War Horse

As far as predictable, inspirational movies go, War Horse falls on the high end of the spectrum. You won’t hit any big twists or surprises, and you’ll see the ending coming from a ways off. The major difference between this and so many other sentimental films is that War Horse has Steven Spielberg in its director’s chair. The film is so well-crafted that when it arrives at its predictable conclusion, you won’t be disappointed. On my way out of the theater, my brother-in-law called it “one of the best ‘Hallmark Movies’ he’d ever seen,” and I knew exactly what he meant.

War Horse is a film adaptation of a children’s novel which also inspired both a radio broadcast and an award-winning stage play, but it’s an unusual story any way you tell it. On the outset of World War I, English teenager Albert Narracott (Jeremy Irvine) forms a special connection with his horse, Joey. Albert’s father sells Joey to a military Captain in order to pay rental debt, and throughout the war, Albert maintains hope that he will see his horse again. What follows is an odyssey across war-torn Europe from 1914-1918 as Albert’s horse, Joey, changes hands with each conflict, finding himself on farms, battlefields, and the infamous No Man’s Land between the trenches.

The sentiment and schmaltz are laid on thick - almost too thick. Subtlety isn’t this film’s strong suit, but then again, War Horse is a WWI picture. John Williams’ grand and sweeping score announces itself at every turn. The camera regularly soars across the typically understated beauty of the English countryside. There are plenty of lingering shots of characters gazing off at the horizon. It all works, as these feel-good staples are later offset by war violence, and the film’s framing and cinematography elevate War Horse above what it would have been in the hands of a lesser director.

Jeremy Irvine plays Albert with sincerity, even though the “boy and his horse” bit seems stranger as Albert gets older. By the time Albert’s an adult man serving in the British Army, the only thing that keeps his immense love for Joey from being a little too weird is that the horse has gone through so damn much, and we’ve gone through it with him. There’s a memorable supporting cast of characters: Albert’s parents, their landlord, various military officers, two young German soldiers, a frenchman and his granddaughter - all brought to life through fine performances.

When you think of the great war films, few transpire during World War I. Most are World War II films, as WWII provides an easy backdrop for tales of heroism and bravery. Vietnam films often highlight the senselessness and waste of war, but from a historical perspective, WWI stands as the ultimate example of how frivolous and tragic war can be. The war produced over 35 million military and civilian casualties, largely due to dramatic increases in firepower without equal increases in transportation. War Horse shows how technology (or the lack thereof) unleashed new horrors and how few wars have ever seen such uneven odds depending on who had what technology. One scene in particular stands out as an army of soldiers on horseback with swords in hand is mowed down by a line of machine guns.

The final sequence evokes the closing moments of Gone With the Wind’s first act, as characters stand silhouetted against an impossibly orange sky. Years from now, I doubt War Horse will stand out in Spielberg’s filmography full of masterpieces, but it’s a well-told story of bravery and friendship, notable for its beauty and its impressive depiction of World War I. The narrative emerges somewhat disconnected and certainly unbelievable, but amidst the horrors of war, some excessive heart isn’t such a bad thing.

For the Parents:

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of war violence.

War Horse is based on a children’s novel, but don’t be mistaken; this is not a children’s movie. It’s a war movie, and even adults who are sensitive to war violence should be cautious. The combat scenes aren’t bloody, but they are intense, particularly one where the horse runs frightened through the chaos and becomes trapped in barbed wire.

The Muppets

The Muppets is exactly what I hoped it would be: the best Muppet movie since The Muppet Christmas Carol (1992). It’s a gift to decades’ worth of fans who love these characters. A true return to form, The Muppets taps into those unique brands of humor and magic that made The Muppet Show (1976-1981) so popular. I only ever saw the show in syndication, but once I discovered it, I couldn’t stop watching. While anyone can enjoy this movie, it was made by fans with fans in mind. It’s important to note before continuing that I don’t know how to write this review objectively, because you see, The Muppets was made for me, and if you love these characters, it was made for you, too.

Gary (Jason Segel) and his brother Walter (played by a Muppet) are lifelong fans of The Muppet Show. When Gary and his girlfriend Mary (Amy Adams) plan a trip to Los Angeles, Walter comes along to fulfill his dream of visiting the Muppet Studios. Upon arrival, the trio is shocked to find the Muppet Theater in disrepair. Oil tycoon Tex Richman (Chris Cooper) plans to destroy the Muppet Theater and drill for oil. Gary, Mary and Walter set out to round up the Muppets (many of whom, we learn, haven’t spoken to each other in years) to put on a Muppet Show fundraiser, though they struggle with the fact that no one seems to care about the Muppets anymore.

The Muppets maintains the charming, quirky humor that was a constant trademark of Jim Henson’s work. Characters frequently acknowledge the fact that they’re in a movie, and the overall tone moves back and forth between heartwarming and silly. The Muppets has several musical numbers (when the young man behind me groaned around the start of the third song, I chuckled, wondering if this was his first Muppet movie), and the songs here are even stronger than in some other Muppet pictures. One number in particular stands out as an instant classic, in which Gary and Walter each privately battle with the same identity crisis of “Am I a man or a Muppet?”

Muppet veterans Brian Henson and Frank Oz weren’t involved in this production, so a few character voices sound slightly different, but the overall tradition of excellence continues. Muppets and humans blend seamlessly into the same scenes, though a phenomenal amount of work goes into making that look easy. The best thing that can be said for the puppetry is that it goes unnoticed; all we see are characters on screen. Muppet performers have pulled this off for years, though it continues to impress.

The human actors are stellar. Jason Segel (who co-wrote the movie) plays Gary with sincerity, and he sings and dances with apparent ease. Amy Adams has excelled at musical comedy before, and she nails it again this time. Chris Cooper plays the villain totally straight, which was the right choice. The best actors in Muppet movies are the ones who play the material with as much seriousness as possible, as the Muppets themselves provide the laughs. Why does Cooper’s Tex Richman hate the Muppets? The Muppets exist to make people laugh (laughter is identified as “the third best gift of all time,” after children and ice cream), and Richman is physically incapable of laughter. Also in keeping with Muppet tradition is the long list of memorable celebrity cameos.

Newcomers to the Muppets will enjoy this movie, but for fans, there’s an enormous nostalgia factor at work. Watching the opening number of The Muppet Show (“It’s time to play the music, it’s time to light the lights”), exploring the Muppet Theater, and even just seeing the characters on screen again was heartwarming. Kermit, Miss Piggy, Gonzo, Fozzy - I’m glad to have them all back. Gary, Mary and Walter are all Muppet fans, which helps us connect with them immediately, and making Walter a Muppet was an inspired choice. There’s plenty for kids to enjoy in the way of energy and spectacle, but as usual, adults will get the most out of the story and the jokes. There’s plenty in this picture for everyone, which makes The Muppets a family film in the best sense. I think Jim would be proud.


Click here to view the trailer.

For the Parents:

MPAA: Rated PG for some mild rude humor.

The only mild rude humor I can recall comes when Fozzie Bear straps whoopee cushions to his feet and dubs them “fart shoes.” There are also a few moments of cartoony violence (puppets getting electrocuted, getting into fights, etc.), but on the whole, there’s very little in the way of potentially offensive material. I honestly can’t imagine why any child wouldn’t enjoy this movie.

Summer Movie Recap 2011

You may have noticed that I haven’t updated this site in three months. Ever since I began regularly reviewing movies almost 10 years ago, I have never fallen as far behind on my duties as I have this summer. My excuses are all valid: full-time job, the demands of the P90X workout, editing my novel, etc., but I admit that they’re still excuses. At the end of the day, I have the same amount of time at my disposal that Thomas Jefferson had.

There were plenty of big summer releases that I missed seeing altogether: Thor, Captain America, and Transformers 3 to name a few. I managed to publish a few reviews over the summer, but those were the minority. I’m not going to play catch-up and write full reviews on all of the films I saw, so here’s my compromise: a paragraph-per-film summer recap. Here are a few thoughts on the films I saw this summer (listed in alphabetical order):

Bridesmaids

Bridesmaids is a solid raunch-comedy. Co-written by the film’s star, Kristin Wiig, this movie was billed as the female equivalent of The Hangover, and that’s a fair assessment. It certainly showed that women can keep up with men as far as shameful behavior goes, and a few truly hilarious bits lifted this comedy above much of the competition. There are still some all-too-familiar gags I could have done without (including some token bodily function jokes, which I’ve never thought were funny), but overall, Bridesmaids strikes a winning balance of heart and low-brow humor.

Cars 2

I wrote in my 2004 review of The Incredibles: “Some day, Pixar’s going to make a movie that’s simply ‘good,’ and it’s going to be a huge disappointment.” Fast forward seven years, and here we are. Cars 2 isn’t a horrible movie in its own right, but it falls far short of Pixar’s own standards. Cars and Cars 2 are Pixar’s weakest pictures in my opinion; the story and characters of Cars just never quite worked for me, and Cars 2 lacks even the heart and freshness of its predecessor. The result is a forgettable and unnecessary sequel, though judging by early previews, Pixar seems to be back on the right track with Brave, its newest film slated for a 2012 release (incidentally, Brave will also be Pixar’s first fairy tale).

Cowboys and Aliens

Cowboys and Aliens delivers exactly what it promises, though I hoped for a little more. Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford star in this wild west picture with a twist: an invasion from outer space. The goofy premise clashes with the film’s dark tone at times. Cowboys and Aliens takes itself a bit too seriously, which keeps it from being as fun as it could have been. I know the filmmakers were bound by a graphic novel as source material, but as far as tone, a different mix of suspense, adventure and humor would have made for a more enjoyable picture (I’m thinking of movies like the original Pirates of the Caribbean). Still, Cowboys and Aliens has some strong moments, and Craig and Ford make such good cowboys that I found myself wishing I was watching a traditional western.

Crazy, Stupid, Love

Crazy, Stupid, Love was the biggest surprise of the summer for me. The trailers didn’t inspire too much confidence, but I fell for the film’s writing and quirky charm right off. Finally, here’s a romantic comedy with brains behind it. The actors are solid all around (including the child actors, who play the maturity fluctuations of their ages very well), but the clever writing stands out the most. Romantic comedies so frequently fall back on stock characters, familiar stories, and predictable plots, but Crazy, Stupid, Love brings freshness even to its cheesiest and most formulaic moments. The screenplay deftly navigates the dangerous romantic comedy waters by respecting its characters and its audience. Steve Carrell and Emma Stone give particularly enjoyable performances. If you passed on Crazy, Stupid, Love (as I almost did), do yourself a favor and catch it on video.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

As a big fan of the Harry Potter novels and films, I was very pleased with how the franchise bowed out. The acting and action are top-notch, and the fast pace balances HP 7: Part 1 perfectly. Looking back, the series and its stars matured gracefully over a ten year period, and the child actors gave their all at the end. Alan Rickman stands out yet again as Severus Snape, arguably stealing the show in his crucial backstory sequence. I have a few qualms with the film’s ending, especially with some of the changes made to the final battle that robbed the showdown of its full potential, but the final epilogue is charming and truly magical for fans. As far as book-to-screen adaptations go, Harry Potter resides in the upper tier.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

On Stranger Tides, or Pirates 4 as I call it, is merely the latest example of an old Hollywood problem academics refer to as “not knowing when to stop” (most films with the number “4” attached to their titles apply here). The characters and charm of old have all grown stale, and the plot (or lack thereof) failed to draw me in. I hoped that this picture might redeem the disappointments of Pirates 3, but it ultimately reinforced what I already believed: the Pirate writers never fully understood what they had. They penned an average first film which the actors then elevated to a higher plane; the writers then wrote a good sequel which was really just a setup for a grand finale, and then those same writers blew it with a dark mess of a third film that dragged the fun down to the depths faster than you could say “Davy Jones’ Locker.” Pirates 4 brings nothing much new to the table, and the obvious setup for Pirates 5 elicited naught but groans from me. If you’re feeling up for a pirate adventure, do what I did when I returned home from the theater: just re-watch the first two and then pretend that 3 and 4 never happened.

Super 8

My favorite film of the summer, Super 8 charmed me from start to finish. The spiritual successor to movies like Hook, The Goonies, and Stand By Me (with splashes of E.T. and Close Encounters of the Third Kind tossed into the mix), J.J. Abrams’ Super 8 follows a group of kids in small town America who are trying to film their own horror movie. During a late-night shoot, the amateur filmmakers witness a horrible train crash, and then the kids fear for their safety as they realize their camera picked up something supernatural on film: something they were never meant to see. The kids are played by mostly unknown actors, and all give solid, believable performances. Super 8 has the perfect balance of comedy and suspense, and echoes of early Spielberg come through loud and clear. To me, summer movies are ultimately about fun, and Super 8 provided the most fun I’ve had in a theater in a long time.

Winnie the Pooh

Winnie the Pooh is one of my favorite films of the year. Meant as a direct sequel to The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh (1977), this movie recaptures the magic of old, not only in its simple animation, but most importantly in its humor and charm. The stories were lifted from A.A. Milne’s literature, and the quirky jokes and classic characters are better than in any other Pooh film (or TV show) since the 1977 original. Voice acting hits very close to the original mark, and John Cleese was a great choice to replace Sebastian Cabot as narrator. Just as with the original Pooh books and films, children will enjoy Winnie the Pooh, but parents will enjoy it on an entirely different level.

X-Men: First Class

X-Men: First Class is the best in the series since X-Men 2, and despite its flaws, it offers more than enough to wash the taste of the last two movies (X-Men 3 and X-Men Origins: Wolverine) out of our mouths, proving that this franchise has more to offer. This origin story goes back to when Charles Xavier (who later becomes Professor X) and Erik Lehnsherr (who later becomes Magneto) first met and formed a lifelong friendship/rivalry. We learned in the first film that Erik was a Holocaust survivor, but that piece of his tortured past plays a more central role this time around. First Class features strong action and handles Xavier and Lehnsherr’s relationship with care, but a few sloppy plot pieces and underdeveloped characters keep this movie just shy of ranking with the greatest superhero fare.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 2

Click here to read my review of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.

An unprecedented film saga comes to a solid close with Part 2 of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. The decision to split the final installment into two films ultimately paid off (apart from the literal payoff, which was inevitable), as it gave room for the story to breathe in the midst of intense action. I complained after seeing the first installment that it felt like only half of a movie, providing no real closure. Similarly, Part 2 has no setup, but when viewed together, the two parts make for a splendid, emotionally balanced finale. As a fan of the final book, I have a few minor qualms, but overall, the Harry Potter film franchise goes out on one of its highest notes.

Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe) continues the search for Horcruxes (objects containing pieces of Lord Voldemort’s soul), along with his best friends, Ron (Rupert Grint) and Hermione (Emma Watson). The search takes him back to Hogwarts School, where Severus Snape (Alan Rickman) serves as Headmaster, and Death Eaters freely roam the grounds. With the help of his friends and professors, Harry makes a last stand against Lord Voldemort (Ralph Fiennes) and his followers. That’s a barebones summary, and it’s worth mentioning that if you’re not caught up at this point, prepare to be lost. Actually, if you’re not caught up at this point, why even consider starting with Part 2 of Harry Potter 7?

It feels good to return to Hogwarts, as its familiar locations have featured in every chapter except for Deathly Hallows: Part 1. The visuals of the school falling under attack are huge in scope and very rewarding. This is the end, and director David Yates and his filmmaking team hold nothing back. The principal cast members likewise give their all, with many saving their best performances for last. As I have said before, immaculate casting has been the driving force behind the success of the Harry Potter films. Screenwriter Steve Kloves has done well in adapting them, and multiple directors have added their own unique visions, but all would have been for naught if the wrong actors had been cast.

In addition to Radcliffe, Grint and Watson, all of whom deliver nuanced, mature performances, Alan Rickman stands out yet again as Severus Snape. Ten years ago on opening night of the first Harry Potter film, I gasped as soon as Rickman burst into view, because I knew at once what a perfect choice he was. Snape’s backstory was one of my favorite parts of the final Harry Potter novel, and the film handles it superbly, with Rickman spanning a wide emotional range during his relatively brief time onscreen. In the few days since seeing the film, Snape’s scenes stand out in my mind above everything else.

Everything in HP 7: Part 2 works, but as a fan of the book, I simply must take issue with a few alterations made toward the story’s end. I’ll not go into detail, as I wish to keep this spoiler-free, but the final showdown between Harry and Voldemort is about ten times more epic on paper than on screen. Why is that? All the film had to do to knock the finale out of the park was follow the scenes laid out in Rowling’s novel. On the whole, Deathly Hallows stayed very true to its book, so I have no clue why Kloves adapted the ending the way he did. The film ultimately cheats itself out of what should have been an unforgettable, highly emotional showdown. Instead, the battle goes out with more of a whimper than a bang.

The magic returns with the epilogue, though, which stays very true to the book’s last pages and delivers charm and emotion in spades. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows is a finely-crafted powerhouse and arguably the series’ best film, though I still cast my vote for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. Granted, I’m a sucker for origin stories, but that first movie is still the most magical to me, and I think it comes the closest to recreating the feel of its book. I’m reminded when I watch it of how much the filmmakers got right the first time around. The casting, the script, the visuals, and John Williams’ majestic score set the tone for everything that came after.

Looking back on the Harry Potter film series, there’s really nothing to compare it to. A seven-film (technically eight) retelling of a beloved book series; when else has any team of actors and filmmakers stuck with a decade’s worth of movies? It’s a monumental achievement made truly special by the series’ sheer quality on all fronts. The success of the Harry Potter books marks an unsurpassed literary phenomenon, and it’s worth remembering that the film versions played their part in the books’ success. They did what all great book-to-screen adaptations do: point people back toward the remarkable literature that started it all.


Click here to view the trailer.

For the Parents:

MPAA: Rated PG-13 for some sequences of intense action violence and frightening images

HP 7: Part 2 features mostly the kind of action we’ve seen before in the Potter films: intense but not graphic. There is one scene where a snake repeatedly bites someone, and though the attack happens offscreen, it’s still intense. The overall level of “intense action violence and frightening images” is in line with Harry Potters 2-7.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides

As quoted in my 2007 review of Pirates 3: “I almost hope that we don’t see another Pirates flick. These delightful characters have given us enough.” Yes, and now they’ve given us too much. I had held on to some small hope that one more film might correct the mistakes of Pirates 3, but whatever curse befell that picture can apparently not be undone. Pirates 2 ended with the perfect setup for a brilliant finale, and the writers blew it (I’m trying to let it go... really). Pirates 4: On Stranger Tides is more fun than its predecessor, but so what? It doesn’t offer quite enough of anything to justify itself, and it still falls about 20,000 leagues shy of recapturing the infectious fun of the original.

Johnny Depp returns as fan-favorite Captain Jack Sparrow, who is on the hunt for the Fountain of Youth. Also on the trail is Captain Barbossa (Geoffrey Rush), now a privateer in the Royal Navy. Angelica (Penélope Cruz), one of Sparrow’s old lovers, joins Sparrow in the search. Along the way, our heroes swashbuckle their way through battles of all sorts, zombies, mermaids, and several encounters with Blackbeard (Ian McShane): “the pirate all pirates fear.”

On Stranger Tides has a few things going for it. For starters, Johnny Depp and Geoffrey Rush are consistently lovable, even though Rush’s Barbossa is a bit too respectable this time. Seeing him in a military uniform with soldiers under his command never felt right. Penélope Cruz and Johnny Depp have great chemistry, more than Kiera Knightly and Orlando Bloom ever had, though we don’t know much of anything about Angelica and Sparrow’s past. The film’s visuals impress, especially the mermaids. While the mermaids look more like supermodels from the waist up than actual sea creatures, their introductory scene strikes the right balance of sex appeal and creepiness. One mermaid named Syrena (Àstrid Bergès-Frisbey) falls for a young missionary, Philip Swift (Sam Claflin). I think the writers were trying to fill the void left by Will and Elizabeth (Bloom and Knightly), though the romance between the mermaid and the missionary has even less appeal.

Blackbeard is supposedly the pirate all pirates fear, though he isn’t half as frightening as Davy Jones (Bill Nighy) from Pirates 2 and 3. Added to that, he doesn’t really have a black beard. What’s that about? He has some supernatural abilities, but they aren’t ever accounted for. The film’s color palette is dark, with most scenes unfolding at night or in murky conditions under an overcast sky. It baffles me that with so many bright, vivid colors in the Caribbean, this film unfolds largely in various shades of black and gray.

Then, there’s the Fountain of Youth. The entrance to the Fountain is pretty cool, but the Fountain itself looks less like an ancient source of mystical power and more like a movie set. Also, the Fountain comes with some ridiculous fine print. Making it to the Fountain isn’t enough; you have to bring two specific chalices and a mermaid’s tear. The lifting of the Aztec Curse in the first Pirates film made sense within the confines of the story, but this Fountain of Youth business is just one plot contrivance too many. I reject the notion that you could struggle your whole life looking for the Fountain of Youth only to learn upon arrival that you should have brought Ponce de León’s old chalices and a mermaid’s tear.

My wife and I re-watched the original Pirates when we got home from seeing On Stranger Tides. I wanted to know if I had romanticized the original too much. Was it really as good as I remembered it being? The original film isn’t perfect (it’s a bit too long and convoluted, I’d say), but it has a unique blend of adventure and quirky humor. Depp’s Sparrow was a character of his own invention in the first film, as the screenwriters had a traditional pirate in mind when they wrote the part, and the writers have never quite figured out how to properly write the character. This fourth installment ends with an obvious setup for Pirates 5, but I’m officially pirated out. The adventure, the fun, the wit, and the cleverness have mostly dried up. It’s always fun spending two more hours with Captain Jack, but you’d be better off re-visiting The Curse of the Black Pearl than setting sail for Stranger Tides.


Click here to view the trailer.

For the Parents:

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of action/adventure violence, some frightening images, sensuality and innuendo.

This isn’t as dark as Pirates 2 or 3, though it’s scarier than the original. The action isn’t too violent or sinister, though it might frighten young children. The sensuality and innuendo aren’t much to worry about.