Review - Savages

A Savage Assault On The Screen

Ben (Taylor Kitsch) and Chon (Aaron Johnson) have the number one pot business on the west coast. In fact their weed is thought of as some of the best in the world. As business partners Ben is the muscle, while Chon is the businessman and business is good. But playtime is also good with O (Blake Lively)in their lives. There is an open relationship between the three. Everyone loves each other but their lives are about to get turned upside down.

As if ripped from the headlines, a Mexican cartel wants in on the best action on the coast. That cartel, headed by the mysterious Elena (Salma Hayek)is about to look for their piece of the pie. They know that their method of pure evil force will win most people over, but Chon and Ben are not most people.

As the cartel takes O, Ben and Chon start to come around. Now will they sell the business they worked hard to create or make a run for it? The extremely bloody truth is, no one really knows how to deal with savages.

Oliver Stone gives us a film that feels ripped from the headlines. Mexican cartels that use violence and brute force to get what they want and a drug that could one day be legal, but now is a cash cow for those that have the best of the bunch create a truly fascinating plot for the film.

Cast some great looking young actors like Kitsch and Lively alongside true pros like Del Toro, Travolta and Hayek and it seems like a winning combination. From an acting perspective it almost works.

But when the film gets hung up on trying to be too cool, it falls flat. A stylish swipe at the ending of the film just gets muddled and almost laughable. An attempt to work too many characters into the intricate plot means too many quality performances are left with unsatisfying ends. And the violence, yes the ENDLESS violence proves to be too much to take before the film reaches its climax.

While there is a true discussion to be had here, it felt like a first time director with the reins instead of the veteran stone. Unfortunately Savages somewhat savaged the plot and the viewer is left to sort out the carnage. It simply results in a savage assault on the screen.

 

B-/C+

Savages

Universal Pictures

Director: Oliver Stone

Cast: Blake Lively, Taylor Kitsch, Aaron Johnson, Benicio Del Toro, Demian Bichir, Salma Hayek, John Travolta

Rating: R for strong brutal and grisly violence, some graphic sexuality, nudity, drug use and language throughout.

Runtime: 2 hours 10 minutes

Review - Katy Perry Part of Me

Musical Cotton Candy and I Like It

So many people know Katy Perry as “kissing a girl and liking it” but nothing else. Turns out she isn’t an overnight success with no history of hard work. There’s much more to Katy Perry than you know and Part of Me is going to fill you in on all the details.

Katy has always had musical abilities. From singing songs that she wrote with her first guitar in her hands to the present, she has known how to write songs from her heart. The daughter of a pair of preachers it wasn’t until a sleepover at a friend’s house that she was exposed to Alanis Morisette and a new world of music outside of the Christian music genre that was a pivotal part of her life. After an initial release of a Christian album, she headed to Hollywood to try to make it in the music business.

Years later, after a couple of failed attempts at putting records together she finally found a home, and the rest is history.

Part of Me follows Perry through a world tour that would test her strength, her mettle and her relationship. Touring around the world with few days off is tough enough, but when you are spending those few days off traveling half way around the world to be with your husband, it can get exhausting.

The film takes us behind the scenes of a show with incredible production values. This is a stage show that will take your breath away. Even if you aren’t a fan of Perry’s music, you can’t deny the visuals of her tour. You also see her relationship with husband Russell Brand and her attempts to make things work. On top of that you see the result of a stressful tour and personal relationship struggle.

I found myself immediately drawn to the story. Katy Perry really did work to get accomplish her goals. There is no overnight sensation here, instead it took years and struggles that most singers experience to get to the point of her “overnight” success.

Perry is extremely likable and you can’t help but invest yourself in her personal and professional developments throughout the film. Song choices are spot on and really enhance the journey.

My only criticism is, I would have liked to have seen more of the early years. The sound on her first two albums seems slightly different from the sound she has now, but still very intriguing. But there is only a taste of that Katy.

In the tradition of fun music documentaries that have been the trend lately, Katy Perry: Part of Me is a great time at the movies. Fans will love the flash, the music and the spectacle but they will also love the reality of who the woman she has become. This documentary should be a part of any collection.

B+

Katy Perry: Part of Me

Paramount Pictures

Director: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz

Cast: Katy Perry

Rating: PG- for some suggestive content, language, thematic elements and brief smoking.

Runtime: 1 hour 37 minutes

Total Recall Puts You In The Experience

Total Recall Puts You In The Experience

Sometimes I get releases that cross my desk that make me…kinda excited…that I just have to share – and this is one of them that I’ve summarized below – GOOD LUCK.

Remember the film Total Recall?

Well this summer we have a re-imagined look the action thriller. Colin Farrell is Douglas Quaid and his wife is Kate Beckinsale. Plus we get Bryan Cranston as Cohaagen and Jessica Biel as a rebel fighter.

Now if you remember the plot. Rekall was there to put you into your fantasy. Come on, we all have them, dreams…fantasies and the like…

Well now, to celebrate the release of Total Recall on August 3, Sony Pictures wants to help you to REALLY live out your dreams.

Visit www.WelcomeToRekall.comto enter to win.

Check this out.

Wanna be a Sports Anchor?

You could spend the day at ESPN headquarters to get the full experience of a day in the studio (Provided by ESPN)

How about a Rock Star?

Think about hanging with Green Day, attending a sound check with back stage access (Provided by Pandora)

Are you a Fashionista?

Meet Heidi Klum and her stylist in LA (Sponsored by AOL)

Like playing Secret Agent?

Attend Stiletto Spy School or the M16 Academy (Sponsored by Yahoo! Movies)Total Recall

Hit the Octagon as UFC Champion.

Train with pro fighters and sit octagonside with the trainer (Sponsored by UFC)

Prefer the Celebrity lifestyle?

Attend a red carpet event in Los Angeles. (Sponsored by Wonderwall)

Mix it up as a DJ

Get DJ lessons from a high-profile DJ (Sponsored by Complex)

Are you a Video Gamer at heart?

Travel to Microsoft headquarters to meet a game developer and receive the chance to battle it out with a pro (Sponsored by Microsoft)

And come on…everyone wants the Millionaire dream.

You’ll get 1,000,000 Sony Rewards points to spend on things like movies, games, electronics and once in a lifetime experiences. (Sponsored by Sony Rewards)

Plus there is more fun if you enter with your Facebook info waiting for you at their site.

I’d love to win any and all of these myself…so get to it!!! I want to know some of you that live your dreams. And if you do win…I want to talk to you for a column right here. Good LUCK!

Remember -- enter to win on the Total Recall website.

Total Recall is in theaters August 3 from Sony Pictures.

Review - The Amazing Spider-Man

What Will They Sling Next?

 

When the reboot of the Spider-Man franchise was announced, I like many folks was skeptical of the outcome. But color me pleasantly surprised that the reimagining of a classic story actually works.

Peter Parker (Andrew Garfield) is a college student that is smart and involved. Taking pictures and documenting high school life as it happens leads him to make some friends, and other “enemies”. He has always been attracted to the exciting Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone). Gwen is one of those girls that has it all. She’s not only attractive but intelligent to boot.

Parker’s dad had left him when he was young with his Aunt May (Sally Field) and Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). When he is looking deeper to find out what happened to his dad he is drawn to Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans). Connors was a friend of his father and Parker finds a way to get close to him. Gwen happens to be his assistant and Peter and Gwen are able to get close.

So without going into much more on the plot at this point…Peter’s bitten by a spider, and love. Gwen’s bitten by love. And the city is bitten by a giant lizard. Oh and let me mention that Denis Leary is a police chief that doesn’t like Spider-Man, even though he is trying to help. Now will Spider-Man save the city? Will he get together with Gwen? And just who is this “lizard” character?

Everyone will compare this film to the Sam Raimi effort as they are so close together and telling the same story. But let’s take a minute and just look at this film. Andrew Garfield is well cast in the Spider-Man role. When he puts on the mask, his voice fits what I imagine in my head for Spider-Man. The dialogue is snappy and you can’t wait for the next thing to come out of his mouth.

Garfield shares the screen with the lovely Emma Stone. The only problem I had with Stone’s performance was I didn’t totally buy her in high school. Maybe it’s the grown up student from Easy A, but I always saw her as older than what she was playing. That said the chemistry between Garfield and Stone works magically.

Because we are dealing more with the origin story, the action was a bit lacking for a good part of the movie. But never fear fans, that action does get made up for as we progress through the movie.

Overall, I was caught in the web that Spider-Man cast. I’m a fan of the genre, I’m a fan of Spidey and I’m a fan of Marc Webb. I can’t wait to see what they’ll sling at us next.

B

The Amazing Spider-Man

Columbia Pictures

Director: Marc Webb

Cast: Andrew Garfield, Emma Stone, Rhys Ifans, Denis Leary, Martin Sheen, Sally Field

Rating: PG-13 for sequences of action and violence.

Runtime: 2 hours 16 minutes

Alex Cross trailer

The Alex Cross trailer is now available -- check it out below. Starring Tyler Perry and Matthew Fox. What do you think???

Real Milwaukee - 6/29/12

So -- This week on Real Milwaukee I chatted about Brave -- and THEN -- we went into the adult portion of the program Magic Mike and Ted -- Did I do a tease for the cameras??? What do you think???

Watch the video and see...I'll give you a hint, I know the clothes I should be wearing.

So take a look and tell me what you think below.

Review - Ted

Hanging With Ted

A movie about a stuffed teddy that ISN’T for kids?

 Really?

That is what we are looking at with the new film Ted, from Seth MacFarlane.

John (Mark Wahlberg) has always had a hard time fitting in. As a child the neighborhood kids did not want him to be a part of even the most extreme situations. All he wanted was a friend. For Christmas he got that friend, a stuffed bear named Ted (Seth MacFarlane)and a wish brought that bear to life.

Now fast forward, John is 35 and Ted still lives by his side. They spend the day indulging in weed and watch shows like Flash Gordon as long as they can. But as John is growing up, he tries to solidify his relationship with his girlfriend Lori (Mila Kunis). As you can imagine, the ultimatum finally comes – it’s me or the bear. Who will come out of this relationship? Can everyone be friends?

Let’s put all the preconceived notions out there right now…this is NOT a kids’ movie. Ted is for adults. Seth MacFarlane has a fan base from his creation of the television series Family Guy and brings more of that edgy humor to Ted. It will offend you, really it will. But you will also laugh, A LOT.

Wahlberg steps out and creates John as a character that is conflicted but relateable. The cast works with MacFarlane’s edgy script to deliver the most laughs that I’ve had at the theater in quite some time. It’s wrong and over the top from time to time, but in the same regard it’s oh so right.

I found myself loving the wisecracking Ted. It is not for any kids, by any means. And if you are easily offended this one might not before you. But Family Guy fans, take note this is everything you could have wanted and then some. Ted is an explosion of funny on screen.

B+

Ted

Universal Pictures

Director: Seth MacFarlane

Cast: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane (voice)

Rating: R for crude and sexual content, pervasive language, and some drug use.

Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes