Wanted

Directed by: Timur Bekmambetov
Starring: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Terence Stamp
Running Time: 1h 50min

Sold on the body of Jolie, and the style of The Matrix, Wanted offers little more than what you see in the overplayed trailers and TV commercials. Big on style and low on substance, this adaptation of a comic book series has a lot going for it, but fails to deliver, and is found wanting.

Snazzy special effects and hip, anti-corporate cool can only be sustained by a decent script, and are not sufficient enough on their own to make a good film. Trying too hard to be Fight Club meets The Matrix, in its use of narration and bullet time slow-mo, the movie comes off as an impostor of a good film. Wanted is the celluloid equivalent of Coke Zero. Bold, new packaging, claiming to be of equal taste, but when you get to it, it really doesn't measure up to the real thing it's claiming to be. Wanted tries so hard to craft a clever premise to go along with its dynamic special effects, however, it is too in love with itself that the story gets buried in the overuse of time altering slow motion effects.

Though Jolie and Freeman do their best to keep this thing afloat, they just can't give any dramatic power or substantial weight, when the film's lead McAvoy comes across as a little boy man who stumbled off the O.C. and into a sci-fi film. His face is one only a mother could love, and makes you wonder how it could co-exist in the same universe as Jolie's trim and sexy body, put into sexually suggestive positions straight out of a teenage boy's video game playing fantasy.

It happens all the time, but all the good bits are in the trailer. Jolie's fifteen or twenty odd screen minutes are the key to the advertising campaign, and those wicked shots are all that's worth watching in this film. Once you get the gist of the FX, they become tedious and boring, as there's nothing to back them up. The film tries so hard to be cool, so hard to be hip, that it's easy to dismiss it as anything but. Certainly, there's a lot to be interested in from this film, as there is some genuine excitement and eye candy. Perhaps a short film would have sufficed, because once it's over, it sure seems like overkill.

Grade: C+

The Incredible Hulk

Directed by: Louis Leterrier
Starring: Edward Norton, Liv Tyler, Tim Roth, William Hurt, Tim Blake Nelson
Running Time: 1h 54min

Revisiting a superhero franchise that had a false, yet interesting starting attempt in Ang Lee's The Hulk, it comes as a surprise that the big green monster would get another go around so soon. And, not being much of a fan of the character in the first place, i was pleasantly surprised with what was accomplished with The Incredible Hulk this time around.

Edward Norton has given us plenty of film work to suggest that he has a knack for selecting smart, thought provoking films. So, seeing him star as perhaps the dumbest character in comic books, whose claim to fame is the one liner, "Hulk Smash!", seemed like a serious mismatch. Thankfully, Norton does the smashing here, hammering out a winning performance and a clever script (Norton apparently had some say in the film's direction), resulting in a much more balanced film, that is realistically approached and rendered.

The idea of the Hulk, a mild mannered man whose rage causes him to lose control and hulk out, as it were, is a very interesting concept. However, i never cared for the comics that waited for that moment for Bruce Banner to turn green and wreak havoc and destruction. i did enjoy a storyline that had the "grey" Hulk remain highly intelligent whilst in the rage of the Hulk, and Norton's take on the green machine is more closely in tune with the Hulk that has his wits about him, even in the moment of rage.

Playing the character as an afflicted, intelligent man, desperately trying to control and solve his rage issues makes him much more relatable. Norton takes a long time before succumbing to the rage that gives him a super strength makeover, and the result of that wait and the emotional impact surrounding it plays out nicely. The fact that he seems somewhat aware of his actions and cleverly strategizes his movements pays off in a true sense realism and tragedy that the character needs.

As with other recent super hero success stories, the supporting cast is every bit as important as the lead, and this film's stars don't disappoint. Hurt is good as an old army man with a dark past, and Roth goes over the top with much fun and flavour to give the film a little bit of that comic book cartoonery. Tyler gets very little to work with, and spends much of her time screaming and looking on in horror, but she looks good doing it. You could have told me her part was played by Jennifer Connelly and i wouldn't have noticed.

For such a limited character who really only has one story to tell, this film does a great job nailing it. There really isn't any other direction to go with this beast who poses a threat to all the people he loves, and hopefully there isn't a sequel. That being said, this is an excellent installment in the Marvel series of films, and Norton and company should be proud of their ability to pull off what a talented director like Lee had some difficulty doing half a decade ago.

Grade: B+

Jumper

Directed by: Doug Liman
Starring: Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Diane Lane, Jamie Bell, Rachel Bilson, Michael Rooker
Running Time: 1h 28min

Jumper deserves to be much better than what this 88 minutes of wooden acting and flish flash mumble jumbo turns out to be. An intriguing power such as teleportation begs for a much more interesting script, and considering the script comes from the hands of the adaptor of Fight Club, which got the novel so right, one would expect a well developed, character driven, multi-layered approach to how a young teen would handle discovering he has this unbelievable power to transport himself anywhere on the planet.

Add to this, the fact that Jumper comes from the guy who brought us Swingers, The Bourne Identity franchise, and Mr. and Mrs. Smith, one would think this film would have a great balance of humour, action, and intense scenes. Perhaps the answer as to why this film fails so miserably is in the fact that there are two more listed screenwriters (one of which is responsible for Blade and the recent Batman revival), which is rarely a good sign.

Jumper starts off as a teen romance narrated by a snotty jerk. Which immediately makes the lead character unlikable. When it turns out that the lead character is played by Hayden Christensen, a low rate Ryan Phillippe, (who is approaching the 14th minute of his own 15 minutes of fame), it makes him all the more unlikeable. Eventually, an altercation straight out of the Tony Atlas sand kicking school of bullying, causes our hero to discover his powers. Yet unlike most superhero films, where the newly discovered powers are tested out amongst the hero's surroundings, we flash forward to a time where the lead is an even bigger jerk, and sadly, still loves his high school sweetie, who has grown up to be less interesting and less beautiful than she was, making the film even less believable, from a character standpoint.

Quickly, we learn that there are a group of hunters who seek out the jumpers and kill them in the name of God (an age old reason if there ever was one). Their leader is none other than Samuel L. Jackson, who could have used a little more Jules to his sinister Jumper hunter, and perhaps some hair dye for that ridiculous white hairdo of his. He looks like Chris Tucker's character from The Fifth Element after he reaches his fifties. Perhaps a little kookier swagger would have made his role more interesting. He tries to be a little Tommy Lee Jones in The Fugitive, to no avail.

What makes Jumper so disappointing is that there's a real interesting premise here that just gets no time to develop in its 88 minutes. It's like the film itself "jumped" through it's good parts. The effects used to portray the teleportation work well; not too flashy but not too simple. Still, we have seen it done well in The Matrix sequel and with Nightcrawler in X-Men. What is nicely established are "rules" for "jumping", which shows the thought that goes into this sci-fi kind of concept.

With word that there is a Jumper 2 in the works, it bodes well for a film franchise that has set the groundwork for future. Unfortunately, that foundation is as shaky as Japanese fault lines. There is so much promise that is not fulfilled in this first film. Hopefully in the sequel, the lead characters get killed and we're introduced to a greater battle between Jumpers and Jumper hunters, that uses a little more mystery and stealth and a lot less hokey love line plot threads. This film should be able to be summarized in a good three minutes at the start of Jumper 2, so avoid it now at all costs.

Grade: C-

Kung Fu Panda

Directed by: Mark Osborne and John Stevenson
Starring: Jack Black, Dustin Hoffman, Angelina Jolie, Ian McShane, Jackie Chan, Seth Rogen, Lucy Liu, David Cross, Randall Duk Kim, James Hong, Dan Fogler, Michael Clarke Duncan
Running Time: 1h 32min

The best animated feature since Ratatouille, Kung Fu Panda is original, exciting, funny and wonderfully animated, and deserves to sit amongst some of the best animated films of our time. This is high praise, and deservedly so, coming from a lover of animated kids' fare, and kung fu film fighting. Going in with high expectations, i was thrilled to leave having all those expectations met, and then some.

What made Ratatouille so good is also what makes Kung Fu Panda stand out from the pack. It is its own film. It isn't trying to spoof on other films, it isn't delving in pop culture references, and it's not succumbing to the tired old family film pattern. It's establishing new characters that aren't derivatives of older ones, excepting for the fact that it is sticking true to the Kung Fu film stock characters, with much respect to the genre. This film isn't poking fun at Kung Fu films, it is faithfully having some fun within the genre.

The story line is typical, in that a young panda named Po, unhappy with his plight in life, dreams of something bigger. He gets the chance and makes the most of it in a startling way that teaches us that "there are no accidents". He is bestowed with the title of Dragon Warrior and must fulfill his destiny. The storyline is very faithful to Kung Fu legends, and unfolds at an excellent pace for adults and kids. All the elements that make a great Kung Fu film are in place, as well as what makes for a great animated adventure. The melding of the two genres is marvelously mastered, as though the perfect combination of the two have joined forces in an unbeatable yin-yang harmony. By bridging the best of both film worlds, Kung Fu Panda has elevated both genres to new heights.

The voice work is well cast and superbly suited for the film. Black's voice is easier to take without his typical insanity, as it's easier to watch him do his shtick as a lovable panda, and not a middle aged man. The Furious Five all make the most of their screen time, which can be expected from the talented bunch that they are. But the real great voice work comes from Hoffman, channelling his inner David Carradine as the mentor Shifu, and Kim as the wise old turtle Oogway. Their exchanges really ground the film's Kung Fu angle, and allow the silliness to float around the Chinese wisdom that gives the film its gravity.

Much of the levity comes from the panda and his attempts at action. The animated fighting that ensues is fine martial arts, quite literally, as the animated format allows the audience to experience Kung Fu in a way like never before. The moves are straight out of a chop socky fight fest, but the angles are purely animated impossibility, making it quite awesome to behold. The tag line couldn't be more accurate: Prepare for Awesomeness!

Grade: A

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull

Directed by: Steven Spielberg
Starring: Harrison Ford, Cate Blanchett, Karen Allen, Shia LaBeouf, Ray Winstone, John Hurt, Jim Broadbent
Running Time: 2h 04min

i fell asleep watching this, so as i get more of my memory of the movie back, i'll write more. As for now, it was a disappointment that couldn't keep me awake.

Grade: B-

Iron Man

Directed by: Jon Favreau
Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow
Running Time: 2h 06min

Perfect casting has made a new slew of superhero films great beyond belief. A well cast role can give a film its pop, its flow, its rhythm. In Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr. is all this and more, as billionaire Tony Stark. He throws himself into the character, inhabiting all the facets that the role demands.

Iron Man has always been Marvel Comics' answer to DC's Batman. Like Bruce Wayne, Tony Stark is a rich playboy without mutant superpowers derived from a freak accident, (albeit with a gazillion dollars--much better than any chemical spill or radioactive spider bite). Unlike Wayne, Stark has a little less moral value, gaining vast wealth through the selling of weapons of mass destruction. When he is on business in the war zone, his own source of wealth almost costs him his life, and he is forced to construct a suit of armour that would put King Arthur to shame.

What ensues is a quick paced origin story that doesn't feel like a nostalgic retelling but rather an organic exploration and development of the natural life of Tony Stark. Downey's presence instantly makes Stark a complex character, and equally enjoyable both in, and out of the armour. His dialogue exchanges with supporting players Bridges, Paltrow and Howard are as exciting and exhilarating as the flight scenes, a testament to the Oscar worthy cast as much as it is to the directorial talents of Favreau, no stranger to slick dialogue himself.

The effects work to serve the story, but it is the actors that steal the show, perhaps more due to Favreau's strengths behind the camera. The film plows ahead with the speed of Downey's quick delivery, and doesn't let up. It has a drive equal to Stark's mechanical minded genius, and turns what is essentially a B-list superhero into one of the better superhero installments we've seen. Here's to an equally enticing sequel!

Grade: B+