Elysium review

ELYSIUM:

A POWERHOUSE OF BLOOD PUMPING ACTION, SPECIAL EFFECTS, AND A UNIQUE PREMISE!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

TRISTAR PICTURES

Matt Damon kicking ass in Elysium

Director Neil Blomkamp (District 9) is off to a good start with his filmmaking career, he started off directing the 2009 sci-fi mega-hit, District 9 about a separation between humans and aliens in Johannesburg. After the film’s success Blomkamp went on to directing his next project, Elysium, and while it doesn’t quite have the edge District 9 had, the film is still entertaining, has an interesting plot, good character development, and filled to the bone with blood pumping action and special effects.

In the year 2154, everyone has been divided in two groups, the rich and privileged live in a futuristic utopia in space with no poverty, war, or sickness, known as Elysium, while everyone else is stuck on Earth, which is now a polluted wasteland. Ex-Con, Max (Matt Damon-the Bourne trilogy, Oceans trilogy, True Grit) is called in for a special assignment, to go to Elysium and override the system, so everyone can go up there and have their diseases cured.

Unfortunately it will be a lot tougher than he thought because the people in charge of Elysium will do whatever it takes to enforce anti-immigration laws and preserve their citizens’ luxurious lifestyle. So Elysium’s Secretary Delacourt (Jodie Foster-Flightplan, The Silence of the Lambs, Contact) calls in her right hand man, Agent Krueger (Sharlto Copley-District 9, The A-Team) to assassinate Max and acquire the data planted inside him to override Elysium’s system.

Max will do whatever it takes to go to Elysium and set everything right for the people of Earth. With a little help from a group of smugglers, he may succeed and save the world.

Overall, Elysium is a very entertaining sci-fi flick, despite not having much of an edge like District 9, the action is exciting and violent, the special effects look great, the character development is good, and the premise is very interesting and pretty similar to the American immigration that occurred many years ago, where immigrants were trying to come to America, but were rejected and sometimes killed in the process.

It does make you wonder if in the future, the extremely wealthy will flee to a clean utopia without violence or sickness, while everyone else is stuck in a wasteland. It sort of reminds me of a story I wrote in high school for English class, where racism and immigration occurs in the future, resorting in a new generation of slavery and violence.

Elysium is one of those movies that can really make you think of what might happen in the future and how everything will be in order. Hopefully nothing like the events of the movie, where rich and privileged people are above everybody else.

Despite the elements of immigration, Elysium is a great summer hit, with lots of intense action, impressive visuals, and great characters. It’s truly a blockbuster that’s worth the escape from reality. 

The Smurfs 2 review

THE SMURFS 2:

ANOTHER “BLUE!” SMURFS MOVIE!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: * 1/2 out of 4

COLUMBIA PICTURES AND SONY PICTURES ANIMATION

The Smurfs and The Naughties taking on the City of Lights in The Smurfs 2

            I need to make this perfectly clear, I don’t have anything against The Smurfs, the cute and cuddly cartoon series created by Peyo, while I didn’t watch it much as a kid, I can say right now; it’s an innocent cartoon for kids to enjoy. The characters are likable and Gargamel the evil sorcerer is very funny, the concept is creative, little blue creatures that live in mushroom houses, it’s a unique idea for a children’s cartoon.

            However the concept does not flow very well for a big-screen feature film, especially when you get Raja Gosnell (Scooby-Doo, Big Momma’s House) to direct it. The 2011 Smurfs movie, while a hit at the box office was despised by critics and received mostly negative reception, due to the overuse of mediocre puns, lame jokes, and a weak concept for the film.

            Due to the success at the box office and completely ignoring the reception the movie got, Sony and Raja Gosnell decided to make a sequel, The Smurfs 2 and while I did think the premise for this movie was a little more creative than the predecessor, it was overshadowed by once again, lame puns, one-liners, and an overdose of goofy slapstick. Kids will probably enjoy the film, the adults on the other hand may have a miserable time at the movies, but it’s a children’s film, what are you gonna do?

            After the events of the first movie, we find the happy blue Smurfs getting ready for Smurfette’s birthday back in Smurf Village, and Smurfette (voiced by Katy Perry) is worried about one day betraying her friends and helping Gargamel (Hank Azaria-The Simpsons, Godzilla) finally take over the world, since she was created by Gargamel but then she learned about kindness and love which transformed her into a Smurf. Meanwhile in the real world, Gargamel is now a master magician, performing in Paris, and becoming a monster hit with the crowd. He still dreams of the one day where he finally catches the Smurfs and extracting their magic into his wand and cause “Smurf-ageddon!” (yeah, that’s one of the puns in the film!).

Gargamel also created two Smurf-like creatures known as the Naughties, unlike the Smurfs who are blue skinned and kind, the Naughties are gray skinned and mischievous, so you can pretty much tell they become his minions. Gargamel and his Naughties, Vexy (voiced by Christina Ricci-Casper, Sleepy Hollow) and Hackus (voiced by J.B. Smoove) plan to capture Smurfette and trick her into being naughty and bribing her with gifts, cake, etc. so she can tell Gargamel what the formula is for Smurf magic.

The Smurfs are called back into action and return to the real world for assistance from their old friends Patrick (Neil Patrick Harris-How I Met Your Mother, Harold & Kumar trilogy, Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs) and Grace Winslow (Jayma Mays) so they can save Smurfette and put an end to Gargamel’s evil plan.
            While I can’t say I hated The Smurfs 2, like the first movie, there are occasionally entertaining moments particularly from Hank Azaria. Like I’m glad they kept the Smurfs animated and not resorting to the “Oompa-Loompa” scenario, I get a kick out of Hank Azaria’s performance as Gargamel, I actually do think he’s kinda funny, and I like Neil Patrick Harris, he’s enjoyable in anything he’s in, good or bad. Those were the things that made watching this movie worth it, even though I had to sit through a bunch of lame Smurf jokes, one-liners, and slapstick that almost feels like a cartoon but done in reality, which is why I think these movies would have been stronger as just animated movies without live-action.

            I can’t really speak for children about not seeing this movie, there’s a strong chance they’ll want to see it, and I’m totally okay with that, kids will find some amusing things in it and have a good laugh and some of the silly slapstick that’s right up their alley. The adults on the other hand, if they don’t mind a lot of childish humor and puns, I guess maybe they’ll find something tolerable about it.

            This is why I don’t consider The Smurfs 2 to be much of a family movie, it’s more like a movie that you’d pop into your DVD player to distract your kids for 90 minutes. If you want some real family fun, I’d say go to Monsters University, Despicable Me 2, or Turbo, those movies are much more entertaining and well worth your time and money, and besides if you want to see a good animated feature from Sony, wait until Cloudy with a chance of Meatballs 2 comes out in September, which I have mixed thoughts about, but it looks much better than this cluttered mess of a family flick. 

The Wolverine review

THE WOLVERINE:

SLICING WITH EXCITING COMIC BOOK ACTION AND HUGH JACKMAN!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

20^TH CENTURY FOX AND MARVEL ENTERTAINMENT

Hugh Jackman back in action as The Wolverine

            Everyone’s favorite metal-clawed mutant from X-Men is back in the latest spinoff of the X-Men franchise, The Wolverine. Before everyone starts comparing this movie to the 2009 prequel, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, it’s nothing like Wolverine Origins, this new Wolverine movie has a better story, more action, and better character development, plus more entertaining than the other Wolverine movie as well.

            Some time after the events of X-Men 3: The Last Stand, we find Logan AKA Wolverine (Hugh Jackman-X-Men franchise, Les Miserables, The Prestige) suffering from the loss of his friend, Jean Grey, who went power mad back in the third movie. Anyway, he keeps visioning her in his dreams and he eventually wakes up every time the dream shifts into a nightmare.

            So Wolverine is called back into action, thanks to a young ninja girl from Japan named Yukio, who also has psychic abilities. Yukio encourages him to come with her to Tokyo on behalf of her employer, Yashida so he can thank him for saving his life many years ago, and perhaps he can make Wolverine mortal, with a bone marrow transplant that can remove his immortality.

            Unfortunately chaos is unleashed when an evil viper-mutated woman sends in a legion of killer ninjas to battle Wolverine, capture Yasida’s daughter, Mariko, and extract Wolverine’s immortality and put him up against a mechanical samurai, known as the Silver Samurai. With the help of Yukio, Wolverine will do whatever it takes to save Mariko, put an end to Viper’s reign of evil, and save the day.

            Overall The Wolverine is once again another great movie in the X-Men franchise, while I wouldn’t say it’s as enjoyable as X-Men or X2: X-Men United, Wolverine is still a damn good spinoff of the series and definitely better than X-Men 3: The Last Stand and X-Men Origins: Wolverine. The action is exciting, Hugh Jackman is always a powerhouse actor, the mutants are all unique, but that’s what X-Men is best known for, creating unique mutants, good character development, and an entertaining story, it’s pretty much everything X-Men Origins: Wolverine should have been to begin with.

            The Wolverine is right up there with Iron Man 3 and Man of Steel as one of the three best comic book blockbusters of the summer, Marvel for the most part certainly knows how to bring their heroes to the big screen, and the X-Men movies are no exception. With its colorful cast of characters, classic comic book action, and great science-fiction elements, X-Men is right up there as some of Marvel’s best movies and after seeing The Wolverine, it’ll most likely get you pumped up for the next film in the X-Men franchise, X-Men: Days of Future Past.

            

Turbo review

TURBO:

ZIPPING WITH NITROSOXIDE RACING ACTION, HUMOR, AND HEART!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

20TH CENTURY FOX AND DREAMWORKS ANIMATION

Turbo and his team of racing snails getting ready for the big race in Turbo

            Over the years DreamWorks has always seemed to create some great animated movies, with films like Shrek, Kung Fu Panda, and How to Train Your Dragon all becoming critical box office hits but cherished by both kids and adults. So with the success of their last movie, The Croods under their new distribution deal with 20^th Century Fox, things really started to speed up over at DreamWorks with their newest animated feature, Turbo, and it’s definitely a trophy worthy contender.

            A garden snail named Turbo (voiced by Ryan Reynolds-Green Lantern, The Croods, R.I.P.D.) dreams of becoming an Indy racer. His brother, Chet (voiced by Paul Giamatti-Win Win, Duplicity, The Haunted World of El Superbeasto) encourages him to give up the whole racing dream and start living his life as a snail.

            After a freak accident Turbo realizes he now has super speed and can now jolt his way into the race, with a little help from a supportive taco salesman named Tito (voiced by Michael Peña-End of Watch), a colorful crew of other snails led by Whiplash (voiced by Samuel L. Jackson-The Avengers, Django Unchained, Pulp Fiction), and Tito’s supporting team. Turbo can finally make his dream come true by entering the Indy 500 racing competition and prove to everyone that even a small snail can succeed in something big.

            Overall Turbo is a cute animated movie, the kids will love it, and most likely adults and some teenagers will find some amusement out of it. While I don’t think Turbo is nearly as great of a movie as How to Train Your Dragon or Shrek, it’s still a passing feature from DreamWorks, the writing is decent, the visuals and 3D effects are colorful, the characters are very likable, and the voice acting is very good.

Ryan Reynolds is very likable as Turbo, same with Paul Giamatti, Samuel L. Jackson is very amusing as the voice of Whiplash, Michael Peña is delightful as Tito the taco salesman, gotta have a loveable idiot in these movies, and Ken Jeong (The Hangover trilogy) is just hysterical as the old lady, Kim Ly. Other enjoyable cast members include rap artist, Snoop Dogg as the voice of the hippie snail, Smooth Move, Michelle Rodriguez (Avatar, Machete, Resident Evil) provides the voice of vehicle mechanic, Paz, and many others.

Another fine animated feature for 2013, I enjoyed the movie but I wouldn’t consider it better than Epic or Monsters University, but it’s right up there with Despicable Me 2 as an amusing family film for this year. It’s a perfect movie to see with your entire family, colorful animation and visuals, cool racing action, comedy, fun characters, and very talented voice actors, it’s nice to start with a good animated family movie like Turbo before moving into, ugh, The Smurfs 2! 

RED 2 review

RED 2:

SILLY ACTION-PACKED FUN AT FULL FORCE THAT’S JUST AS ENTERTAINING AS ITS PREDECESSOR!

By Nico Beland

Movie Review: *** out of 4

SUMMIT ENTERTAINMENT

Bruce Willis, Mary-Louise Parker, John Malkovich, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Helen Mirren, Byung Hun-Lee, and Anthony Hopkins are Retired Extremely Dangerous in RED 2

            Bruce Willis (Die Hard franchise, Looper, G.I. Joe: Retaliation), John Malkovich (Transformers: Dark of the Moon, Warm Bodies), Mary-Louise Parker (The Assassination of Jesse James By the Coward Robert Ford, Solitary Man, The Spiderwick Chronicles), and Helen Mirren (The Queen, Hitchcock, State of Play) are back in action in this hilariously entertaining sequel to the 2010 action comedy, RED, based on the comic book series by DC Comics, RED 2, while it isn’t as fleshed out as the first movie, it makes up for it with its talented cast, goofy comedy, and even goofier action scenes.

            Retired black-ops CIA agent, Frank Moses (Willis) is reunited with his unlikely team of “Retired Extremely Dangerous” operatives for a global objective, track down a missing portable nuclear device that can wipe out an entire country. In order to pull off the mission RED must survive relentless assassins, menacing terrorists, and power-crazed government officials, all eager to get their hands on this weapon of mass destruction.

            The mission takes Frank and his team of elite operatives to Paris, Moscow, and London. Outgunned and outnumbered they must use their cunning wits, old school attack strategies, and rely on each other as they do whatever it takes to save the world, and stay alive at the same time.

            RED 2 as a whole is a pretty enjoyable sequel to RED, running on comedic dialogue, heavy gunfire, and action that will keep you at the edge of your seat. Besides the action and comedy, RED 2 also brings some new cast members in like Anthony Hopkins (Hitchcock, Thor, The Wolfman) as the film’s antagonist, Edward Bailey, Byung Hun-Lee (G.I. Joe) as a vengeful assassin from Hong Kong, Han Cho Bai, and Catherine Zeta-Jones (The Mask of Zorro, Rock of Ages) as Frank’s old lover and professional killer, Katya.

            While I enjoyed the sequel, I wouldn’t consider it better than the predecessor, RED I just thought it was executed a little better, had more witty dialogue, and plus Morgan Freeman was in it. I’m not saying RED 2 was bad or mediocre; overall it’s a very fun sequel filled with action and humor, and it should satisfy fans of the first movie and the comic books.