“The only thing stronger than fear is hope.” – President Coriolanus Snow

Swift shot: Suspenseful, thought-provoking, primal, saga that will have no end, and I am dying to know more about the beginning. Not since 1977′s Star Wars has a saga captivated me in this way, where I wanted to know everything that led up to the small chapter that I just watched.  The Hunger Games is exactly like that, and when the film reveals how many “happy hunger games” there have been – my imagination was overloaded by the possibilities.  I knew almost nothing about this series other than it was set in the future and that districts would send children to fight to the death for some reason.  Once I heard that much, I put a moratorium on my friends from mentioning anything that might spoil the slightest essence of why this series is so popular.  And while the target audience is teenagers, unlike Twilight – this film was nothing short of EPIC!  Pay attention, or be the first martyred for your district.

Suzanne Collins came up with the idea for The Hunger Games, because she was fascinated with the Greek myth of Theseus and also noted the rampant up-rise of our reality TV and war coverage, wondering where the end might come, having found none, she created Katniss Everdeen. Most good writers put themselves in their protagonist’s shoes, and I can imagine she envisioned herself, or her daughter, as Katniss, pitted in a brutal lethal game for survival and penance.  And much like the boys and girls, sent every nine years, to fight the hideous Minotaur, her Tributes faced mortality for the amusement of others.

Jennifer Lawrence is going to have a problem, she is going to forever be Katniss Everdeen – she will go on to do other things, she will excel, because she is beyond incredible, all of 22 now though, her future is marked.  Maybe she will turn to Carrie Fisher for some advice, because she managed to avoid type-casting, but still, she will always be Princess Leia.  The casting department deserves to be, forgive the obvious nod, placed on a pedestal for recognizing Lawrence as the perfect fit for Katniss.  She damned near simply reprises her role from Winter’s Bone, where she plays the poor, destitute, starving care-giver for her siblings.  Katniss is no different, she sacrifices her life to protect her sister, Primrose, whom she lovingly calls little duck.  She is also handy enough with a bow that her family doesn’t starve, despite their coal mining district’s low place.  Apparently, the higher your number, the lower your status in Panem.  With 12 districts, and Katniss being from the 12th, she is the ultimate under-dog.

But, thankfully, each district is allowed two tributes, and her partner, chosen in a surreal lottery, known as Reaping Day, is Peeta Mellark who is played by Josh Hutcherson, oddly enough, he was in a little movie called Zathura: A Space Adventure, where a game approaches lethal risks.  So, casting Josh as Peeta was another no-brainer for the film-makers.  Josh impressed me, because he always had this air of attitude about him on screen that I never quite appreciated before.  He seemed to wear it as Peeta, but it wasn’t as overt and in your face, and he managed to add a real empathy to his character that I wasn’t expecting.  I am not sure if he will forever be labelled as Peeta, like Lawrence as Katniss, but I know he has a huge teen-scene following that is sure to endure.

The real show stealer has to be Amandla Stenberg, who takes so little screen time and creates a wonderful character, on screen, in District 11′s Rue – and in one touching scene, we see the world through her little eyes, a very powerful moment that Director Gary Ross handled beautifully.  Finally, Stanley Tucci as Caesar Flickerman, Woody Harrelson as Haymitch Abernathy and Elizabeth Banks as Effie Trinket all come to life because of Oscar-nominated costume designer Judianna Makovsky who magnificently captured the various conflict of society with her brilliant costume work.  Each district had a personality, a conflict could be immediately surmised and a comparison, felt, in a manner that hits you right in the gut.

The cinematography was stylized and balanced well to create the future – I didn’t notice any cartoonish effects either, even when what I am calling the Man-Bear-Pigs make their appearance, they felt very real!  The violence was brutal, but mostly takes place off screen, but you don’t have to use much imagination to know how people are dispatched.

This film, and this series, no doubt, will be dissected politically for years.  It is part Running Man, Logan’s Run, and The Lottery all with one rather disgusting twist, it’s the kids who must be sacrificed, and what is their crime?  Nothing, many, many years before they were born, their ancestors fomented some kind of revolution.  As a cruel reminder, the victorious controlling government, led now by President Snow (Sutherland) selects two 12-18 year old citizens from each of 12 districts to compete in a viscous battle where only one will survive.  One of the better lines of the film comes when Snow reminds his game-master Seneca Crane (the always creepy, Wes Bentley) that a little hope is why they allow a winner, but a lot of hope is dangerous.  This series is a political scientist professor’s wet-dream.  Power, control, sacrifice, revolution, penance, all the makings of a great debate!

What I find incredible about the film, and the novels (apparently) is that much like a Rorschach test, people are seeing different messages – yet they are all raising the same banner of appreciation.  Oddly enough, the Tea Party sees the fear of big government, whilst the Occupy Movement finds the disparaging juxtaposition between The Capitol and the Districts as reminders of the class struggle they so desperately want to maintain.  To true Patriots, might the subtle mention of 13 districts be a calling to revolution to battle tyranny, like the original 13 colonies?  Hell, even teenagers will take from it the perils of blind-obedience . . . to parents that would serve them up to slaughter.  This is why I give the film my patented Swift Six Stars, if you leave the theater and aren’t thinking all day and night about The Hunger Games – newsflash, you would be the first to die when they raise the pedestals, because everyone else is thinking about it.  I have even seen people on Pinterest posting work-out motivational images saying, “I don’t want to be the first to die in The Hunger Games!”

Better yet, listen to what another popular “young-adult” author Stephanie Myer had to say, “The story kept me up for several nights in a row, because even after I was finished, I just lay in bed wide awake thinking about it.”   That’s pretty much how I felt when I left the theater too, and while this was purported to be sci-fi, much like Star Wars, that wasn’t what interested me at all, it is the entire universe, the characters, the plight of the heroines and heroes, the mythology and wanting to know EVERYTHING about this fascinating saga – which is exactly how I felt in 1977.  I have to go now, I need to add The Hunger Games to my eBooks – you know, so I can sleep!

“Look at the stars. The great kings of the past are up there, watching over us.”

Swift shot:  When you think of a flawless film, I dare anyone say “The Lion King” isn’t first on your list – especially for fathers with sons.  Personally, this used to just be a great film, until two things happened to me: I lost my father and I became a father of a wonderful cub myself.  Now, when I watch it, I am reminded of the fragile nature of life, the inevitable end that we all face, and that we all hope that someday our sons will look to us like Mufasa, for we are all kings, and we will all become as one with the stars in the sky.  No king lives forever.

“The Lion King” is a fabulous story of courage and compassion, but primarily it is a story about fathers, for fathers.  We all know the story, and Disney didn’t make any bold, dumb changes from the original.  This 3D effort is just the original re-released in 3D, and you won’t find anything really spectacular about the 3D itself, but, if you are like me and didn’t get to see “The Lion King” in theaters before, this is one of those father-son films that you simply have to take your children to see in theaters . . . while you still can (yes, in every implication of that phrase).

Set in Africa, “The Lion King” wakes us to a new day where King Mufasa (James Earl Jones) and his queen, Sarabi (Madge Sinclair) introduce their prince, Simba (Johnathon Taylor Thomas/Matthew Broderick) to their kingdom.  In this way, it starts much like Bambi, but unlike Bambi, the focus is not on the mother/son relationship.  In fact, mother Sarabi is merely an after-thought in this film.  She is full of pride and has impeccable courage, but Mufasa is the tragic figure who assumes he and his son will watch many new days together.  He’s wrong.

Scar, his over-looked older brother, masterfully portrayed by Jeremy Irons, is just two heart-beats away from the throne, and he aims to eliminate Mufasa and Simba in one dreadful master-stroke.  Mufasa is strong but incredibly naive and trusts his brother to never betray him.  Scar is perhaps the most vile villain ever to appear in a Disney film.  Not only does he kill the king, he has convinced Mufasa’s son that it was he who was responsible for his own father’s death!  To make him even more vicious, Scar planned on killing Simba anyway, so to make him think he was responsible for his father’s death, only to have him killed seconds later was incredibly malicious.  I mean, in his mind, the prince was hyenia chow, so why make him think in his last mortal thoughts that he was responsible for killing his own father?  That is just evil.

[Swift aside: Some people claim Vader is the worst villain, but I disagree, I think the worst movie villain has to be Scar, he betrayed his brother, murdered him, took his wife (like in Hamlet) but also tried to kill the prince, all of these characters were of his blood.  It's vile.  Vader was an orphan, essentially, and while he betrayed his master, he wasn't blood, and, yes, killing the younglings was pretty sick, but they weren't his kin.  Also, Vader didn't blow up Alderaan; it was Tarkin who ordered that.  Shouldn't Tarkin be the worst villain ever?  I smell a twitter question/answer session from this.]

Alas, Simba does escape his trio of pursuers/assassins: Shenzi (Whoopi Goldberg); Banzai (Cheech); and Ed (Jim Cummings) as he runs through a thick barbed thorn bed.  His would-be-killers, mocking him with “If you come back here, we’ll kill you!”  Did I mention “The Lion King” was dark, yet?  It is probably the darkest, and yet lightest, film by Disney in decades.  As Simba has finally given up, on life (suicidal thoughts, again, like Hamlet) and waits for the buzzards to rend his flesh, two new “father-figures” enter his story, Timon (Nathan Lane) and Pumbaa (Ernie Sabella).  They represent a care-free, live for the moment life-style, in this way, they were much like the Balloo character in the Jungle Book, eating, sleeping and playing their days away, they even have a motto to go with their “bare necessities” attitude . . . Hakuna Matata.

On that note, I’d be remiss if I didn’t point out the wonderful scoring of this Disney masterpiece, with Academy Award winning music by Elton John, Hans Zimmer and Tim Rice.  The songs are legends in and of themselves and need no puffery on my part; you have all welled up to them . . . at least once.  Still, watching “The Lion King” without all the incredible sound work, not just the music, would detract from the emotional impact.  Often times, we overlook the balance in films that makes them go from good to great . . . to epic, as in “The Lion King”.  Just hearing the Circle of Life or Hakuna Matata can put me in a different place, even doing something as mundane as folding laundry – the first song can put me in the emergency room when I heard my son sing for the first time, as he entered this fragile, hostile, yet magical world.  And hearing Hakuna Matata reminds me, wherever I am or what I am doing, of the times in my own life where I was able to let my guard down completely and just revel in the now.  We all need those Hakuna Matata moments of pure innocent frivolity from time to time.

Unlike the stories that inspired “The Lion King” (there are several mentions under the trivia section on imdb) Simba doesn’t return to the Pridelands for revenge; he returns for something more noble, penance.  Remember, he thinks he is the one responsible for his father’s death, thanks to Scar.  So, upon his return, he is expecting to be reviled and hated once he reveals his dreadful secret.  This makes Simba an even more sympathetic character, and when he finally does realize that he and his father were betrayed by Scar, he still affords his wicked uncle mercy.  Thankfully, Scar is too filled with a warped ego to accept and is ultimately served up to the same assassins he put to kill Simba.  And, the film ends with a reprise of the opening, and now, Simba is the King and Simba is the father, the Circle of Life is set in motion once again.  And, again, we are shown the beauty and the tragedy that is life – so fragile a thing and therefore magnificent to behold.

“The Lion King” will forever be in the canon of my heart and being able to watch it in the theater, sitting next to my son, knowing that he will never meet my father and that he can only look to the stars to seek him, is something I will always remember.

“That was mint!”

Swift shot: If you see this one in theaters, count yourself enlightened, if you wait to rent or own Blu Ray, consider yourself miserable.  Because, trust me, if you wait til you are home to see this for the first time, unless you are exceptionally wealthy and have a veritable theater sized screen at home – - – you are going to be kicking yourself forever!

Occasionally, every few decades or so, a film comes along that just fires on all cylinders and resonates with something inside you that hasn’t been active since you were a kid.  Super 8 manages to do just that, stir up imaginations I once thought completely dormant – where the critical, cynical adult in me keeps the child bolted up in a dungeon called “the impossible”.  I want to thank EVERYONE who made this film a reality, and I wonder if Paramount knows just how fortunate they are to have some of the best film-makers to ever hold that title on their label?

See, I remember, in the before time, seeing an exceptional film and waiting what felt like forever to see it again.  We have become spoiled as movie goers, everything is instantly at our beck and call.  Super 8 is going to be an instant classic film that others of its genre will be scrutinized against for a long time to come.  In 2036, some smart aleck director will be throwing nods to it after popping his film-school cherry, thinking he is worthy to do such a thing.  Yes, Super 8 will hold up throughout the years as a great film, and while the overall concept has been done before, and even the opening credits hint to the “reveal” which every critic right now is trying to figure out how to write about without giving away the farm, it was still an exceptionally well put together story and although set in the past never felt stale or aged . . . more like a fine wine, this film tastes better because it takes us back to a not so long time ago.

Super 8 is essentially one long “Amazing Story” – if you remember the 80′s serials that Producer Spielberg released akin to The Twilight Zone franchise.  Those episodes all had one thing in common, the dialog carried the story along, each word uttered told you something specific about the character, each character – even the non-essential characters, had depth, and there was some kind of twist involved.  Super 8 brings all those elements together but has a longer running time and an exceptional special effects department in ILM.  Hell, I can remember all my friends discussing Amazing Stories the day after it aired, and, yea, there was no TiVo or DVR – if you missed it, you were S.O.L.  And, the cardinal rule was, if your friend missed it, you shut your mouth about the “twist”, because occasionally it was re-aired over a summer weekend, if you were lucky.  Woe be to the sonuvabitch that gave away the ending too – so, no worries, I won’t give away anything here.  Yes, mom, I know I used to do that all the time!

Set in 1979 in a steel town in Ohio, Super 8 essentially is a story about a group of friends, over the summer, dealing with a tragedy that one of them endures at the onset of the film.  It has the feel of a Stand By Me script, though devoid of any narration or device that tells the story in the present.  This film, again, is just an Amazing Story with a supernatural, monster-thriller, or sci-fi element tossed in to keep the characters constantly malleable and interesting.

With great tragedy comes the need for great distraction, and Writer/Director J. J. Abrams gets this, and displays this, quite efficiently.  Rather than let their friend, Joe (Joel Courtney) dwell on his personal loss, his gang of misfits, led by Charles (Riley Griffiths) – who thinks he is the next Hitchcock or Romero – comes up with a perfect distraction . . . a zombie film.  At first some of the others think it a bit tacky to involve a kid who just lost someone close to be shooting a zombie flick, but they figure it might help him take his mind off of the loss as well.  Not to mention, the girl who everyone is afraid to talk to, Alice Dainard (Elle Fanning) has agreed to be in the film as zombie hunting detective, Martin’s (Gabriel Basso) wife.

It all starts off innocently enough, Alice steals her dad’s car, without a license (rebels that they are) to drive them to the shoot, EXTERIOR: late at night, a train station, now closed.  They run through lines, Charles delights in directing his friends, and he tries to get the most out of what he’s working with.  His friends are a great team, considering they are in middle-school, and they manage a level of professionalism that exceeds their years.  Then, something happens, a crash, about an EIGHT on the butt-pucker scale [patent pending], which really sets the sci-fi or supernatural elements into locomotion.

What happens next is all too easy to spoil, suffice it to say, something is not quite right in the steel town of Lilian, Ohio circa 1979.  The Air Force, helmed by Colonel Nelec (Noah Emmerich) is somehow involved, Joe’s dad, Jackson, the deputy sheriff, played by the exceptionally talented TV-actor (Kyle Chandler) is suddenly put in charge and the misfits find themselves caught in the middle of everything but are still hell-bent on finishing their film to submit to the Cleveland Film Festival . . . ah great aspirations must start somewhere, but Cleveland?

Comedy and tragedy is spliced into the story masterfully in short little bursts with character dialog, incredible action sequences and excellent acting.  And, someone check me if I am wrong, but did they cryo freeze the blond-haired brat from the 70′s version of The Bad News Bears and place braces on him to hide his identity?  Because, that kid Cary (Ryan Lee) in Super 8 is his clone!

Super 8 is a high-tech drama with a childish heart that reminds you what it was like to build models, pine for the prettiest girl in school, and to never stop fighting for those you love.  It is a film about loss, grief, struggling to cope and acceptance, all with a “twist” just to make things more interesting . . . or rather, AMAZING!

Click on each character’s face for a different review, then post your comments below and let me know which writer belongs to which character!

Click here for more images thanks to Disney!

Limacher Low Down: Most of us, if not all of us, have at some point seen the Disney Classic Bambi; and with the recent re-release of the movie on Blu Ray I believe it has become a necessity to own it once again. The movie is a CLASSIC piece of American cinema, and remains a steady cultural reference to this day. But married with the technology we have today, somehow the magical folks at Disney managed to enhance perfection!  It is better than ever and with all the extra features Bambi Blu Ray Diamond Edition is MORE than worth the price-tag.

Bambi begins in the forest where there is a commotion afoot, the birth of the NEW “Prince” of the forest. Every animal in the forest flocks to see the Prince, and this is our first glimpse of Bambi. From his first steps, he is surrounded by all of the forest creatures, all enamored and enthusiastic at his arrival into the world.

There is something very human about the reaction the animals have, and the incredibly expressive animation does an excellent job capturing that “human” nuance. People can relate to their own family moments, Bambi is a story about the miracle of life, and is a very human experience as well.

Bambi quickly makes friends with a little rabbit, Thumper, who is precocious and adventurous. Thumper lives like there is no tomorrow and is willing to take the risks his siblings are not willing to take. Bambi quickly takes to Thumper and together they start a little adventure through the forest. Along their journey Bambi is taking everything in when he quite possibly “smells” a new acquaintance, Flower. Flower is a skunk mixed in with actual flowers.  Bambi mistakenly assumes that he is a flower too, and being a skunk “Flower” is not quick to correct the misnomer, so it sticks.  Because he is a skunk Flower is self-conscience and is happy to cover what may deter others from wanting to be his friend.

Bambi quickly learns the lay of the land from his mother, and gets the words of advice that will help him in the present and future as well. Bambi sees the majestic Bucks running free and is immediately intrigued. Bambi’s mother warns him of the hazards that are part of the forest, namely man. Bambi is out with his mother when they come across another Mother and fawn.

Bambi is immediately intimidated with the other fawn due to his natural shyness around “girls”, but he is thrust into an introduction with Faline. After a brief conversation, Bambi and mother run wild and care free in the open meadow, and Bambi can see the simple joys of being a deer.

Some time passes and it is now winter in the forest. Bambi is taking in all the different experiences, and in one of the most memorable scenes of the movie, Bambi learns what it is like to fall. Bambi attempts multiple times to get up, but never stops trying. This is such a good metaphor for everyone to never give up because eventually it will happen if you just keep moving.

Now spring rolls in, and Bambi starts off to see the changes this new season brings the forest. Bambi’s mother locates him, and as they are frolicking in the meadow, she notices that the Great Prince of the Forest (Bambi’s father) has detected a smell and a disturbance in the forest, again it is “Man”. Man is in the forest, an eternal phrase to us all.

Bambi and his mother are fleeing like all the other animals, and Bambi runs as fast as he can. He makes it to safety and in one of the most poignant scenes in cinematic history, Bambi’s mother does not return. This is something that had never happened in a Disney movie before, a character died. This was bold and risky but people often forget we never see her get shot, it was only implied which brings forth even more dramatic effect which is often overlooked. Bambi, now without his mother, has to learn and adapt on his own – just like that, his life is forever altered.

Some time passes; Bambi has aged a bit and has started to develop his horns. He quickly finds Thumper and Flower and as the three walk around the forest they notice something they never saw before, boy and girl animals in close proximity. The three friends quickly agree that they will never let a girl split them up from one another. Quicker than you can blink an eye that rule quickly fades into twittterpation.  One by one they each discover what the other animals had known as well, girls are good. Bambi sees Faline for the first time, and sees her as never before.  He is instantly attracted.

Bambi and Faline are walking together when a smaller buck, Ronno, challenges Bambi for Faline’s affections. Bambi is learning so much about the nature of being a deer in a limited amount of time, and without his mother to help educate him it is now up to him to do what is right. Once again, this movie depicts an all to human emotion, as Bambi learns that some things are worth standing up and fighting for in life.

Bambi and Faline are walking together when the two hear loud noises and run away, only to get separated. Faline looking for Bambi is in peril, and Bambi is seeking for Faline to see if she is alright. Bambi does what he can to protect Faline, and show her how much he cares and how he can protect her. A devastating, accidental fire was started by man while away hunting and Bambi and Faline run away to seek shelter from the flames. We later see the devastation that Man has caused to the forest, and see how their lives are forever changed.

And then, in another classic Disney moment, a new Prince is born, and the cycle of life continues – moving forward as Bambi and Faline create their own Prince.  In fact, all the mature friends have their own offspring, and we see here the resilience of nature vs. Man, yes, but nature writ large, that we all identify with as we care for our little princes and princesses – hoping to prepare them for the fires that will forever change their lives.  We all hope to do the best we can and to keep the cycle of love and the hearth warm, lest we forget that we will someday be gone, not returning from the meadow to see them through their life struggles.

AMAZING Blu Ray Extras:
Disney Second Screen: Watch the Blu Ray and access wireless to a laptop or iPad, you can access this special feature. This allows viewers to delve deeper into the world of Disney, the forest, the animators, the process, and even shows sketches and allows you to pause the movie and animate a scene yourself.

Inside Walt Disney’s Production Meetings: Did you know that Walt Disney had a person transcribe all of his production meetings for his movies? I didn’t know this, and with the Blu Ray Combo Pack you have the ability to watch the movie and hear reenactments of the meetings while the movie is playing. This allows the viewer a greater insight to the vision that Walt had envisioned for Bambi all along. This feature also allows the viewer to stop the movie and get more insight to certain details that are discussed in the meeting which adds greater depth to the story and gives the viewer a greater understanding of the movie as well.

Disney’s Big Book of Knowledge Game: This is an AWESOME feature for kids of all ages, and educates as well. Owl asks questions that are part of the movie and things in the forest, and correct answers result in “stickers” that can be placed in a special Sticker Album that each person can make their own. There are multiple levels and seasons to be explored, and the more seasons attempted the more stickers can be earned.

Deleted Scenes and Song: The Blu Ray also includes two never before seen deleted scenes which adds more content and story that we never knew about. There is also a deleted song which is something that fans of the movie will enjoy as well.

“Not with a wand, nor lightly!”

Swift shot:  This film resonated with me, on several levels.  It touches on themes not normally seen in your standard horror film, and I won’t give that element away here.  Suffice it to say, Insidious will force you to fight your urge to scream and will push the intellectual envelope even further.

Josh (Patrick Wilson: The Watchmen, Little Children) is a high-school teacher, his subject isn’t important, as it never comes to the surface.  He works hard to provide for his large family, while his wife Renai (Rose Byrne: 28 Weeks Later, The Dead Girl) stays home and deals with their new house and three children.  But almost immediately, things start to go bump, and their oldest son, Dalton (Ty Simpkins: Little Children, Pride and Glory) enters into a creepy upstairs room, exploring the new place, but something happens to him which plunges him into a bizarre coma.  The family is now draped in despair.

They try everything science can offer, but ultimately they can’t seem to break Dalton from his deep, dark slumber.  They even move from the new house to a smaller place, and it is implied this isn’t their first move.  Everywhere they move, the darkness comes with them.  If you pay attention, they keep bringing one item with them throughout their moves, is this what felled their son?

Finally, Josh’s mother, played by Barbara Hershey (The Last Temptation of Christ, Black Swan) decides to call in an unorthodox team of paranormal investigators, a woman named Elise (Lin Shaye: My Sister’s Keeper, Dead End) who has been a friend of hers for years.  Her team of scouts is hilarious, employing some old 80′s toys which have been modified to see the things few see, I won’t ruin that for you, but it should make anyone over 20 laugh out loud.  The scouts are characters themselves, you’ll like them, and I saw a few allusions to Poltergeist throughout their scenes, one scene with a steak made me smile as I got the inside joke, and you should too.

Insidious was a dark, chilling, vile, fresh, thought-provoking film.  I bet you google my tag line after seeing the film, but beware, the line contains a serious spoiler, it is a chapter from a book I own.  So research AFTER you see the film, don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Patrick Wilson should be no stranger to anyone right now, he keeps popping up in some incredible films.  His roles aren’t always the most interesting characters, but he pulls his weight and carries others well.  I have yet to see him suck in anything, and Insidious is no exception.  A few times you will find yourself hating his character, so, as always, if an actor can elicit any pure emotion out of you, that is all we ever really need.  Wilson seems to become his characters fluidly.

Rose Byrne was decent, she had a few strong scenes, but nothing like the mom from the original Poltergeist, that film will always have the most powerful mom figure in a horror flick, period.  Barbara Hershey nailed her very small role in this film, coming off her Black Swan performance as the critically domineering mother, she shifts her soul, ever so slightly, to portray a truly caring and understanding mother – even embracing her daughter-in-law with the same affection.

But, the show stealer of this film has to be the infamous indie film actress Lin Shaye, she caught my eye with her character in Dead End, years ago, and anytime I see her now, quite frankly I get excited.  She is almost a character actor, because I have yet (personally) to see her in anything straight.  She always plays a character who has intense, border-line insane scenes . . .  she does the same thing in Insidious.

The music was a throw-back to the Hitchcock films with a modern digital pulse spiraling up your spinal cord like a dark, twisted snake. One recurring theme for the vile “fire faced” entity is Tiny Tim’s innocuous “Tip-Toe Through the Tulips With Me” which I used to think was just a cray song, but now, the way director James Wan employs it, let’s just say, Madison Monroe never wants to hear that song, ever again!

The special effects were imaginative and frighteningly playful, and using a few simple, yet effective surreal effects that will definitely give your mind’s eye something to focus on clearing out before you get much sleep.  Everything in the dark might annoy some, but it really touches on our earliest, instinctual fears of the unknown, cloaking the scarier scenes with the dark was called for and employed well.  The use of the white-clad techies to add a very brief bit of character acting comedy was a nice touch, and it allows you a little time to breathe.

We needed a classic, simple, scary horror film.  Combining the creators of Saw and Paranormal Activity was like intellectual incest, where the offspring is your god-child of horror!

I won’t spoil anything, but, man, this film is gonna have you talking, and researching, and wondering – what are the limits of the human being.

Here is the only problem with Insidious, it is rated PG-13, so the tweeny boppers WILL be in your theater, thing is, they don’t care about the film, because they aren’t paying for it – their irresponsible parents are.  So, for the majority of the film, kids were getting up, leaving, coming back, using cells, the whole list of annoying things I hate, which you can find out by simply searching for “Movie Ushers” in our search box.

So, to that end, here is what I advise, wait til this sucker is about to leave theaters, then go the last week, go when the kids are asleep.  But, this is one that might even be better to see at home on Blu Ray for the first time, you know, LATE, in the DARK, when your MIND is vibrating with that ethereal, creative energy that permeates the air, where all things seem possible, where emotions run through the atmosphere like a sieve.  See this one where you have the best chance to not be disturbed at all, and I think you will be pleasantly disturbed.

“It’s all uphill from here.”

+++Head shots, here+++

Swift shot: Planes?  Check.  Trains?  Sorta (one shot), so Check.  Automobiles?  Plenty of ‘em.  But while this may seem like a typical road-trip flick, it pits two of the most sought after actors in Hollyweird today.  They both play off of each other very well, and the dramatic scenes are genuine.  Oh, sure, you could dissect this film shot by shot and over analyze it with a minutia of detailed, nuanced clap-trap psycho-babble bullshit, but you should just sit your ass down and laugh!  Because “The Hangover” was incredible, (read ck’s review here) it set the bar for Iron-Man and the Ri-tard’s first film higher than John Belushi’s epic blowout final curtain-call.  If this one doesn’t make you near piss yourself, let me know here: swift@iratefilms.com, cuz I am adding you to my list of arrogant, pompous a-holes.

In homage to ck being no more, allow me to use his format for this review.

The Storyline

Peter Highman (yes, they went there) played by Robert Downey Jr. is heading home to L.A. from a business meeting in Atlanta.  About to be a father, he is leaving nothing to chance to get home.  Peter is one of those execs who plans for everything, but no plan can survive Ethan Tremblay (Zach Galifianakis) and his walking Pig Pen chaos cloud, with his coiffed perm, acid washed, over-tight jeans (complete with a brush in the back pocket) and special friend, Sonny.

Immediately, Highman detests and attempts to avoid the walking freak show, but within minutes of crossing his path, Highman is kicked off a plane and is on the no-fly list.  Now, desperate to get home, and with no money (because the airline sent his luggage without him) he turns to the only person that seems able to help.  Offering to share a ride to Hollywood, Tremblay swoops in with a Subaru Impreza.

The story takes the characters on an Odessy to get to L.A. in time for the due date, as Highman’s wife, Sarah (Michelle Monaghan) is scheduled to have a c-section.  I won’t go into great detail here about all the crazy shit that happens to them, but suffice it to say, poor choices by Tremblay, and his little dog too, keep the journey entertaining from beginning to end.

The Cast

The casting is everything in this film, if the leads push too hard, it is painful, but the give and take of these superb thespians is fascinating to watch.  Plus, they take inside jabs at their profession throughout – which I loved.  No one needs a special introduction to Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis, they are both masters of their craft with decades of experience between them.  Their two characters, Peter and Ethan are complete opposites, Peter is a by-the-book architect who deals in fact and has little time for make-believe.  While Ethan Chase . . . I mean Tremblay, literally takes life one hit at a time – a pot induced decision maker at every stop, he has two simple goals, get to Hollywood, become famous and lay his father’s ashes to rest.

Sanity enters the picture when Peter reaches out to his old college buddy, Darryl (Jamie Foxx) to save him from Ethan and help him get to L.A. in time.  Foxx does an admirable job in his (Just Passing Through) JPT role in the film, and Monaghan is really an after-thought.  This is a dick flick though, so her character’s absence should serve as no surprise.  The real female surprise is Juliette Lewis, who is back to form with Downey Jr. as a pot dealing, trashy mom of two stuffed in a two bedroom shack in Birmingham, Alabama.

The Good, Bad, and Indifferent

What makes this film so fantastic is the chemistry of Robert Downey Jr. and Zach Galifianakis and the comedic timing and push and shove throughout.  As roles change from the serious to the buffoon and the vice-versa, we really get a treat watching their a-games on the screen.  There are brilliantly delivered lines which will, no doubt, be quoted ad nauseum by college students and movie geeks like me, probably for decades.  There are shocking things that happen throughout, and the previews don’t give away all the laughs – thank God.

Why six stars?  Because I want to watch this film six times, haven’t felt like that since I saw Kick Ass – which got six stars – plus, because it was so damned funny and enjoyable, it is worth every Penny!

The Bottom Line

Simple plots often make for the best films when the actors are perfect together, Due Date embodies this truth – go see it!!!

Ever wanted to be a superhero?
“You just have to be over optimistic and incredibly naive”

*** click the image for a surprise! ***

Swift shot:  Haven’t had this much fun with my pants on or sober in years!  This movie was the exact opposite of Crazy Heart – if you know anything about me, you know how much I HATED that diarrhea for the mind.  So, Rick, I guess that would make Kick Ass like some kind of anal plug for the mind?  I don’t know, I don’t care – the film was just a blast.  I would recommend it to anyone looking for a break from the typical Hollyweird comic caper rolling out these days.  Even the soundtrack made me wet myself a few times; I clapped like a kid who got the Millenium Falcon for Christmas – yea, it was that good!!!

What can I say about a film that not only doesn’t get all pompous with itself, but manages to be brutally emotional and real while at the same time coming off as hokey.  Since the hokiness was designed, it doesn’t seem to offend your delicate foo foo senses.  At one point Kick Ass manages a dramatic aside and asks would-be critics, “What, like you haven’t seen American Beauty?”  I love those little smacks to the would-be uber-critics who can’t help but shit on something because it doesn’t fit into a nice little homogenized package like Crazy Heart – which again, SUCKED!  (New York Times, I am zeroing in on you from here on out!)

Shit gets real pretty quickly in Kick Ass, set in the “real world” of New York, USA – the film answers a question I asked my dad when I was a kid – ‘Dad, why aren’t there any superheroes in real life?’  ‘Well, son of mine, because then you would have super villains.’  But creator Mark Millar shoves a big balisong knife into that theory – there already are super villains.  It is about time the old adage of evil can only exist if good men do nothing coming to fruition.  Of course in Kick Ass the term “good” is a little subjective.  Still, the Marine in me didn’t lose any sleep watching some of the lessor goons hacked to shredded wheat.  Fuck ‘em!

I read a few of the comics, I got as far as when Big Daddy was introduced and stopped reading – mostly because I wanted to see the film first, not the other way around.  In this case, the film serves as a nice companion piece to the Kick Ass phenomena that took the comic book world by force.

What makes this film not suck like Crazy Heart?

Well, in short, the lifting of the veil of Hollywood bullshit – American plastic coated crap we feed our kids about good always triumphing over evil and bad guys coming with theme music.  Sometimes the most vile enemies come out of nowhere – sometimes they come out of ourselves.   Essentially, much like Indiana Jones, and John McClane (you better know who that is), characters in Kick Ass FEEL everything, and at times the audience feels the harshness of the “real world” too.

In Kick Ass, the bad guys are vicious and real – they aren’t playing games.  If you have shit they want, they take it, period.  If you get in the way, you are going to pay, period.  But, Kick Ass isn’t alone in his quest for right and justice, kinda.  While he wanted to be a superhero to save people, his companions in justice deal out their “good deeds” through vengeance soaked blades and bullets.  But, when justice is simply about vengeance, sacrifice is usually the order of the day.  Director Matthew Vaughn delivers this message quite effectively!

The characters might not have felt completely “real-life” enough, but they were believable when it counted.  Dave, Kick Ass, Leziwski (Aaron Johnson) is a geek through and through, a non-entity at school, not even the funniest one of his friends – he kinda just exists.  He plays that part well as Dave, and when he finally decides to shell out a hundred bucks on a scuba suit and become Kick Ass, as he explains it, like most serial killers will tell you, you can only survive on fantasy for so long . . . eventually you have to get real.

And, real it gets, due to his first encounter being a “superhero”, he winds up learning a valuable lesson, crime pays and heroics get you fucked up – still, his next adventure is a more realistic goal -  to find a lost cat.  Destiny has decided his little superhero stunt should lead to bigger, badder things; however, and he grows as a character and as a hero throughout the film.  His one-dimension tone quickly erodes as he is challenged in every conceivable fashion.

Next on the line-up of do-gooders is Big Daddy (Cage) and his daughter, Hit Girl (Chloe Moretz).  Big Daddy is driven by vengeance for the destruction of his life at the hands of the brutal crime-lord Frank D’Amico (Mark Strong), going so far as to turn that vengeance into a made-up fantasy world for his young daughter – this didn’t buy him parent of the year points in my book, and it’s why I say he was “good” only in the sense that he is trying to rid the world of slime.  Still, let your kid be a kid, man.

Cage plays three characters in this film, Big Daddy, Damon Macready, and  some kind of fantasy-based visage of a comic-book dad so his daughter can more readily accept her persona as his tool for vengeance.  Yes, some critics harped on Cage’s homage to Adam West while carrying out the Big Daddy scenes, but, really, I thought it was no less distracting when Bale scratched and hacked with his voice to sound all gruff and scary (even when he was alone with Morgan Freeman – yea, that bugged the shit out of me).  But remember, uber-critics, Big Daddy was a role for the benefit of his young daughter; it gave her little mind an air of make-believe in a harsh universe.

Christopher Mintz-Plasse plays the newest member of the team, Red Mist, who has all the most expensive toys and a sharp mind, but is his heart really in the game?  Mintz-Plasse (what kind of dude hyphenates his name anyway?) takes a bold chance with this film, he aint exactly McLovin’ but that is all I am gonna say about that.  Well acted considering he was really coming out of his comfort zone of geek-based tomfoolery comedies like Superbad.

This film will not be for everyone.  I heard some dumbass where I work in “real life” let their five year old watch this film!  Talk about poor parenting choices, even Big Daddy might have some words with those dolts.  The theme is set-up as light-hearted and fun in the previews, but while it was fun to watch, it is a dark movie – be forewarned.  People seeking some kind of serious script because it is “real life” need to realize that sometimes even real life can have moments of pure insanity.  The only moments of suspension of disbelief for me was how well Big Daddy and Hit Girl seemed to live in almost a vacuum and believing a little girl could be so damned lethal and efficient wielding so many weapons – still, the film tried to explain that too – but, man, she was the REAL KICK ASS!

I wonder if this film will actually inspire others to don masks and leather to fight crime?  I am all for it, because there is super evil in the world, dad, why can’t we see some super good?  Now, how many people want to kick some ass!?!?

“Which path will you choose?”

J. J. Abrams brings his unique writing to a classic franchise.  With Star Trek, he takes by far the most influential sci-fi series of all time and dons a Jedi cloak to reinvent the franchise with more grit, grime, and guts than the classic fare.

Always with my friends was the question, which is better Star Trek or Star Wars, as Abrams claims he was never into Star Trek, I was expecting a darker, more one-dimensional Star Trek – and that is what I got.  Even the music had dynamic horns and choir voices reminiscent of John Williams, except for a few scenes.  Overall this will not have the same feel as any of the other movies, with the exception of the brutal Wrath of Khan – which we all know was the best of the Star Trek films – until now.  Yes, I just said that, deal with it!

I keep hearing, this isn’t your father’s Star Trek, no, it isn’t – this is my son’s Star Trek, and you know what – I am glad.  I can keep my dad’s Star Trek on the shelf and dust it off and wax nostalgic over days gone by, or I can engage to full warp and embrace this bold new interpretation on the classic.  No reason they can’t coexist.

Star Trek opens up with action almost immediately and only applies the dampeners a few times to fill in compelling story lines that will have you sympathetic to new and familiar characters.  Telling the tale of the heroic James Tiberius Kirk and his quick advances through Star Fleet Academy, Chris Pine and Jimmy Bennett both enter the legend’s boots, with dramatic success.

Zachary Quinto and Jacob Kogan both play the pointy-eared bastard, Dr. Spock as he carves out his own destiny by joining Star Fleet Academy against the Vulcan Science Academy’s wishes.  Spock is himself a child of two worlds, and is constantly struggling with fitting in wholly anywhere.  Logic and science are his guide, while emotions of helplessness persistently haunt his thoughts.

Zoe Saldana plays the vixen du jour, Nyota Uhura – yet another member of S.F.A.  Russian born Anton Yelchin naturally assumes the stammering Pavel Chekov with a few chuckle-worthy scenes, but by far my favorite character, then as now is Bones, Dr. Leonard McCoy (Karl Urban).  Urban brought a smile to my face as I swear the original DeForest Kelley possessed his body from wherever great souls reside when they reach that Final Frontier.   Simon Pegg managed to effectively resurrect another missed old-friend, Scotty – who of course delivered his most famous line, no doubt Pegg insisted on that, can’t say I blame him one bit.

These actors not only held their own, they owned these legendary characters masterfully, let’s face it, it is simply impossible to fill the shoes of the unique William Shatner and Leonard Nimoy.  Pine’s style and charisma comes across as genuine machismo and charm, he even gets to smooch a green-hottie, no doubt he insisted on that, can’t say I blame him either.  Not to be outdone, Quinto clearly has some green blood pumping through his veins.  The two worked so well together in certain scenes, you forget this is just a couple of actors on the screen, you feel a certain tulpa has been created in the theater.  Wonderful job guys; don’t let any Trekkies tell you otherwise.

The casting was superb, kudos to all involved – whatever late night calls were placed at the last minute to pull this cast together, however much sleep was lost wondering if you got that right someone for the part – know ya’ done good, folks.

It’s hard to write this review in my typical non-spoiler fashion, so I will wait until I get some intense debate going here.  I really must admit, I was so drawn into this movie, this story, the adventure, that I couldn’t find one fault anywhere.  And I gave this 6 stars because I can, I have the con – so to speak.

If you don’t agree that this movie deserves the Blockbuster of the year, I guess you are just too hung up on the changes from the original concepts, the twists that make no sense to the uber-purists, but everything is accounted for in this film, no plot holes can be surmised because of the genius of J. J. Abrams.   Let’s not despise the fresh changes, let’s embrace them as new Trekkies are recruited to boldly go where no man has gone before.

***RED ALERT*** - Spoilers below

Ok, you have been advised, you proceed now at your own risk . . .

The fact that Kirk, George commands the USS Kelvin and sacrifices everything to protect his new family is gripping when it happens – as you realize his small, yet crucial role in the Star Trek universe, forged through fire, James T. Kirk is named by his parents as his destiny is written in the stars.  Were you a devout Trekkie you would know this is where things change, in the classic universe, George Kirk sees his son command his first ship.  I didn’t know though; I didn’t realize things were off until Winona Ryder, Spock’s mother, was killed – I went, wait a minute, something isn’t right here – she is gonna be beamed back any minute now, any minute . . . she wasn’t.

Cameos abound in this film, you will recognize some familiar TV faces and the audience will delight when they see them on the big screen – nice touch and nod from J. J. Abrams to include these actors.

Loved the use of Beastie Boys on the radio as young Kirk rebels against his wicked stepfather by trashing his classic corvette, a scene all trailer followers have seen ad nauseum.  Still, nice touch and seeing it again in the film with some new twists you didn’t see in the trailer makes me like Abrams even more.  Too many times trailers show the real oomph and leave little to be excited about viewing the film – not so with Star Trek.

The whole use of an alternate reality thing smacks of Lost in the sense that you have to suspend disbelief a tad, but, again, this is a sci-fi movie set in the future where Earth is united and is in a Federation of United Planets – so, suspension of disbelief is a given.  Live with it, I did.  Also, I thought it was very cool that there was a shipyard in Iowa, where Kirk is looking at the Enterprise being built – never knowing that his destiny and the destiny of millions upon billions of souls will depend on his shrewd command of the legendary vessel.

I have to give credit to the ever impressive I.L.M. for the creatures on Delta Vega, purely terrifying and spine tingling special effects, of course I would expect no less from that team. And I love the little nod to Slave 1 they surely must have used in designing Spock’s red matter vessel.

When the final credits ran I wanted to stay put in my seat like a roller-coaster you just keep riding and riding until the monitor finally kicks you off, or the park closes.  I intend to see this over and over and over again, now we just need someone to take us out.

“A life lived in fear is a life half lived.”

Powerful and dramatic period piece set on the precipice of Australia’s entry into World War II.  This film has everything you need in an Oscar contender: epic; breath-taking; and awe-inspiring.  These are words typically used as razor-sharp barbs to tear apart modern fluff and meaningless drivel pieces by modern critics, but Australia tells the story of an amazing young man and his struggles to survive in a hostile environment with chaos surrounding him and death as his mother – it deserves these labels.  

Perhaps the only negative criticism I could saddle on Australia is it is too dynamic with so many passionate characters and wonderful acting, that some critics feel the need to tear it down for its audacity to be bold. Also, it is an Australian film, directed by Baz Luhrman, with the quirkiness of Australian directing that some Hollywood elites find boorish and eccentric.  For example, scenes with people running up to a truck in the middle of nowhere and kangaroos hopping about this way and that, only to be served as dinner in the next scene will no doubt remind some viewers of ol’ Mick Dundee.  But, if you look past the odd and glib, you will find yourself transported to an amazing adventure where courage and character count above all else.  These are themes that demand introspection and cross international lines of film snobbery.

Young Nullah (Brandon Walters) is the narrator of the story, and in the first measure, his voice echoes an almost trivial resonance as he begins to tell his “story”.  You might find yourself disappointed, but the intent is to deliver the narration in a matter-of-fact fashion as a child might – a child who doesn’t understand the ways of others, who drown their stories with deceit and dishonor.

Nullah’s world is changed dramatically by foreigner Lady Sarah Ashley (Nicole Kidman) who arrives in pre-war Darwin, Australia with an agenda to expose her husband whom she suspects is philandering in a far-off land.  There are moments of that ever-so-subtle Australian brand of humor as she arrives in Darwin and meets her charioteer, The Drover (Hugh Jackman) who is hired to drive her to her husband’s vast Faraway Downs cattle ranch.  

She quickly finds out her husband has sacrificed everything for his ranch, the vast Faraway Downs . . . while remaining the hold-out competition to ruthless cattle-baron, King Carney (Bryan Brown).  Things quickly fall apart and she has to make bold choices regardless of the consequences facing her in a hostile, foreign land.  She is determined to bring Faraway Downs back from squalor while giving King Carney a run for his money.  She grows as a woman and a patriot to a land she probably only ever held contempt for as a large island in the Pacific housing her husband’s salacious sins.

Australia will have you rooting for the little guy, quite literally, throughout the film. And the acting was spectacular by all cast members, the stand-out exceptional actor would have to be relatively unknown David Wenham as Neil Fletcher, who managed to bare his mulga fangs ever so slightly when necessary to slither his character through his “story”.

Australia is a story about a young man’s journey to discover himself and a young nation’s journey to endure a terrible war and the shame it bears for hiding the Stolen Generation of half-blood aborigine children throughout the great war in the Pacific.  It is also a film about compassion and the power of magic, where love and song are the most powerful ingredients to survive the fogs of war.  

There are a great many artistic nods to Victor Fleming’s 1939 masterpiece Gone With the Wind, and the not so subtle allusion to one of his other great works, the Wizard of Oz – which also tells the story of a young character who faces enormous challenges to find her way home, as Nullah must do as he searches for his own home.

This was an exceptional film, with so many outstanding scenes, so much passion and powerful evidence of love and honor, passing this one over for an Oscar would be a tragedy of the highest degree.