landry Jones (Banshee from X-Men First Class), gets into some trouble for smuggling drugs. Wahlberg comes out of retirement to keep the kid alive by coming up with 700,000.00 to pay off Briggs, played very well by Giovani Ribsi. Wahlberg and his crew set sail for Panama while his best friend Sebastion(Ben Foster) keeps his kids and wife (Kate Beckinsale) safe.

 The smuggling plot is fantastic. Your interest is kept trying to figure out how they can actually pull this off in the small amount of time given. They must avoid drug lords, U.S. Customs, and the corrupt ship Captain, played perfectly by J.K. Simmons (J Jonah Jameson-Spider man). There are obvious twists that you see coming, but the over all smuggling operation is done very well. Wahlberg is completely believable and Ben Foster is creepy in almost every movie he has been in. Giovani Ribsi plays the tattooed out thug perfectly and Kate Beckinsale is good, even though she does little more than be troubled and look smokin hot! Next we see how well she can do in the next installment of Underworld.

 I personally like Mark Wahlberg when he plays the intelligent criminal. Contraband is a lot like the Italian Job minus all the Mini Cooper fun, but still very fun to watch. Their could be potential tough competition this weekend from Beauty And The Beast and Joyful Noise, but Contraband definitely packs some bang for the buck. Good cast. Good plot. Good movie.

worth your Moneyball!

 Whether baseball is your thing or not, this movie is one you should watch.
Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill are both amazing. It's rare that you find a movie about baseball that isn't your typical "Field Of Dreams" or "Major League." Moneyball is in a league all it's own.

 Brad Pitt plays the troubled G.M. of The  Oakland A's who, like many other teams, is having trouble competing with the Yankees. Let's face it, there are not a lot of teams with that kind of payroll. He meets Jonah Hill and against all odds and the majority of baseball scouts, they build a "statistically" winning team. They find the best players that they can afford and that will get them into the post season based on the numbers.  Think it's a great fairy tale? It could be, but it is a true story. It's the same formula Boston used to break their curse and win the World Series in 2004.

 Brad Pitt does show is age and is phenomenal especially after admitting that he doesn't know anything about baseball. It's a fun movie to watch. Real fans will remember when this Oakland team made it's run and casual movie goers will like the story and it's real life characters like David Justice, Scott Hatteberg, Miguel Tejada and more.

To sum it all up, Moneyball is every bit worth the money.