Review: THE ADVENTURES OF TINTIN

Steven Spielberg was born to direct animation. He's easily one of the most cinematically creative people of all time, and The Adventures of Tintin is mind-blowing showcase of what movies would look like if Spielberg was not limited to the restrictions of live-action. The Adventures of Tintin is, if nothing else, Steven Spielberg without limits.

Review: MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE - GHOST PROTOCOL

The first thing I will point out in my comments about the newest installment of the Mission: Impossible franchise is that the above image is not green-screened. Tom Cruise really did this.

SO THAT'S COOL I GUESS.

Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol is easily the best installment of the franchise and I find it hard to believe any upcoming sequels will top it. Brad Bird - one of my all-time favorite filmmakers - has revived a franchise I would have considered dead with an excellent action movie that I would never have expected to enjoy as much as I did.

Nick Adams on: PAUL

Paul: An Alien Too Familiar

Is the parody movie genre an inevitable handicap? I want to say, “no, of course not, what a stupid question and stupid introductory sentence.” Yet, after seeing the movie, “Paul” I can’t shake the feeling that parody is a seasoning, appropriate, even delicious, in small dosages—whereas your night is ruined if you eat a full course meal of oregano. The real probe in my ear about “Paul,” though, is that the movie is not explicitly a parody, yet the movie barely exists if you take away the audience’s pre-existing, collective, cultural memory. 

Review: PAUL

            Paul is a silly and somewhat amiable R rated version of E.T. that behaves like a 5 year old who just discovered a whole new set of four letter words; I am talking of both the movie and the character. The film itself brings together the Shaun of the Dead/Hot Fuzz team and the Superbad team. It is not as effective or good as any of either’s past work. But it is much more easygoing and likely to appeal to a wider audience than their previous works.

 

First Paul "Poster" Surfaces

It's not really a poster, but it's exciting.


No release date yet, but I can't wait.

Review: STAR TREK

I have good news for everybody. This is absolutely one of the best films of the year.

This reboot of the Star Trek franchise covers all of its bases without retconning anything that has already happened. In fact, it acknowledges it at one point. Everybody knows of Leonard Nemoy, the original Spock, appearing in the film. It is more than just a cameo. He actually plays an integral part to the plot.

Starship Enterprise on the Horizon

All right...

Since no one wants to be the nerd that enters this realm, I'll do it. By now you probably know that a reboot of the Star Trek series is coming out soon. In fact, it's coming out this upcoming Friday, May 8th. And I have to tell you internets, it looks exceptionally badass.

I know! I know! Admitting that you want to see a Trek movie is slightly less painful than having an ingrown toenail, but only slightly. I feel your pain!

But don't lie, from the trailers you've become curious, even excited about the new film and its outrageous looking special effects. You are tempted to go and see whether producer/director (and co-producer of L O S T) J.J. Abrams can really pull this off. The tagline, "this isn't your dad's Star Trek" has you seriously considering it. Well, let me be the first to say that it's ok, be freaking excited.

This movie looks like so much fun. If you haven't gotten the chance, go here and watch a couple of the trailers. I defy you to tell me that this movie doesn't tug at you. No William Shatner or Patrick Stewart, no Wrath of Khan for this generation. We're getting a whole new batch of cookies here guys in the form of mind blowing special effects, action and maybe even some sexy time! Take that 1979!

Sure the guy they have lined up to play James T. Kirk (Chris Pine from Smokin' Aces who is also slated to play Hal Jordan/The Green Lantern in the film adaptation) was probably cast because he'll pull the ladies in, but he still looks like he could bring the heat too. The new direction on the character certainly looks cool. Then we have Zachary Quinto, whom the world knows as Sylar from Heroes, playing Spock for half the movie. He's a great actor and he certainly looks like Spock, so I'm looking for him to step up here. But you want to know who is playing Spock in his prime in the second half of the movie? Leonard Nimoy himself. Hell yes. Even if you hate the old Trek, everyone knows Nimoy is the man.

Then we have one of the most entertaining actors in the world, Simon Pegg, replacing James Doohan as Scotty. Imagine a Sargeant Nicholas Angel/Shaun (of the Dead) hybrid running amock on the Starship Enterprise. I literally couldn't imagine a more delightful concept if I tried. Plus we got John Cho (Harold of Harold and Kumar) playing Sulu, Karl Urban (Eomer from The Lord of the Rings trilogy) playing Dr. McCoy, Eric Bana playing Nero (the villain), Ben Cross playing Spock's dad and Winona Ryder playing Spock's mom. This looks like a winner to me.

The thing is that this movie would be hard to really screw up. Think about it, Star Trek isn't exactly Donnie Darko in terms of themes or emotional depth. It's about spaceships blowing shit up and a man with pointy ears and intense eyebrows pinching people to death. Special effects and half way decent acting can make something so simple a lot of fun, and good acting and a good script could make it amazing. It's almost like a win-win. Either Abrams delivers a film that blows us away like Transformers did, with out-of-control visuals, or it gives us that plus great substance a la Iron Man. What do we have to lose?

What We Like: Wilder's Favorites

Hey all. Get ready, because here be me faves.

Review: HOW TO LOSE FRIENDS & ALIENATE PEOPLE

It's funny, and a bit unexpected, but Simon Pegg and Kirsten Dunst worked really well together in this.

That's the reason the movie is good.

It's a simple story. Sidney Young (Simon Pegg) is a shlub from England who has always dreamed of hanging out with famous people. He's the son of an actress, and he has grown up watching these glamorous people on TV, and wanting to live 'the high life', just like them.

Also, he's kind of an idiot, and creates more awkward situations than Mike Birbiglia.

Edgar Wright, Simon Pegg, Nick Frost, and The 'Blood and Ice Cream Trilogy'

Want anything from the shop? Cornetto.

If you have seen Shaun of the Dead or Hot Fuzz, this line will ring out at you as one of the many similarities between the two films of decidedly different genres. Directed by Edgar Wright and starring Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead are prime examples of brilliant parody, where the subject matter stays serious, and only the conventions are mocked. The films they make put 'parody films' of today such as "Date Movie', and 'Epic Movie' to shame.

Now, you might be wondering, "Hot Fuzz and Shaun of the Dead are very different movies. How could this and whatever' coming next be considered a trilogy?" Well its because of the similarities in the films that make them a series, mainly, each film features blood and ice cream. (Kind of a gross mix. Sorry I didn't make it).

Shaun of the Dead = Zombies = Blood Cornetto = Red/ Strawberry

Hot Fuzz = Slasher = Blood Cornetto = Blue and White

The Worlds End = Blood = ?? Cornetto = Mint

Recently Pegg and Wright announced that the newest flavor of their upcoming movie "The Worlds End" will be mint, leading one to believe the film may be of the sci-fi genre, possibly including aliens. It is exciting to figure out how blood will fit into the mix, because Edgar Wright is so good at it.


For those of you who don't know, this is a Cornetto.





... Want one?