Movie Review - Cloverfield

Cloverfield (2008)

Starring Lizzy Caplan, Jessica Lucas, T.J. Miller, Michael Stahl-David, Mike Vogel, and Odette Yustman

Directed by Matt Reeves

Surprisingly more effective than I remember, Cloverfield is a rather intense seventy-minute found-footage sci-fi/horror flick.  Found-footage films often feel like a cheap ploy and, frankly, that's also the case here.  Does anyone really think that goofball Hud (T.J. Miller) would carry around a little camcorder throughout the chaos of some monster invasion of New York City?  Seeing as how we live in some uncomfortably weird digital age in which everyone films everything, maybe it's plausible, but it's the one fault I find in all of these types of films.  Come on -- put down the camera already.

That said, once Cloverfield is through detailing all of its requisite background info on its main characters in its opening twenty minutes, director Matt Reeves' flick is non-stop thrilling.  The audience has bought into the plights of these twentysomething folks trying to escape New York City which is under some kind of attack by some type of creature.  Tense, taut, and exciting, Cloverfield is worthy of another look if you haven't seen it in some time...or in case you wanted a refresher before you watch 10 Cloverfield Lane...the review of which just may happen to pop up tomorrow here.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Mission: Impossible III

-- Mission: Impossible Week --
Please note that all Mission: Impossible Week film reviews may contain spoilers related to both the film that is being reviewed and other films in the series.

Mission: Impossible III (2006)

Starring Tom Cruise, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ving Rhames, Billy Crudup, Michelle Monaghan, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Keri Russell, Maggie Q, Simon Pegg, Eddie Marsan, and Laurence Fishburne

Directed by J.J. Abrams

After the absolute debacle that was Mission: Impossible II, anything -- and I mean absolutely anything -- would've been an improvement.  Fortunately, this third installment in the M:I series leaves behind John Woo's white doves and fiery orange color palette for an admittedly much more cookie-cutter action picture.  Still, director J.J. Abrams' debut feature film rounded up a great cast (which as mentioned before is a bit of a staple for the M:I pics) and showed Hollywood that he had potential as a feature film helmer.

The film begins with Ethan Hunt (Cruise) setting out on a mission (impossible) to rescue fellow IMF agent Lindsey Farris (Keri Russell) whom Hunt himself trained from an undercover assignment that has gone horribly wrong.  Unfortunately, the rescue is a failure and Lindsey ends up dead (much to the chagrin of this blogger and longtime fan of Ms. Russell).  Determined to find the person who killed her, Hunt and his team (this time made up of newcomers Maggie Q, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and returnee Ving Rhames) begin to hunt down arms dealer Declan Gormley (Philip Seymour Hoffman) whose "business" Lindsey was attempting to infiltrate.

While the action sequences are certainly solid, what makes Mission: Impossible III stand out is Philip Seymour Hoffman's villain.  Hoffman relishes the maniacal nature of his character and from his opening scene to his last, he brings a vibrancy to the flick that we hadn't quite seen yet in the pictures in the franchise.  To balance Hoffman out, Cruise's Hunt is given a serious love interest in this film in Michelle Monaghan's Julia and the relationship gives us a more well-rounded picture of the series' main protagonist.

The negative to this film -- and admittedly it's a bit of a problem -- is that it's oddly forgettable.  As I sit here typing up this review a week after watching the flick, I found myself finding it difficult to remember key action pieces.  Even in the dismal M:I II, I recalled moments.  With Mission: Impossible III, however, it feels a bit too generic for its own good.  Without a particularly unique stylization from an auteur, Abrams has crafted a well-made action movie, but one that feels like it could've been a part of any other franchise.  Still, the film works and it works pretty well.  However, as you'll see soon, improvements could still be made on the franchise to really make it shine.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

Movie Review - Star Trek Into Darkness

Star Trek Into Darkness (2013)

Starring Chris Pine, Zachary Quinto, Zoe Saldana, Karl Urban, Simon Pegg, John Cho, Anton Yelchin, Alice Eve, and Benedict Cumberbatch

Directd by J.J. Abrams

***This film is currently streaming on Netflix***

With the origin story of 2009's Star Trek reboot behind us, I was looking forward to seeing what J.J. Abrams was going to bring to the table in Star Trek Into Darkness.  I should preface things by saying that while I like Star Trek, I'm no über-fan.  I haven't really seen any of the original movies and essentially was a ST:Next Generation guy and that was it.  So, if this movie resembles another (which I heard it did upon its release last year), it's news to me.  So, with that caveat out of the way, I'll say that I found Into Darkness to be a truly fun ride that nicely paces its action sequences and never once feels like the typical non-stop in-your-face special effects spectacle that most summer action movies are -- and I mean that in a good way.

Into Darkness places an emphasis on story and that's a welcome treat.  As far as the story goes, however, I'm not going to delve greatly into it as there are a few surprises in terms of Star Trek lore that are best to be left unsaid.  Needless to say that the way director Abrams and his long-time collaborator screenwriter Damon Lindelof (along with writers Roberto Orci and Alex Kurtzman) are able to weave the old Star Trek with this new reboot are inventive and enjoyable.  I'll also add that even if you've never seen another Star Trek film, you can start with Star Trek Into Darkness and not be lost.  Although it's a continuation of the 2009 film in terms of character development, there's nothing presented here that will make you feel lost if you start your Star Trek journey here.

As I mentioned, I appreciated that those involved creatively didn't feel the need to place action scenes directly after one another in a whiz-bang fashion.  However -- and this is the film's one true detriment -- because of the lack of action sequences, much of the cast wasn't showcased to its fullest potential. Whereas in the first film, I felt that actors like John Cho, Zoe Saldana, Simon Pegg, Karl Urban, and Anton Yelchin all got their moments in the sun that doesn't necessarily happen here.  In some ways, that's better -- the film's focus on Kirk, Spock (Zachary Quinto), and the villainous renegade Star Fleet member John Harrison (Benedict Cumberbatch) streamlines things a bit more and eschews the need for "action moments" simply to place characters in scenes.  However, with a cast this good, I missed seeing them at times.  That said, Chris Pine has taken the character of Captain Kirk and imbued him with just the right amount of the suavely chauvinistic vibe William Shatner brought to the character without taking things overboard that he's quite enjoyable to watch.  Actors in movies like this don't get a lot of credit, but I think what Pine is doing with Kirk -- making him a cocky guy with a lot of heart -- is great stuff.

The RyMickey Rating:  B+

Movie Review - Super 8

Super 8 (2011)

Starring Joel Courtney, Elle Fanning, Kyle Chandler, Ron Eldard, Riley Griffiths, and Ryan Lee

Directed by J.J. Abrams

Somehow or another -- whether it be by the cinematographic framing or the simple fact that the film was set in the 80s (well 1979, so the cusp of the 80s) -- director-writer J.J. Abrams does succeed in creating the Steven Spielberg-esque tone that he was certainly going for with his new science-fiction film Super 8.   Surprisingly, however, this flick about an alien on Earth is no E.T.  I'm not sure why I was expecting some nice "ET, phone home" type moments, but that certainly didn't happen here...and it was a rather pleasant treat that the film took on more of a homage to horror classics in addition to being somewhat of loving tribute to the "tone" that Spielberg set in his quintessential early and mid-career classics.  However, in the end, Super 8 never really marries its horror/adventure side with its heart side (a staple of Spielberg's oeuvre) and because of that lack of cohesion, it's a film that finds itself a tad disappointing when all is said and done.

Certainly, Abrams got great work out of his group of young actors.  Young Joel Courtney (in his first ever acting gig) and Elle Fanning have a nice go at the puppy love that is going on amongst their characters Joe and Alice.  The two are both excellent with Fanning once again proving that she's a force to watch (of course, I already knew that seeing as how I placed her in my Top Five younger actors last year).  As the duo and their group of friends (all great, by the way, including Riley Griffiths in his first role) film a horror movie utilizing their super 8 camera, the scenes involving these young'uns make up the Spielberg-ian heart.  Unfortunately, the film aims at trying to create a coming of age tale, but drops that by the wayside in favor of the invasion of an alien.

That invasion of the alien is also successful (much like the youth-centric "heart" side of the film) for a time, but never quite succeeds in the end.  The backstory of this alien that has, in fact, been on Earth for a few decades is actually quite interesting and should have been successful in setting up a great ending.  However, Abrams, who I usually like, is sometimes prone to great set-ups with lackluster conclusions and the ending of Super 8 feels like such a letdown.  It's not that the alien isn't cool-looking, it's just that the meeting of the two worlds -- the kids and the alien -- is so ludicrous and just plain silly.  Where Spielberg successfully marries both worlds (most of the time), Abrams can't manage to do the same.

Still, despite the major problems that Super 8's story has, it's a film that admirable in what it's attempting. It is absolutely successful in its goal of being an homage to films of my youth.  It's filled with great performances from a cast of (mostly) young unknowns.  It's a film that looks great and creates a cool lore for an alien invasion.  All of which make it all the more unfortunate that Abrams can't bring everything together in the end.

The RyMickey Rating:  B-

The Best Show (Ever) on Television...

I'm serious with that title. I think J. J. Abrams (and company) have created a magnificent viewing experience with this show. The season five finale on Wednesday night proved that once again. That ending? What the hell is gonna happen next season? And what the hell is up with Locke? The black lettering on white background (rather than the opposite as we viewers are used to) was such a simple way to end it, but it was ingenious!

I know two people that read this blog watch Lost...feel free to go spoiler-crazy in the comments...

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