‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ – Review

The History:
I had no desire to see this 3rd installment of the billion dollar toy advertisements in the theater. I was a fan of the first film which I thought did a decent job considering the source. Then I waited in anticipation for the second film which turned out to be one of the worst sequels ever. It was so bad that Director Michael Bay and Producer Lorenzo Di Bonaventura have pretty much apologized for that film. So why didn’t I wait for eventual Blu-ray release? Well I’ve been on vacation visiting family and it was something to do on a Friday night in a small town.

The Setup:
Although the story is much less convoluted than #2 it’s way too long. They’ve taken the time to rewrite the history of the 60′s space race hence the “Dark of the Moon” title. In pure Michael Bay fashion it’s completely over blown and totally preposterous which would be fine if it wasn’t taken so seriously. Do we really need an overlong, drawn out back story that rewrites history just to watch a loud crazy action spectacle? Especially since the film ends up exactly where you expect it to in the first place: a major finale’ battle royale…

The Execution:
And what a battle it is! If you’re looking for pure summer spectacle ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ delivers. Unfortunately it really doesn’t show up until two-thirds of the way through the 2.5 hour running time. What is delivered however is quite spectacular and mostly makes up for the boring earlier stuff.
Two highlights being:
1. A car chase that features a super cool moment when Bumble Bee transforms from car to bot while Sam is riding inside.
2. A truly thrilling sequence when Sam and the gang are trapped in a skyscraper that is being devoured by Shockwave’s Cybertronian Driller (that’s the giant “snake” bot seen in the previews).

On the plus side ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ shows that Bay and Co. did listen to some of the complaints generated by #2. There’s a lot less stupid humor and they made the action much easier to follow. Now if he could just get a really good editor and learn to how to portray levity ‘Transformers: Dark of the Moon’ might have been more fun and comparable to the first installment.

The Bottom Line:
Way better than #2 but still not all that great. This 3rd installment was a surprise to me mostly because I enjoyed it despite itself. That said I really have no need or desire to sit through a 4th, which given box-office performance I have no doubt will be made.

Rated PG-13: In theaters now.

Note: I saw the non-3D version of the film. If you’re wondering to 3D or not, I say go for it. I imagine the action is even better in 3D. Plus this was actually filmed in 3D so I have no doubt it looks great.

Tron Legacy IMAX 3D – Review

Tron Legacy has been out for over 2 weeks and it has only done okay at the box office and critical response has been mixed. The original Tron is now a cult classic but it’s a film that was released 28 years ago and for the most part Disney has not done much with it. Tron’s last DVD release was in 2002 and it has fallen off the market since. You cannot buy a new copy of it on DVD, you cannot rent it from Netflix, the only choices are to buy it off eBay for around $100 or resort to illegal download copies. Alas, all major film companies are looking for preexisting properties they can leverage and turn into franchises so now, to much surprise, we have Tron Legacy.

Disney has been hyping Tron Legacy for over 2 years and has mostly pointed all of their marketing to the Gen-X geek market which they hoped would build a swell of excitement for a property almost 30 years old. I’m the ideal viewer for Tron Legacy a Gen-X’er (who remembers the original fondly) with kids (Disney hopes I’ll bring them along and create new fans). For the most part it has worked. I’ve been reading about Tron Legacy for the better part of two years everywhere from blogs to cover story features in high profile magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Wired. Everything I’ve read and seen makes me want to see it. This can also be problematic for two reasons:

1. Although loving remembered by geeks Tron really wasn’t that great of a film. I know blasphemy… I re-watched it recently a few weeks ago (yes I have a copy) and although enjoyable it was really more of an experiment than a great film. It was one of, if not the first film to use live actors in virtual environments and given the time is was made the visual effects worked quite well. I can see why a modem filmmaker would like to give Tron another shot with todays digital technology and really, who wouldn’t want to see light-cycles redone by Digital Domian?

2. 28 years in the making including the past two years of heavily hyping a film can only lead to unrealistic expectations.

So even given all the above and knowing that critical response was mostly lack-luster I still found it important to see Tron Legacy in IMAX 3D (at a real 6 story tall IMAX). Oh and I brought along the family too. I’m glad I did. I found it to be a very exciting experience full of gorgeously designed and animated images. From the opening “gladiator” battles to the brilliantly reworked light-cycles to the Blade Runner-esque city and a finale that involves light-jet (yes jets) I was in awe. Mixed with a pulsing and rousing soundtrack by electronic music duo Daft Punk, Tron Legacy is more than a worthy sequel.

Okay it’s a sequel in name but in many ways it is almost a remake of the original where the basic premiss is essentially the same: User (original: Flynn, new: Flynn’s son) gets digitized into the system and has to take down the system’s seemingly evil overlord (original: Master Controller, new: Clu) in order to escape back to the real world via a guarded uplink. User meets a hot girl and gets involved in some cool games along the way. Yup that’s all there is to it. It’s a basic story which could have explored many heavier themes about the human condition vs. the digital realm and how the two are becoming one in the same. It however doesn’t go this route and pretty much adheres to the action spectacle formula.

Oh, and what a spectacle it is. In IMAX 3D I found Tron Legacy to be visual and aural nirvana abounding in a dazzling clash of neon light and sound. Could the story be better? Sure. Is it at least on par with the original? I’d say yes. In fact I can’t understand how so many critics who gave a pass on Avatar’s heavily recycled story haven’t also done the same for Tron Leagcy. Sure, it does slow down a bit in the middle but I never found myself bored or looking at my watch and I experienced the wow factor over and over again.

Bottom line: The experience is what a film like Tron Legacy is about and it delivers.

Rated PG-13: In theaters now.

Toy Story 3 in 3D – Review

I’m not sure where to being with a review of the new entry in such a beloved series. It’s hard to believe that it has been 15 years since the original Toy Story. The original is a film that was truly revolutionary and kicked off not only a string of monster hits for a little design studio known as Pixar but also changed the face of animated films forever. Much has changed since then; Pixar is no longer a fledgling independent shop after basking in the glory of hit after hit, then being purchased by Disney a few years back. Of course 3D computer animated films are the norm instead of the exception these days. Fortunately one thing that hasn’t changed: our favorite gang of misfit toys.

I truly adore the characters of Toy Story. It’s funny how I hadn’t realized how much I’ve missed them until the family and I revisited Toy Story and Toy Story 2 when they were released in a 3D double feature last year. That was a great day at the theater but it left me wanting more. After all I had already seen those two films at least 10 times each. I knew Toy Story 3 was in the works but part of me wondered if the Pixar touch would wear off.

It brings me great joy to report Pixar has done the franchise proud and has stuck to the most important thing of all, story. A directive that Pixar’s head, John Lasseter, has always preached and I believe the true reason Pixar has never had a flop.

As I’m sure as you know by now Toy Story 3′s plot revolves around Andy growing up and heading to college and thanks to a series of unfortunate events the “gang” end up at a daycare. Suffice to say there’s a lot more to the story and in the spirit of not spoiling anything that’s all I’m going to mention about the plot. Okay one small detail; I’ll just say you’ll never look at a flour tortilla the same way again.

Animation wise Toy Story 3 delivers everything you’d expect from Pixar at this stage in the game. They continue to adhere to the now familiar Pixar style but 15 years of new technology has been good. Most notably changed are the human characters, what a huge difference between 1, 2 & 3. Concerning the 3D visuals of the film I’m very thankful that Pixar continues to do 3D viewing justice. Just like UP and the first 2 Toy Stories (which were redone done in 3D) Pixar wisely stays away from the usual 3D viewing gimmicks (mostly stuff flying towards you). Pixar’s approach to 3D viewing seems more natural by adding depth to the film while avoiding those 3D pitfalls. I think this approach is the best type of 3D for the viewer because it does not pull you out of the story by screaming, “hey look at me, I’m a cool 3D shot.”

Toy Story 3 really pulls out all of the stops. From a visually breathtaking and exciting opening sequence to the heartfelt story that speaks to the grown up kid, as well as parents raising kids, Toy Story 3 is a rare gem that manages to be equal to the first 2 films while reminding us of the specialness of childhood no matter your age.

Bottom Line: 3rd times a charm, bring a hankie if you’re easily touched by sentimentality. Yes, that means I cried… just a little.

Rated G: In theaters now.

6 reasons it took 11 years for you to see Toy Story 3

What can I say about the Toy Story movies? They’re both wonderful films and stand as one of the rare times that a sequel surpasses an already amazing original. Here to hoping that TS3 is at least half as good as the first two.

“11 years ago, Toy Story 2 made grown men cry when Jessie the cowgirl sang that Sarah McLachlan song about getting left behind. It even ended on the most bittersweet note possible. The toys would stay with Andy and accept that he’d outgrow them, but it would be fun while it lasted. Thanks, Pixar, for 11 years of abandonment issues.

This week, they finally deliver. Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear, Jessie and the whole toy box will get abandoned by Andy, who goes off to college. They find themselves at a preschool with a slew of new toys, and a new adventure. Director Lee Unkrich spoke with us and explained why Toy Story 3 is worth the wait. The movie opens June 18.”

Full Article @ Sci Fi Wire

How to Train Your Dragon 3D – Movie Review

How to Train Your Dragon had been removed from my “must see in theater” list; the trailers made it look mediocre at best. That being said, positive word of mouth and a 98% Tomatometer Rating made me rethink my “wait for Bluray” decision.

Plot synopsis from IMDB:

“Long ago up North on the Island of Berk, the young Viking, Hiccup, wants to join his town’s fight against the dragons that continually raid their town. However, his macho father and village leader, Stoik the Vast, will not allow his small, clumsy, but inventive son to do so. Regardless, Hiccup ventures out into battle and downs a mysterious Night Fury dragon with his invention, but can’t bring himself to kill it. Instead, Hiccup and the dragon, whom he dubs Toothless, begin a friendship that would open up both their worlds as the observant boy learns that his people have misjudged the species. But even as the two each take flight in their own way, they find that they must fight the destructive ignorance plaguing their world.” Written by Kenneth Chisholm

How to Train Your Dragon is a familiar tale, emotionally it’s very reminiscent of last years, excellent, Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs. Both stories center around and oddball son who doesn’t really fit in with the world around him and his single-father is unsure how to deal with it. Like I said familiar stuff.

Where How to Train Your Dragon really works is in the journey you go through with Hiccup (the son) who is able to find himself with the help of an unlikely ally: the enemy. That enemy a feline-like dragon he names “Toothless,” is such a wonder that you can’t help but be captivated by his personality and power. There are also many other types of dragons (with very distinct personalities) that have human counterparts in the likable supporting cast. The main characters include an excellent voice cast featuring Jay Baruchel (Hiccup), Gerard Butler (Stoick), Craig Ferguson (Gobber) and America Ferrera (Astrid) who appear to have been chosen because they fit the characters and not just because of who they are.

The animation is without a doubt the best I’ve ever seen from Dreamworks Animation. The film is visually stunning and has a deep richness to every frame and at times feels very life-like. There is no doubt this is a direct result of the Oscar-nominated cinematographer Roger Deakins being brought in as a lighting consultant.

The other part of the visuals that really makes the film come alive is the 3D. I’ve spent some time knocking fake 3D but don’t dismay, this is 3D at its best. While not quite as immersive as Avatar, viewing How to Train Your Dragon in 3D a worthy endeavor. My favorite part of Avatar is the flying on the Banshee sequence; no filmmaker has ever captured the unadulterated joy of manned flight quite like Cameron has. Surprisingly How to Train Your Dragon is a close second and is equally thrilling. Also, similar to Avatar, the 3D visuals stay away from the gimmicky “throw stuff at you” tricks and works more to bring you into the story and add depth to the background.

I’ve never been a big believer in Dreamworks Animation movies. I seem to be one of the few who wasn’t a fan of the Shrek films. I always felt Shrek relied too much on double entendres and wink, wink, cleverness to appeal to the wide age range of ages, instead of telling a truly compelling story. Kung Fu Panda however was a step in the right direction. Overall, I typically prefer the movies coming out of Pixar over Dreamworks. With that in mind How to Train Your Dragon is a sure delight and fits in with the best of Pixar’s impressive run of delightful films. I’m very glad for this because I really want both studios to continue to do well and keep creating quality family films.

Bottom Line:
A thrilling visual feast, with likable characters and a compelling story makes this a must see movie for the whole family. Best film I’ve seen this year so far.

Geeklet Approval Rating: 10 & 13-year-old daughters both gave it 5 out of 5 stars. They loved it.

Rated PG: In theaters now.

Side note: Many dragon films have been made, most have been box office poison and almost all have not given the viewer adequate dragon time (Reign of Fire comes to mind, and still makes me mad). If a film centers around a dragon I want to see the thing a lot. If you’ve felt burned by this fact don’t dismay How to Train Your Dragon delivers dragons and then some.