Finding Nemo

 Finding Nemo (2003)

Featuring the vocal talents of Albert Brooks, Ellen DeGeneres, Alexander Gould, Willem Dafoe, Geoffrey Rush, Brad Garrett, Allison Janney, Stephen Root, Eric Bana, and Andrew Stanton

Directed by Andrew Stanton

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers

 Chip 'n Dale: Rescue Rangers (2022)

Featuring the vocal talents of John Mulaney, Andy Samberg, Will Arnett, Eric Bana, Dennis Haysbert, Keegan Michael-Key, Tress MacNeille, Tim Robinson, Seth Rogen, and J.K. Simmons

Starring KiKi Layne

Directed by Akiva Shaffer

Written by Dan Gregor and Doug Mand

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - The Finest Hours

The Finest Hours (2016)

Starring Chris Pine, Casey Affleck, Holliday Grainger, Ben Foster, Eric Bana, Kyle Gallner, and Josh Magaro
Directed by Craig Gillespie
***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

Based on a true story, The Finest Hours details a 1952 Coast Guard rescue of the crew of the SS Pendleton during a horrible winter storm off the New England coast.  Buoyed by some nice special effects, the film is well-acted, yet never quite does enough to escape the generic nature presented by director Craig Gillespie.  Nothing about The Finest Hours stands out in any way which isn't to say that the film doesn't work.  The flick is perfectly watchable, yet it never once feels special, unique, or important in any way.  (Sort of like this generic review which is just one of many of a backlog of reviews that have been sitting in my drafts section for weeks now.)  The Finest Hours is a perfectly streamable film, but you won't walk away feeling the need to rave about it to anyone.

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Movie Review - Deliver Us from Evil

Deliver Us from Evil (2014)

Starring Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Joel McHale, and Sean Harris

Directed by Scott Derrickson

If you're prone to epileptic seizures, Deliver Us from Evil may be the worst movie ever for you to attempt to watch.  There are more flickering lights than I've ever seen in a film, and when lights aren't flickering, we're treated to much lighting by a flashlight that enters and exits the frame.  Deliver Us from Evil attempts to be a little more "adult" in the horror story its trying to tell and I do give it credit for not appealing to the lowest common denominator of horror aficionados, but the film is a mess in large part due to the direction and screenplay cowritten by Scott Derrickson who can't seem to coax good performances out of his cast and really fails to create a visually enticing film to watch.  (And I liked what he did with his previous venture Sinister, so this was a big let down.)

To make a long convoluted story short, Eric Bana is a cop named Sarchie who teams up with a Jesuit priest named Mendoza (Édgar Ramírez) to solve a series of crimes that are being perpetrated by a seemingly possessed former US soldier home from Iraq.  There are a bunch of initially unrelated puzzle pieces that take much too long to set up -- the first thirty-five minutes seemed to go nowhere -- and although this opening act eventually made sense, I found myself wondering why in the world I was watching these episodic scenes of a cop investigating seemingly unrelated crimes.  The writing here just doesn't settle into place and the dialog between Sarchie and his wife (Olivia Munn) and his partner Butler (Joel McHale) just feels forced and lacking in any realness.

Add to that the already stated disappointing direction and Derrickson's belief that flickering florescent lights are the only things needed to develop tension and Deliver Us from Evil just doesn't work.  While the final exorcism sequence is a bit compelling and saves the film from being a total disaster, this one just disappoints all around.

The RyMickey Rating:  D

Movie Review - Closed Circuit

Closed Circuit (2013)

Starring Eric Bana, Rebecca Hall, Ciarán Hinds, Julia Stiles, Anne-Marie Duff, Denis Moschitto, Hasancan Cifci, and Jim Broadbent

Directed by John Crowley

I keep waiting for the movie that's going to provide the breakout role for Rebecca Hall.  Not only is she incredibly attractive (with a British accent to boot), but she exudes an intelligence and a down-to-earth demeanor that I find appealing.  Closed Circuit certainly didn't provide the breakout, but it's a perfectly acceptable political thriller that is elevated because of the respectable cast.

The film opens with a bombing in a open-air market in central London.  The police arrest Farroukh Erdogan (Denis Moschitto), a man who seemingly has ties to Middle East terrorist organizations.  When the barrister set to represent Erdogan in the public hearing commits suicide, up-and-comer Martin Rose (Eric Bana) is plucked to replace him.  However, prior to the public hearing, a private hearing needs to be held.  With many aspects of the bombing having the ability to compromise MI-5's terrorism investigations, the government appoints another lawyer to Erdogan's defense, Claudia Simmons-Howe (Hall), to look over all of the government's secret information relating to the attack and determine what, if anything, needs to be made public record in order to help her accused client.  While Martin and Claudia are supposed to not have contact with each other -- as Claudia's private information may affect Martin's public defense -- the two used to have a romantic relationship and find it difficult to cut ties.  Not only that, but as both Claudia and Martin dig into the Erdogan case, they realize that things may not be as cut and dry as MI-5 hoped it would be.

Closed Circuit is a solidly made thriller that moves along at just the right pace.  However, I couldn't help but think this belonged on the BBC rather than in a movie theater.  There's nothing about it that screams "THEATRICS," but that doesn't by any means signify it's not of a high quality.  Seeing as how this is out of theaters and you'd just be watching it at home anyway, it's absolutely worth watching should political thrillers be your cup of tea.

The RyMickey Rating:  B

Movie Review - Lone Survivor

Lone Survivor (2013)

Starring Mark Wahlberg, Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, Ben Foster, Yousuf Azami, Ali Suliman, and Eric Bana 

Directed by Peter Berg

The problem with calling your movie Lone Survivor is that you're giving away the ending with the darn title.  Granted, if I had been "up" on my news, I would've known the true story of Marcus Lutrell (played here by Mark Wahlberg) and his Navy Seal mates who head into the mountainous terrain of Afghanistan in order  to capture or kill al Qaeda leader Ahmad Shahd (Yousuf Azami).  But, having not followed this story, I didn't know the details.  Right off the bat in the opening scene, we see that Marcus has survived this ordeal (with the rest of the movie told entirely in flashback), so not only do I know that only one person survives, but I know who the survivor is.

Perhaps I'm being a little petty, but I can't deny that this was a factor for me while watching the film, severely diminishing the tension that absolutely could've been a part of the experience.  Peter Berg does a great job with the action sequences placing the viewer squarely in the heat of the battle in the treacherous Afghan mountains, but he doesn't quite get us to connect with the quartet of American soldiers who are at the forefront of the mission.  Seeing as how there were only four soldiers -- Taylor Kitsch, Emile Hirsch, and Ben Foster join the aforementioned Wahlberg -- I expected to find myself a bit more invested in their characters, but with the exception of learning a tiny bit about their home lives, I wanted the emotional connection that I never got.  I don't think it's the fault of the actors, but moreso a fault in the script (also crafted by Berg).

Ultimately, I can't help but think I shouldn't have been "trying to guess" which soldier was going to die first, but the title and the flashback set-up inherently made me go that route.  Needless to say, what Lone Survivor excels at is taking us onto the battlefield -- a different battlefield for a different type of war.  These soldiers are heroes and even though I may not have fully connected with their characters, my admiration for them and their sacrifice cannot be denied.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Hanna

Hanna (2011)

Starring Saoirse Ronan, Cate Blanchett, and Eric Bana

Directed by Joe Wright

Whereas his previous works -- Pride and Prejudice, Atonement, and The Soloist -- were more by-the-book in terms of camera angles, editing, and acting, director Joe Wright's Hanna takes on a slightly more manic and hectic tone.  Unfortunately, despite the attempts to create excitement via his lensing, the story of a young girl (the title character played by a unemotional and bland Saoirse Ronan) trained by her father (Eric Bana) to enact revenge on the CIA operatives who wreaked havoc on their family over a decade ago just doesn't have enough drive to make the whole affair interesting for some inexplicable reason.

Perhaps it's wrong to say this about a young actress, but I'm not sure Saoirse Ronan has what it takes to headline a movie.  Admittedly, I've only seen her in Atonement and The Lovely Bones, but she has managed to come across as utterly one-note in all three films.  I've yet to see depth in any performance from her and it's much more evident in this film seeing as how she plays the title character.  Her eyes are constantly glazed over and appear empty.

It also doesn't help matters that Cate Blanchett's CIA operative almost seems to be pulled straight from some James Bond/Austin Powers-type flick.  Played rather tongue-in-cheeky and with a over-the-top country accent, her character comes off as laughable as opposed to ominous.

With the two main characters (and/or their actors) providing disappointment, it's no surprise that the film falters.  While it certainly hurts that Ronan isn't captivating, director Wright doesn't quite have a good grasp on balancing the rather ingeniously edited and oftentimes wonderfully disorienting action sequences with the slower paced "dramatic" moments.  Any scenes that don't find Hanna fighting some foe overstay their welcome...much like the film itself which feels about thirty minutes too long.

The RyMickey Rating:  C-

Movie Review - The Time Traveler's Wife (2009)

Starring Eric Bana and Rachel McAdams
Directed by Robert Schwentke

I love me some Rachel McAdams...I don't love me Rachel McAdams is this simply awful movie. McAdams is Clare and she's the title character. All her life, she's known that she was bound to marry Henry (Eric Bana) because he traveled back in time, met her constantly when she was growing up, and told her that he was from the future and that they were destined to get married. When they meet up when she's in her mid-20s, Clare and Henry begin to realize that Henry's time traveling (caused by a genetic abnormality) causes strains in their relationship.

The biggest problem with this flick (besides the ridiculous notion of time travel and the inconsistencies involved in this) is that there is ZERO chemistry between McAdams and Bana. Bana is really awful here, reading his lines in a one-note monotone, never showing any passion or emotion. McAdams is pretty much the same way, but at least she looks good doing it (most of the time...there were moments where she was frighteningly made-up here). There was not a moment in this movie where I felt like these two were in love with each other and, considering that this is a movie about love transcending time, that's a problem.

It's not just the two leads that are awful either. The director wasn't able to get a single good performance out of anyone here...all the kids in the flick (playing the young Clare and Henry, and the two girls playing Clare and Henry's daughter) were painful to watch; Clare and Henry's parents were one-note; and the couple's friends weren't given a thing to do. And it's not just the actors that the director had trouble with...he also chose some ridiculous camera shots, angles, and fades to black.

Here's hoping McAdams shines in the upcoming Sherlock Holmes...

The RyMickey Rating: D-

Movie Review - Funny People (2009)

Starring Adam Sandler, Seth Rogen, Leslie Mann, Eric Bana, Jonah Hill, Jason Schwartzman, Aubrey Plaza, and RZA
Written and Directed by Judd Apatow

One would think titling your movie Funny People would infer that there would be humor involved in the film. Well, if hearing "cock" jokes every other quip is your idea of humor, then you're in luck because Funny People will be your idea of a great time!

Adam Sandler plays George Simmons who is basically Sandler himself, or, at the very least, the same character Sandler's played in every other PG-13 lowbrow comedy he's starred in. Except in this flick, we're supposed to believe that he's being "serious" and "stepping up his game" because he's told in the film's first minutes that he has cancer (FYI...the film rarely [if it even ever] says the word "cancer" and uses the word "leukemia" instead because "cancer" would be too serious and this movie's about funny people...ugh...). He thinks back on his life, watches his shitty movies that have made him a star, and decides to go back to doing stand-up comedy. He's kind of lost his touch at comedy so he hires a fellow stand-up comic, Seth Rogen's Ira Wright, to help him out (FYI...Ira's real last name is Wiener...another penis joke...and Lord knows they go back to this joke multiple times!). With his life coming to an end, George also gets in touch with his ex Laura (Leslie Mann) and their relationship re-blossoms despite the fact that she's married to an Australian guy (Eric Bana) and has two kids.

In short, this movie sucked. I'm gonna go on a ramble here, so bear with me. None of the stand-up routines were funny. Humor was completely nonexistent. Writer-director Judd Apatow makes this crapfest go on for over two-and-a-half hours. Entire scenes and entire characters could've been cut. I didn't give a damn about any of these people in this movie. Sandler thinks that weird voices equals funny. Leslie Mann plays an awful character and is really poorly directed here. Apparently, throwing in a bunch of cameos by other "real" famous people is supposed to be funny (Andy Dick, Ray Romano, James Taylor, Eminem, Sarah Silverman all play themselves...there's a ton more). When RZA, who isn't even an actor by trade, is the funniest person in your movie, you're in trouble.

The positive that I gleaned from this movie is that Seth Rogen may have the potential to be an average actor. I actually thought he played a rather likable guy and he showed a bit of acting chops...not a lot, mind you, but I liked him a heckuva lot more than in anything else I've seen him in.

This movie reminded me of Public Enemies. There was potential for something good (that good being a story about a comedian who learns he has cancer and how he copes with it), but it never comes together in the slightest. Judd Apatow once again proves that he cannot edit his own movies. He seems to be too in love with his own writing and/or direction in order to make cuts. He thinks "dirty" equals "funny" and that's not always the case. He thinks adding side characters creates humorous foils for the main characters to play off of (but in reality, they just lengthen your movie by half). He thinks he's talented...I'm not so sure, because I've yet to be impressed with any of his ventures.

The RyMickey Rating: D-

Movie Review -- Star Trek (2009)

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Eric Bana, Zoe Saldana, Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, John Cho, Simon Pegg, Anton Yelchin, Winona Ryder, and Leonard Nimoy

Written by Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman

Directed by J.J. Abrams

I'm a huge J.J. Abrams fan. I love Lost, liked Alias, thought Felicity was an incredibly underrated series, thought J.J's Mission: Impossible was the best of the bunch...so I went into this expecting a lot.

In all likelihood, this will probably be my favorite action movie of the summer. The action sequences were very subdued, not non-stop in-your-face, and edited in such a way that I could actually tell what was going on (I'm talking to you, Michael Bay). So, if I liked the way they were filmed so much, why was I underwhelmed by these action sequences? There seemed to be a lack of tension in these scenes which (being an action movie) is rather unfortunate.

I'm not really going to get into the story here, except that this flick is essentially an "origin" story (albeit an infinitely better one than this recent flick I viewed), telling the tale of how James T. Kirk happened to become captain of the Enterprise. If someone has never seen anything having to do with Star Trek before, this is a perfect introduction. You don't need to know anything going into this. Everything is explained to you. While that could be tremendously boring for those that do know Star Trek (I know a little...I watched Next Generation as a kid), the way that the two screenwriters presented the information was perfect -- not the least bit boring for the Trekkies (or, apparently Trekkers, as they prefer to be called) and not the least bit confusing for the casual viewer.

The acting is across the board top-notch which is really what raised this film above your typical summer blockbuster. Chris Pine is a perfect Kirk, mirroring some of William Shatner's mannerisms, but making the character his own. Same goes for Zachary Quinto's Spock, who actually gets to spend time onscreen with the original Spock, Leonard Nimoy. A stand-out was Simon Pegg's Scotty who made the absolute most of his minimal screen time. Zoe Saldana's Uhura was also quite good. The only problem with the skilled group of younger actors was Karl Urban's McCoy...he was the only one who seemed to be playing a copy of the original -- he was certainly directed to go for the "corny," but it felt a little out of place at times (there's a ridiculous scene between McCoy, Kirk, and a pair of swollen hands that is completely out of place with the rest of the film).

Overall, a good film. Certainly the best of the summer so far. Hopefully, the flick does good enough to warrant a sequel because I certainly wouldn't mind taking another voyage with this crew.

The RyMickey Rating: B