The Last Stand Review

Mindless Mayhem Brought to You by General Motors

 

 

 

 

TITLE: The Last Stand

DIRECTOR: Kim Jee-Woon

STARS: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Forest Whitaker,

               Johnny Knoxville, Peter Stormare

PUBLISHER: Lionsgate

RATING: R

GENRE: Action

 

 

     Back in the day Action packed films centering around hi-octane fueled car chases were common place in Hollywood but over the years have become increasingly scarce on the silver screen. The same can also be said for blockbusters featuring everyone's favorite Austrian Arnold Schwarzenegger as the leading role. Both have their reasons for these turning of events however because on one side, practical stunts got replaced by the cheaper oversaturation of CGI while the famous actor took up a career in politics. Fast forward to 2013 it would seem times are changing once again now that Arnold is out of office and wasting no time going back to his acting roots.  He's not alone either as the famed terminator will be competing against another fierce mechanized icon that holds a fan base equally as large to see who comes out on top. Will this be a glorious comeback for the aging former politician or will he linger in the shadows of Chevy's newer sleeker model.

Amber Alert Review

 

 

TITLE: Amber Alert

DIRECTOR:  Kerry Bellessa

STARS: Summer Bellessa, Chris Hill, Caleb Thompson

PUBLISHER: Wrekin Hill Entertainment

RATING: R

GENRE: Thriller, Found Footage

 

 

We’ve all witnessed those warning signs on the highway warning fellow motorists to be on the lookout for a suspicious vehicle that’s on the run. It’s just a sad reminder of the many bad things that do happen in society but at the same time serves as a beacon of hope that someone’s turmoil has the possibility of ending on a happy note. Most of us admit however, that when we see these amber alerts we just shrug it off and go on with our lives because lets face it; what are the odds that anyone would stumble across that vehicle in question. “Amber Alert” is an independent found footage thriller that documents the events of three average people who are thrown into this very scenario and shows how one’s actions could mean the life or death of an innocent victim. Does this film bring an awe inspiring story home or is a perversion of the subject that should’ve remained missing? 

Death Race 3 Inferno Review

TITLE: Death Race Inferno

DIRECTOR: Roel Reiné

STAR: Luke Goss, Danny Trejo, Ving Rhames

PUBLISHER: Universal

RATING: R, Unrated

GENRE: Action

I’ll get my biases out in the open right away. I loved the 2008 release of Death Race that was directed by Paul W.S. Anderson. It was a movie specifically made for my tastes. It had guns, cars, plenty of action, and a hero I could actually root for. The fact that it reminded me of Twisted Metal; a game I hold close to my childhood instantly sealed the deal when the original trailer came out and luckily the film did not disappoint. Then the 2010 prequel came out falling a bit behind in terms of story quality. Now in 2013 the third installment has been released to continue the adventures of the original Frankenstein and his crew as they struggle to survive in the world’s most popular blood sport. But will this be a high octane thrill ride like the first film, or end up as a watered down mess leaving its audience stranded and wanting more?

Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance Review

Rating 3 out of 5

TITLE: Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance

DIRECTOR: Mark Nevelidine, Brian Taylor

STAR(S): Nicolas Cage, Ciaran Hinds, Violante Placido, Idris                  Elba, Fergus Riordan

WRITER(S): Scott M. Gimple, Seth Hoffman

RATING: PG-13

GENRE(S): Action

            As a fan of the comics, I was very disappointed over the 2007 cheese fest that was the film Ghost Rider starring Nicolas Cage. The dialog was embarrassing, the story was a mess, the villains were uninteresting, and many of the performances ranged from being too over the top to blatantly phoned in at times. So you can imagine that when I first learned a sequel was in the works, my hopes weren’t very high. That all changed though when I saw the trailer for Spirit of Vengeance. It looked darker, grittier, and holy sh!t the action looked intense. Plus when I discovered that this film was being directed by the same guys responsible for the, “Crank” series I figured it was a safe bet that viewers were in for a wild ride.

            While “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” is more of a reboot of the franchise instead of a true sequel, it does still maintain the basic continuity from the first film’s origin story. Cage reprises his role as Johnny Blaze and does a much better job bringing the Rider to the big screen this time around. We learn that he is on the run because the curse that he was so sure he could control at the end of the first film has proven to be too much to handle causing him to avoid human interaction whenever possible. Despite his efforts, he is visited by a stranger named Moreau, (played by Idris Elba) who comes looking for Blaze’s services. He explains that a young boy named Danny; (Fergus Riordan) is being pursued by Blaze’s old Nemesis Roarke (Ciarán Hinds) and is in danger of becoming the anti-christ. At first Blaze is reluctant, but after Moreau promises that he’ll lift his curse of the Rider, Blaze sets off in search leaving nothing but a trail of fire behind him.

Most of the action takes place on desert roads.

I’ll come straight to the point. Spirit of Vengeance’s story fails as a super hero blockbuster but instead triumphs as a road action flick. Most of the story unfolds out on the highways, as battles with convoys rage on through desert roads instantly giving off a sort of Mad Max vibe to it. Despite the fact that this is a story about fighting the devil, monster designs never stray far from human form and seem rather uninspired. With that said, Ghost Rider’s new look is the exception looking simply amazing looking in comparison to the first film. There are many times that the Rider becomes genuinely creepy at times due to the way it moves and stares which is a feeling I never got from the previous film.

The story suffers from some continuity problems still, despite it staying true to the origin story as far as how the Rider affects Blaze. At one point the Spirit of Vengeance gets hit by a missile sending Blaze to the hospital only to later on take rocket after rocket without so much as a scratch, leaving the question if Blaze can die due to the Rider’s wounds unclear. Overall though the story is much more solid this time as the film even manages to have a sense of humor about itself many times throughout. The characters overall are much more likable in this installment especially Moreau, who is just full of charisma and honestly stole the scenes every time he was on. I honestly wanted to learn more about his character and wished there was a spinoff of his back-story somewhere.

Moreau shows that even french brothers can rock the classic leathers.

            Dialog is so much better this time around as well. The script gives Cage the freedom to act crazy as expected without going too overboard. Everyone talks in a believable way and relationships seem a little more real this time. The little boy Danny I found to be an interesting character because despite him being chosen to become the anti-christ, he never feels truly evil. He shows that genetics and destinies don’t guarantee the kind of person you will become personality wise and the relationship he grows with the rider is an interesting concept. The Rider doesn’t talk no where near as much as he did before which is a blessing because last time every time it spoke it resulted in me feeling embarrassed for it due to the cheesiness.

Danny shows that deep down all children can be evil.

            The sound in “Spirit of Vengeance” is what one would expect. It’s a piston busting, gasoline igniting boom fest that keeps you in your seat when the action heats up. The noise that Rider made always got under my skin whenever I heard it, proving that one liners do not make a character intimidating.

            The 3D was mediocre at best as it never blew me away but never made my eyes hurt either. Honestly most of the time I forgot I was watching a 3D film and odds are that’s due to all the night time scenes.

           

Mayhem has nothing on Blaze.

            Overall, “Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance” is not the epic Marvel heroes tale we’ve been hoping for to stack up with the great Avenger movies. It is instead a gripping and entertaining road flick that left me feeling very satisfied. If you liked “Drive Angry” you’ll like this one. It is a phenomenal improvement over the first film, and I hope that another sequel will spawn out of this reboot. Who knows, the next one might be the epic demon fighting tale fans have been waiting for.

Ryan Pierce

Chronicle Review

TITLE: Chronicle

DIRECTOR: Josh Trank

STAR(S): Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B. Jordan

WRITER: Max Landis

RATING: PG-13

GENRE(S): Action, Sci-fi, Drama

            What would you do if you had super powers? Would you use it for good? Would you spread terror throughout humanity? Would you just take your new found gift and play pranks on unsuspecting people? For the most of us, I suspect the later would be our main choice; at least for a while anyway.

            Chronicle is a story about three seniors in high school that stumble across some unknown object that grants them the power of telekinesis. Andrew Detmer, played by Dane Dehaan (True Blood) is a boy whose life has brought him nothing but misery. With his mother’s health rapidly deteriorating and his alcoholic father always abusing him, school life shows any doesn’t comforts either since he’s socially an outcast among his fellow peers and constantly harassed by bullies. His cousin Matt Garetty, played by Alex Russell, (Halloween Knight) along with friend Steve Montgomery played by Michael B Jordan, (Gears of War 3) join a pact with each other as they strive to improve their new found powers. At first all is fun and games but after awhile it becomes apparent that after all the abuse bestowed on Andrew, he is very angry inside and that his new powers are causing him to dish his hostile feelings in dangerous ways. Anyone who’s familiar with Akira will immediately relate Andrew to Tetsuo as they almost step by step go down the same path. Though Matt and Steve try their best to help fix their emotionally disturbed friend by boosting his popularity and making him feel wanted, life always seems to throw them a curve ball sending Andrew’s psyche into even darker levels of hate and anger. It’s no surprise from the trailer that eventually Andrew’s temper gets the best of him and that things start to get out of hand later on.

           

            Chronicle is another found footage film that in my opinion is the best example of the genre out there. It does suffer from the obvious abnormally that everybody in the city of Seattle carries a video camera recording everything no matter how mundane or crazy things get but it works better here then in any other film of this type. The pacing never gets so slow that it’s boring and holy crap when things get crazy the cinematography is right on par with Cloverfield. I’d even go as far to say that it’s even better. Some of the shots here were masterfully put together showing new and exciting scenarios of blending normal activities in intense situations. I am not one to care about the super bowl but football never looked so fun as it did to me here. Even scenes that couldn’t possibly be recorded by the main characters are cleverly caught by surveillance cameras surrounding them, sending home a message that no matter what you do, odds are you really are being filmed without your knowledge in today’s society.

            The special effects in this film are absolutely jaw dropping. Everything from damage inflicted on buildings to throwing cars and launching people through walls bests the effects of any film in this genre that I can think of. There’s some blatant green screen and CGI to be found but the main climax scene is second to none. Some of special effects are the next best thing to a point-of-view action screen ride in an amusement park.

            Dialog between the main cast and the many supporting characters are very believable and never once forced me out of the movie. Written by Max Landis who wrote both the story and screen play, you really do get a sense of chemistry forming between the three main characters and truly feel for Andrew knowing that he is a time bomb waiting to go off. You can’t help but feel for Matt as he tries to be the voice of reason for the trio while Steve uses his popularity to present Andrew to a fun world that any teen would love to be apart of. You really can’t hate Andrew at the same time though because seeing all the torment and helpless situations he goes through everyday, you can’t help but understand why he acts the way he does when he begins to finally feel invulnerable towards everyday threats. With that said, when the time eventually comes for things to go wrong it really grabs hold of your emotions.

            The sound in Chronicle is what one would expect out of a found footage movie. There is no music to be mentioned except what’s caught on camera in the background thus the film is driven solely on the dialog and acting which is all of good quality. The sounds used for the special effects fits perfectly with the amazing special effects as mentioned earlier.

           

            Overall, Chronicle is not another superhero flick but instead a cleverly put together tragedy piece about what can happen when great power falls into the wrong hands. Not being a fan of the found footage genre I can’t help but make an exception of recommending this one to others. It is a fun look at what superpowers could bring but at same time takes a dark mature look on it as well. It may not be for everyone, but to those who love stories about super powers this is a must see.

Rating 4 out 5

Ryan Pierce

Underworld: Awakening Review

TITLE: Underworld Awakening

DIRECTORS: Mans Marlind, Bjorn Stein

STARS: Kate Beckinsale, Michael Ealy, India Eisley

SCREEN WRITER(S): Len Wiseman, John Hlavin

RATING: R

GENRE: Action, Horror

BUDGET: $70,000,000

            Way back in 2003 I saw a film that forever changed my opinions on the werewolves and vampires genres. I was captivated by a hot female death dealer in a skin tight leather suit kicking all kinds of ass on the big screen all the while being consumed by a fun and action packed story.  It is because of this movie that a race named Lycans caused me to become obsessed with Lycanthropy to this day. Underworld was a franchise that along with other films like ‘Blade’ made the Vampire genre hip and caused Goths to flourish even more in schools. Then came 2007 and a little series of books that I dare not mention started plaguing the vampire and werewolf public image and there was nothing the fans could do to stop. Brutality was replaced by whininess and sappiness and fangs were pushed aside by sparkling skin, big hair, and muscular jailbait for middle aged women. As a result over time, the coolness of these genres were slowly dying and now with 2012 here, I can finally say werewolves and vampires don’t have to be pussies anymore.

            Like a pale skinned, blue eyed savior in the night, Kate Beckinsale reprises her role of Selene and is back with a vengeance. Being disappointed by the third film in this series, I was nervous when I learned a fourth film was being released but I am going to say right here and now that this film does not disappoint and is indeed worthy of the Underworld name.

Once again Len Wiseman remains faithful to the franchise and returns with seven other writers to create the screenplay for the franchises’ fourth installment and while the overall result is fun and action packed, it goes without saying that this story does have some blatant plot problems. I won’t go into the details of them though as it would only lead to spoilers.

We learn at the beginning humanity has discovered the existence of both the vampires and lycans and declared an all out war on the two races. Both races are driven almost to the point of extinction resulting in Selene being captured as she tries to escape with her main love interest Michael Corvin. She awakes years later out of a cryosleep chamber completely unaware of her surroundings and unsure what was being done to her. Making an action packed escape through the research facility controlled by Dr. Jacob Lane played by Stephen Rea, (V for Vendetta) in an attempt to find Michael; Selene meets a new character named Eve played by India Eisley, (Secret Life of an American Teenager). I won’t go into details as Eve’s relationship with Selene but all I have to say is she is a welcome newcomer to the Underworld mythology and steals the show multiple times throughout the film. From there, the two try to make sense of the world around them, meet new likable allies, and struggle to survive as they continue to search for Selene’s lost lover.  

Pacing in 'Awakening' never lets up keeping the audience on edge from start to finish. Dialog while, can sound cheesy at times is for the most part well written and true to the style of the previous films. The chemistry between Selene and Eve is perfect given the circumstances thrown at them. It’s heartfelt and a growing bond can definitely be sensed between the two while supporting side characters bring their own charms to the screen.

Directed by Mans Marlind, (Shelter) and Bjorn Stein, (Shelter), these two show that they work well together as the cinematography stays true and dark to the style of the previous films with dynamic shots everywhere. Stunt choreography is jaw dropping and always remains to feel fresh even after three films. Costume designs remain gothic yet modern and should be noted that even after all this time Beckinsale still looks great in her tight leather suit. The creature designs for the lycans at times look obviously more computer generated with practical effects taking more of a back seat as compared to the original film but they still look pretty good for the most part. The CGI does a great job at creating the multiple transformation scenes making the mythology all the more believable.

If you like speakers constantly rumbling to base then this is the movie for you. The sound effects along with the music score add loads of atmosphere to Selene’s world. This is also a film that should only be seen in 3D. The 3D never relies on cheap gag tricks and only adds to the overall thrill to the film. This series was made for 3D and I can only hope that the other films eventually get converted to it on Blu Ray.

So overall Underworld: Awakening is a non stop thrill ride that doesn’t disappoint old fans and hopefully will attract new ones. With vampires and werewolves slowly becoming lame ducks, this provides the shot of adrenaline the genres so desperately need. Yes the story has plot holes but they are easy to forgive due to the nature of these films. The 3D adds a new level of fun and with that I say welcome back Underworld. It’s so good to see you again.

Rating 4 out of 5

Ryan Pierce

The Grey

TITLE: The Grey

DIRECTOR: Joe Carnahan

STARS: Liam Neeson

SCREEN WRITER(S) Joe Carnahan, Ian Mackenzie Jeffers,

RATING: R

GENRE: Action

BUDGET: $34,000,000

Being an avid camper and motorcyclist, it can be fair to say that I love nature. It can be calming, refreshing and make any bad day feel a little better. That being said, nature can totally suck as well. When looking at the possibilities of weather and nature, the negative aspects can easily out way the good. Civilization over the centuries has really sheltered the human race from the unforgiving terrors Mother Nature provides on day to day basis. Most of us wouldn’t have the slightest clue as to what it would take to survive in a strange uncolonized world where every second could be your last. Heck we hear a news report of six inches of snow coming and we wipe out the supermarkets because we just may not survive two days stuck indoors.

The Grey stars Liam Neeson, (Taken) who plays the role of Ottway, an employee of a fossil fuel plant stationed in Alaska whose job is to hunt and protect his fellow co-workers from the dangerous wild life that surrounds them. We learn early on that he is emotionally beat down by his past involving a woman but the details are kept unclear as it continues to plague him. Scheduled to depart home, Ottway boards a commercial jet with numerous other workers and set to take off in a snow storm that any pilot would consider suicide. Anyone in aviation knows that ice is a plane’s worst enemy so after hosing the aircraft off in a blizzard, it takes off to unsurprisingly crash in the baron Alaskan wilderness. Despite strapping himself to multiple seat belts in the air, Ottway lands far away from the crash with his seats nowhere to be found and survives mostly unscathed. He learns that only seven survivors remain and just when things couldn’t possibly get worse, he discovers that they are stranded on the hunting grounds of murderous wolves. Realizing that leaving the territory is everyone’s only hope for survival; Ottway leads everyone out into the unknown where the elements are just as deadly as any wolf bite.

The Grey is a screen adaption of the short story, ‘Ghost Walker’ written by Ian Mackenzie Jeffers who also wrote the film’s screen play. This is his second credited screenplay with “Death Sentence” being the first. For the most part pacing is a mixed bag from fast and suspenseful to flat out slow but never really gets to be boring during the cool down scenes as suspense is always there. Neeson’s plays the usual “down to earth but will kick ass if needed” role that fans have come to expect. Ottway takes what life throws at him and attacks back with a cool head stays constantly resourceful. The other characters unfortunately are nowhere near as interesting as the main protagonist. Right off the bat the audience is introduce to two characters that practically make one beg for their death scenes to arrive soon. Flannery, played by Joe Anderson, (The Crazies) is a yappy goof who annoys everyone around him while Diaz, played by Frank Grillo (Warrior) does nothing but complain and challenge authority without ever once contributing to the situation.  Remaining characters are fleshed out much better as the relationships between them and Ottway continue to grow. Dialog never gets forced sounding, and always sounds believable. Religion and faith is thrown into the story but it’s never shoved down the audience’s throat. It’s kept at level anyone would most likely question if faced in dire situations and facing one’s mortality.

Visually, The Grey is gorgeous as it shows off the untamed Alaskan territories well. Great camera work does a great job of showing the terrors and beauty of the wilderness that surround the characters. The special effects on the wolves though are another story. Off in the distance they can look great but when the close ups arrive, it is painfully obvious that the animals are not flesh and blood but instead CGI and animatronics. Nature itself though is the greatest special effect in this tale and is used flawlessly.

Sound is sharp and haunting when needed to be. There are many times when just hearing predators nearby make the atmosphere just as unnerving as seeing the wolves themselves. The music score is simply there to serve as a tool to boost the action when needed but never got to the point where it felt out of place. I honestly can’t remember any of the music but I know it was there when things got intense.

Overall, ‘The Grey’ is a decent “man vs. wild” flick that accomplishes its overall goal. The cinematography is great, Neeson doesn’t fail to disappoint, and it does bring up some interesting questions about what happens when we die. The few unrealistically annoying side characters however, bring the film down from being perfect. It should be noted that the deaths in this film are quite clever as it doesn’t rely solely on wolves ripping throats out constantly. The elements and ones own health can be just as deadly and it does a great job at depicting that. I was expecting an all out gore fest walking into this one and was pleasantly surprised when that wasn’t the case.

Rating 3.5 out of 5

Ryan Pierce