The lights are dim. The television volume is on the maximum. There is a smell of alcohol in the air. The glow sticks are scattered all over the ground. Yep, DJ Hero is ready to be played. DJ Hero is not only a fantastic music game (Like I had predicted back in late 2008, when the rumors started), it’s also one of the better gaming experiences in the last five years. Not only that, but it contains some of the best music ever produced for a video game in the entire history of the industry. If you thought Guitar Hero or Rock Band had a slew of good music, you have not listened to the setlist in DJ Hero. With over 90 mixes (and most of them incredible) and a crazy difficulty curve, this game will have your attention for a very long time.
As a disgruntledly (not a word, shut up) unemployed film critic, I must take drastic measures in concealing my opinion towards a movie you are going to wind up seeing regardless. This time, I have taken my single self to see Valentine's Day, to see if it can measure up to last year's star-sprinkled surprise-surprise hit comedy He's Just Not That into You. I wanted to see that if despite without the lovey-dovey person by my side (which has been a vacant position for a while) the movie can still deliver, entertain, and touch the soul.
Also, I wanted to see if people working at the theater would dedicate a bit of time from their ordinary day to point out that it's strange that I am watching a movie called Valentine's Day by myself. I approached the ticket counter and asked for my ticket. After momentary laughter the man at the counter presented me with my ticket. I then enter through the doors and approach the lady ripping the tickets and sending me in the right direction. After her laughter subdued, she pointed me to theater #1.
Valentine's Day works in the tradition of last year's February romantic success story, and Love Actually, a British dramatic rom-com that jump-started the technique of applying multiple love stories in a film. That way, if one story doesn't work, you have multiple other chances to still enjoy the movie. To spice things up, the movie contains one of the biggest casts of stars since the never-duplicated insanity of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World. What other movie can boast the collaboration of Jennifer Garner, Julia Roberts, Anne Hathaway, Jessica Biel, Jamie Foxx, and even Shirley MacLaine?
But of course, when you have this many stars, that means so many stories; and less time for character development. This is where the film mostly disappoints, very little developing or changing from anyone associated with the movie. Without revealing too much, there is literally 10 or 11 (lost count) plot lines mixing and intertwining together in a span of just two hours. This equals an average of 12 minutes per story. In actuality however, some stories are actually shorter than others. Katherine Fugate had the right idea when writing the screenplay, but the execution wasn't the best considering that some stories worked and some were just boring to the core. Poor Garry Marshall can only do so much, even though his best days (Pretty Woman, Happy Days) are long gone.
The limited time for acting also diminished the performances of almost every single star in the movie. However, the acting performances of the younger tots (Taylor Swift, Emma Roberts, Taylor Lautner, Carter Jenkins) were much weaker when compared to the veterans Julia Roberts, Jamie Foxx, Shirley MacLaine, and Héctor Elizondo. One other note: Ashton Kutcher, Topher Grace, and Bradley Cooper are three men that given the little time in this movie delivered swell performances that was undermined only by the writing. Their comic timing kept the movie afloat when the flick was threatening to totally flounder.
Like I said before, some stories worked, and other stories were absolutely dreadful to watch. The high school-based stories in Valentine's Day were the weakest, shortest, and the most pointless. In the meantime, the Anne Hathaway/Topher Grace story and the conflict involving Kutcher, Alba, Jennifer Garner, and Patrick Dempsey were the most entertaining to watch. Nearly all the stories had their share of clichés, with only one of them containing a surprise or two. The chemistry wasn't that intense, because there was no time for it to happen. The dialogue was never allowed to intensify or dwell deeper into the concept of love. A few good one-liners here and there, but nothing really worth remembering.
Bottom Line: The problem with Valentine's Day is very simple: we've seen it before and after 2009 being such a good year for romantic comedies, the expectations are higher. It takes more than just a bunch of big stars to propel a rom-com to quality heights; you need strong writing, good chemistry, strong direction, and a hintage of unpredictability. That's how The Proposal, He's Just Not That Into You, The Ugly Truth, and especially (500) Days of Summer made 2009 one of the greatest years for romance in a long time. This was also the issue with Couple's Retreat, the last blockbuster romantic comedy of 09. Valentine's Day has its moments indeed (Anne Hathaway is hilarious), but don't expect it to be anything better than mediocre. Simply there were too many stories and most of them with less depth than a puddle.
And none of this criticism has to do with the fact that I saw the movie by myself.
Honestly.
Hot Tub Time Machine follows a group of best friends whove become bored with their adult lives: Adam (John Cusack) has been dumped by his girlfriend; Lou (Rob Corddry) is a party guy who cant find the party; Nicks (Craig Robinson) wife controls his every move; and video game-obsessed Jacob (Clark Duke) wont leave his basement. After a crazy night of drinking in a ski resort hot tub, the men wake up, heads pounding, in the year 1986. This is their chance to kick some past and change their futures one will find a new love life, one will learn to stand up for himself with the ladies, one will find his mojo, and one will make sure he still exists!
Remember that time period when Hollywood used to release incredible action/thriller movies in an orderly pace? Neither do I. What used to be a great trend to participate in back in the 90s (Terminator 2, Speed, Face-Off, The Rock, Con Air, Die Hard: With a Vengeance, Jurassic Park, The Mummy, The Matrix, Bad Boys, Under Siege, True Lies, Desperado, Clear and Present Danger, The Hunt for Red October, Patriot Games, Saving Private Ryan, Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction) suddenly became a distant memory, as the 2000s served very few decent Hollywood thrillers. Instead, we have to head overseas to find them. The 2000s consisted of many surprise-surprise excellent European actioneers with Hot Fuzz, Run Lola Run, Transporter, Kiss of the Dragon, Unleashed, and this superb flick.
What happens nowadays is that Hollywood is scaling back its amount of action in order to make the extra money. In the first paragraph, 15 of the 19 movies I mentioned from the 90s were rated-R. In other words, they did not care about the PG-13 rating. Now, nearly every action movie must hit the PG-13 barrier. Even the fourth Die Hard was edited to not reach rated-R (which was a Die Hard staple). To add to that movies from overseas (like this one) become edited in the States in order to hit the weaker and friendlier PG-13. But don't let that stop you. Taken is one of the most vicious PG-13 movies you'll ever see, and you'll enjoy every minute of its inability to cut back on the gruesomeness. It sounds barbaric, I know, but if you truly want to see what good action used to look like from the studios of Tinseltown, look no further than this excellent effort.
Luc Besson and his talented filming crew provide yet another gripping story to sink your teeth into. This time it's about a retired spy (Liam Neeson) who searches all of Europe in order to find his kidnapped daughter (Maggie Grace). He is given a small time frame, since his daughter is about to be sold into the deep, disgusting, and grueling underworld of sex trafficking. The movie starts off with Bryan, the spy, trying to adjust to a life without espionage, and the rest is just a wild roller coaster ride containing plentiful action scenes and fight after fight. Written by Besson and Robert Mark Kamen, Taken provides a healthy dosage of father-daughter sentimentality as well as provide an insight into a dangerous illegal world not seen often in movies.
But it's not just the delightful taste of gunfire, fights, and chases that maintains the entertainment in Taken. Liam Neeson does an excellent job portraying the retired spy. While there are indeed great action stars, very few of them are excellent actors as well. Liam Neeson can proudly say he fits both billings, as his version of a spy is just as cold and calculating as even Daniel Craig's James Bond. Most amazing fact is that he is over 55 years of age. While Jason Bourne remains the most lethal of all the movie character spies in the last decade, Bryan isn't too far behind. While everyone else in the movie delivers decent performances, it's Neeson that runs and carries the show with a mix of emotion, determination, and rage.
Pierre Morel directs this movie well, by keeping the action within a decent view, maintaining good pacing, and also allowing for the actors to breathe out a scene when more emotion is involved. The fights themselves are brutal, and not held back in the least bit. You will feel every blow, you will chuckle at every clever maneuver and trick, and sometimes even jump in surprise as to what's happening. The movie is quite cold, as sometimes you'll forget that Bryan is the good guy, especially in moments where innocent people are within the crosshairs. Like Jason Bourne in The Bourne Supremacy, it's at times difficult to root for Neeson when he involves people that well….aren't really involved. But that feeling is quickly vanquished when you see him waste the next sap that is part of the sex trafficking ring.
Bottom Line: This movie proves multiple things: Neeson can be an action star at a relatively old age, Europe is suddenly a rising force in the action/thriller genre, and also that you don't need fancy CGI or special effects to craft a good movie that will also lead to good money. Taken quietly emerged as the top action film of 2009, and becomes another great film with Luc Besson's stamp on it (The Fifth Element, Unleashed, Transporter, Nikita, Leon). The movie has the trills and the tension, but also has the heart that is sorely missing in most mainstream action films. You will cheer this movie on as it delivers with a great storyline, great acting, and just an overall satisfying cinematic package.
Did I already mention that Liam Neeson is 57 years old?
