The Purge

Survive the Night

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Sometimes when things get recycled, they turn out better than they were before. For example, basic movie plots. Home invasion has been done countless times now, and within the last 10 years alone, we've seen Firewall, The Strangers, and a remake of Straw Dogs, not to mention 2002's Panic Room. While each of these movies takes a different approach to the home invasion idea, none is more original than The Purge. While you're watching The Purge, you can tell yourself you've seen the movie a bunch of times before, but you'll be closing your eyes and jumping in the theater while you're cynically reassuring yourself. 

In this partly dystopian movie, an impoverished and crime-ridden America is saved by the "New Founding Fathers." Among their new policies include "The Purge," an annual lifting of all crime restrictions in the country, allowing for the release of stress and violence that everyone holds inside them.

Opponents of The Purge see it as society's way of ridding the country of those who can't afford protection. Those who depend on others to take care of them, ultimately unable to take care of themselves, are simply killed off, and The Purge exists as an economic renewal as opposed to its intended release of frustration. As frightening as it sounds, a news anchor reassures viewers that whatever it is about The Purge, it's working. Unemployment is at 1% and illegal crime is almost unheard of. So, that makes it all okay. Right?

Meanwhile, James Sandin (Ethan Hawke) works for a security company which specializes in home protection for the wealthiest citizens during The Purge. Protected by his own resources, Sandin and his family consider themselves safe from the horrors of the night. When young Charlie Sandin offers shelter to the homeless target of a group of entitled young elitists, the family is torn between societal obligations and personal morality.

It goes without saying that the group makes their way into the Sandin home. Sure, some of the jump scenes were predictable, but the kills were impressively shocking, and the scares were substantial. On top of that, the film got me with at least 4 twists by the end. I enjoyed The Purge (far more than The Strangers and the Straw Dogs remake), although there were a few ideas that could've been developed more effectively.

I wouldn't have complained if the hour and 25 minute runtime had been expanded to give us a little bit more of the social implications, but having said that, I wasn't displeased with what I saw, only with some things I didn't see. Interestingly, the thought that stayed with me most was that even though the film shows us the disastrous and deadly downsides of The Purge, I'm sure there exists a population that would associate with the violent young interlopers, which is potentially the most disturbing part about The Purge.

Formulaic to an extent, The Purge is an otherwise well-made and thought provoking thriller. While it's true the script leaves much of the interpretation of the social effects of The Purge up to us, that's where the scenes of terror are implemented instead. Think about it - without placing them as the vicarious on-screen victims, there was no other way for middle or upper class American viewers to understand how horrific the events of The Purge would be. And that's just what The Purge did.

Rating: 3.5/5

The Hangover: Part III

No Hangover Here

Courtesy of Youtube

The Wolfpack gets sucked back into their usual antics in The Hangover: Part III

I firmly believe that slapstick can only take a comedy movie so far, which is partially why I didn't fall head over heels for the first two Hangover movies, to the absolute shock of my peers. Call me crazy, but I don't find naked Chinese men jumping out of trunks or finger amputations that funny. What I do find funny, and worthy of a positive review, is comedy resulting from smart writing, which then leads to comedic situations. The Hangover: Part III is probably the most dialogue-driven of the trilogy, and by my standards, potentially the funniest entry. 

In the (supposedly) final film in the Wolfpack trilogy, Alan's erratic and uncontrollable behavior cause his friends and family to intervene and send him off to a psychological rehab center. En route, the four friends are ambushed by Marshall (John Goodman), who had $21 million in gold stolen from him by Leslie Chow. Marshall and his men kidnap Doug (poor Justin Bartha, he never sees much screen time in these movies) and agree to return him to the Wolfpack in exchange for Chow. Here, we see the first improvement from the first sequel - it doesn't just re-hash the original. There's a completely new plot and objective than waking up hungover and looking for a missing person.

My reason for believing that the first Hangover movie isn't as phenomenal as most make it out to be is one thing - Alan. Remove Alan from the Hangover franchise, and what's left? Nothing very notable. After two movies hinging on the offbeat Indiana Jones fan, The Hangover: Part III finally finds a perfect balance of Alan and the other characters. Sure, he's still the center of the comedy (as he should be, Zach Galifianakis is brilliant), but there's a much more solid balance. Furthermore, Galifianakis gives his best performance to date in this movie.

The script impressively wraps up the story of the Wolfpack, tying in key plot points and characters from the first and second movies. The jokes throughout were among the best of the trilogy, making this the first Hangover movie I'd be excited to watch again in the near future. Keep in mind, this film still is a buddy comedy reliant on screwball antics, and is nowhere near groundbreaking in its genre. It's essentially a compilation of occasionally recycled jokes employed by some of comedy's most iconic characters. Having said that, The Hangover: Part III made me laugh more than any other new film this year. 

There's no intoxication. There's no (non-prescribed) drugs. There's no naked Chinamen. Just smart writing and hilarious performances. In several ways, The Hangover: Part III is the best of the trilogy.

Rating: 4/5

Epic

Calling Epic "epic" doesn't do it justice

http://hdmoviewpp.com/

Mother nature is hiding more than you'd expect

When thinking of what rating I should assign Epic, the answer became obvious in no time. I simply asked myself two questions. The first: "What did I dislike about the movie?" The second: "What would I change in this movie?" The response to both: virtually nothing. Because of that, Epic gets a perfect 5/5 rating. And here's my defense.

But first, some exposition. Imagine in your nearest woods is a Lilliputian society that defends nature as we know it, as well as an opposite force that attempts to destroy it. Slugs and snails can talk, crows and hummingbirds are the animals used when riding into battle, and the miniature humans refer to us full-sized humans as "stompers." In Epic, only one man believes that, and when his estranged daughter comes to visit, she's not exactly content with that, as one can imagine. But as it turns out, he's 100% right. 

The daughter is Mary Katherine (voiced by Amanda Seyfried), or as she calls herself, M.K. When she concludes her attempt to reconnect with her father is futile, she departs, only to be shrunken to the size of the small soldiers of nature during their battle. Eventually, M.K. becomes quintessential in the soldiers' attempt to bring life back to the forrest. Among her allies are a young and restless soldier (Josh Hutcherson), his stern guardian and fellow soldier (Colin Farrell), a good-intentioned but easily frightened snail (Chris O'Dowd, the cop from Bridesmaids), and a hilariously flirtatious slug (Aziz Ansari).

Epic is so much more than a family movie. Yes, the family was the priority demographic, but as a film lover, I saw themes, characters, and imagery that reminded me of such films as A Bug's Life, The Lion King, and even Avatar, The Hunger Games, and The Wizard of Oz. Epic has an impressive balance of comedy and drama, action and story, darkness and light-heartedness. With that much depth, I would in fact place it alongside animated greats like The Lion King, The Incredibles, and Finding Nemo. 

Family films today are becoming increasingly more catered to be "fun for all ages," but it's a rarity when one succeeds as well as Epic does. Well-made and certainly made to appeal to pretty much everyone, Epic succeeds admirably, and well beyond any words I can use to describe it on this blog.

Rating: 5/5

Star Trek Into Darkness

Sheldon Would Approve: Star Trek Into Darkness Review

startrek.com

Spock and Kirk interrogate their prisoner, Khan. 

These days, most people can't think of Star Trek without making an association to Sheldon Cooper on "The Big Bang Theory," who not only bears a remarkable similarity to the character of Mr. Spock, but idolizes the entire Trekkie fandom. Star Trek Into Darkness manages to convey a magnificent blend of action and exposition, leading me to believe that Sheldon would definitely approve of the new addition to this timeless franchise. And it gets my approval as well. 

A follow up to the 2009 hit, Star Trek Into Darkness takes place one year after the first film's events. Kirk still captains the U.S.S. Enterprise with a seemingly careless and reckless attitude, while the half-human, half-emotionless Vulcan Spock continues to balance logical reasoning with his emotions and feelings, much to the frustration of his girlfriend, Uhura (Zoë Saldana). 

After a member of their Enterprise committee is murdered, Kirk, Spock, and the entire Enterprise crew go on a manhunt for the man who did it, a superhuman fresh out of cryogenic sleep - Khan. Khan's motives and ultimate goals become apparent, leading to secrets that corrupt the integrity of The Federation being exposed. Khan is both a villain and a victim, but by the end of the movie, we really only care about him being one of those two. 

I'm not a Trekkie, and so the only other Star Trek movie I had seen prior to this was the 2009 reboot. However, I was familiar enough with the storyline to understand the massive undertaking that the creation of 2009's Star Trek was. This sequel lacks the marvelously ingenious ideas present in the first movie, but still succeeds nonetheless. The performances are among the best I've seen in a sci-fi movie, particularly those of Zachary Quinto and Benedict Cumberbatch. 

Aside from a latter half that didn't quite meet the standards set by the first half, and occasionally unsatisfactory character development, Star Trek Into Darkness is a welcomed addition to the Star Trek universe, the recent list of high-quality sci-fi movies, and J.J. Abrams' filmography. Hopefully all summer blockbusters follow the example of quality filmmaking set by this film.

Rating: 4.5/5

Oscar chances: Nominations for Makeup, Visual Effects, Sound Editing and Sound Mixing are all likely, with possible shots at Film Editing, Production Design, and Supporting Actor (for Quinto or Cumberbatch).

The Great Gatsby

Quality ≠ Quantity 

dcmetrotheaterarts.com

Carey Mulligan and Leonardo DiCaprio give their usual high-calliber performances in The Great Gatsby.

Unlike many of you reading this review, I never had F. Scott Fitzgerald's classic novel assigned in my 5th grade English class, and so prior to my viewing, I had no idea what to expect going into this film. All I knew was that it took place in the 20s, and that the cast was pretty star-studded. What I witnessed both dazzled me and kept me asking how soon the film would be ending. 

In the off chance there are any readers who aren't familiar with the story, Nick Carraway (Tobey Maguire) moves to Long Island after his graduation from Yale lands him a job on Wall Street. His mysterious neighbor, Jay Gatsby (the always impressive Leonardo DiCaprio), throws constant parties in his elaborately extravagant mansion. Across the bay from where Gatsby and Nick are is Nick's cousin, Daisy, and her husband, Tom. The four spend the next 143 minutes entangled in a tragic tale of facades, love, commitment, and secrets (sounds like the perfect formula for a 5th grade novel, huh?).

There are things in this movie I both admire and resent. Visually speaking, the film is among one of the best I've seen. The one to thank for this is Production Designer Catherine Martin, who previously won an Oscar for her work on Moulin Rouge! Carey Mulligan and Joel Edgerton, who play Daisy and Tom, as well as Leonardo DiCaprio, fail to disappoint. It might not be too early to predict Oscar nominations for the portrayers of Gatsby and Daisy. 

Artistically speaking, I frown upon the film's music choice. The music playing during Gatsby's house parties was some sort of cross between techno and hip hop. As far as I know, the music from the 1920s wasn't enhanced by the technology of today. While I see that this was an attempt to modernize the story, I don't see that it as successful, as Gatsby partially was robbed of its historical integrity. On the topic of the screenplay, there was a lot to get through in order to get to the worthwhile parts of the movie. I was intrigued at first, and then it lost me. A cycle of interest and boredom was constant, making Gatsby frustrating to sit through. Nick Carraway narrated the entire movie, and so my question is, why didn't they just have him narrate the parts that the audience didn't have to waste their time with?  

I'm torn. I want so badly to give this film an excellent rating, because when The Great Gatsby is good, it's great. But there are times throughout the entire film that clearly serve as a vehicle to get to those great parts. The visuals and performances all left me impressed, and the scenes that focused on Gatsby's and Daisy's love were superbly constructed. Having said that, Gatsby was certainly overlong, and had too much time preceding and following its best moments. The Great Gatsby is fantastic, but could have been so much more than that if the filmmakers didn't equate quality to quantity. 

Rating: 3.5/5

Netflix Suggestions: Vol. 3

I'm going to try to make this a monthly addition to my blog. Here are five more suggestions for instant streaming on Netflix!

(Wikipedia)

The Hunger Games

"The Hunger Games is on Netflix. The Hunger Games is on Netflix? The Hunger Games is on Netflix!" Even though I already have the movie on both of my laptops, my iPhone, on DVD and on Blu-ray, this was pretty much my reaction. I've seen the movie eight times now (three of those times in theaters), and still feel all of the thrill and emotion every time I watch it. I placed 2nd on my Top 10 list for 2012, because it was easily the most entertaining movie of the year. In short, this movie has become a symbol of pop culture in the world today. Also, Jennifer Lawrence ('nuff said). Seriously, just watch this movie if you already haven't.

ParaNorman

Easily one of the most overlooked movies of last year, ParaNorman combines dark comedy with lighthearted humor in one of the best animated films in recent memory. Because of this, I can honestly say that there's something in this movie that everyone can enjoy. You can read my original review here.

Mission: Impossible (I, III, Ghost Protocol)

On Netflix, you'll notice that only three of the Mission: Impossible movies are available for streaming. The second one is the only one that's not, but don't worry, it's not really worth your time. However, the other three are, particularly the third and fourth. If you've got a whole afternoon to kill, watch these three movies. Unlike many action flicks today, they have cohesive, substantial, and compelling stories to back that action up. If you only have the time or willingness to watch one, watch Mission: Impossible III. It's one of my favorite action movies ever, and you can go in without knowing much of the back story.

Rat Race

My comedy suggestion this month goes to Rat Race, an ensemble film intertwining the stories of eight different tourists and their companions as they race to Silver City, New Mexico for a $2 million cash prize. Along the way, the racers run into Nazis, SmashMouth, a squirrel saleswoman, vengeful cab drivers, greedy prostitutes, and dozens of other screwball situations and individuals. If you need a few laughs, this is the movie to go to.

Scream (1-4)

They're funny. They're scary. They're action-packed. They're spoofs. They're mysteries. They're the Scream movies. Embrace the story of Sidney Prescott, a teenager (later young adult) dealing with the murder of her mother and confronted by a new killing force in each of the installments. The three sequels are okay, but nowhere near as amazing as the original. The original Scream revitalized the horror genre in the 90s, and impressed audiences around the world with its clever writing, visionary direction, and impressive performances (in particular: Neve Campbell, Skeet Ulrich, Drew Barrymore, and Jamie Kennedy). Scream is so much more than a horror movie, so don't dismiss it as one. Give it a watch if you haven't, and I personally guarantee you that you'll be blown away. 

(P.S.: MTV greenlit an order for a pilot of a Scream TV series, written by Kevin Williamson and (possibly) directed by Wes Craven! If you watch these movies, you'll be as excited as I am!)

That's all for now. There are a lot of summer blockbusters around the corner, so keep checking back to see what AJ says. Thanks for checking in! 

Evil Dead (2013)

I don't say better than the original often, but I think it applies in this case...

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I saw the original The Evil Dead on Netflix a few months ago. I liked it. Didn't love it. The absurd laughter from one of the characters, the cheap makeup and effects, and the poor execution of black comedy made it nothing more than okay. When I was reading up on this remake, I saw that Bruce Campbell, cast member of the Sam Raimi cult classic, was quoted saying, "The remake's gonna kick some ass — you have my word." I now see that Bruce Campbell is a pretty honest guy. 

The plot of this successful remake is simple enough - twenty-something-year-old Mia is brought up to her family's remote vacation cabin by her three friends and brother David for a cold-turkey drug intervention. It's evident that no one from Mia or David's family had been there for a while, because when the group venture into the basement, they find a slew of strung up dead cats hanging from the ceiling, along with a book enclosed in a garbage bag, wrapped in barbed wire. Naturally, one of the five is stupid enough to cut through the barbed wire with pliers, tear open the bag, read past the "LEAVE THIS BOOK ALONE" sketching on one of the pages, and speak aloud the words that awaken the demonic presence that is...wait for it...the evil dead. (Note: This, along with the original, is incorrectly regarded as a zombie movie. It's a demonic possession movie. There's a difference.)

It's not hard to guess what happens next - the friends are killed off one by one. See Friday the Thirteenth, Cabin in the Woods, etc. The way it's done in this movie, though, is rather impressive. It's true that the film is occasionally reliant on gore in exchange for thrills, but it actually works very well. Like the original, it was over-done at times, but I was entertained from start to finish. The best horror movies are those that honestly make you think the story's over and then surprise you. Evil Dead is one of those horrors. Furthermore, it's an undeniable improvement over the original (in my 21st-century teenage eyes).

Needless to say, don't go into this movie lightly. It was one of the, if not the, goriest and bloodiest movies I've ever seen. Keep in mind, this is coming from a guy who's seen Hostel and all the Saw movies, among others. When I say that it rained blood, I'm completely serious. It rained blood. Not to mention a girl puked blood all over her friend's face. Oh yeah, and a girl cut off her own arm. The disturbing part is that this is only a fraction of the eye-popping graphics from Evil Dead. 

Sure, this movie may potentially leave you light-headed, nauseous, and disinclined to venture out into the woods for a while, but it'll be able to do what very few horror remakes can - genuinely entertain you. Take that for what it is and run with it. 

Rating: 4/5

PS: If you go see this movie, keeps your eyes open for the Pulp Fiction and The Sixth Sense references. 

This review is dedicated to the man who inspires me to follow my passion in hopes that it can lead to a lucrative profession and a satisfying life, knowing you can do what you love for a living. Rest in peace, Roger Ebert.