Movie Review - Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Night at the Museum: Secret of the Tomb

Starring: Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Dan Stevens, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Ricky Gervais, Rebel Wilson, Skyler Gisondo, Rami Malek, Patrick Gallagher, Mizuo Peck, Ben Kingsley, Crystal the Monkey, Dick Van Dyke, Mickey Rooney, Bill Cobbs, Hugh Jackman, and more.

Directed by: Shawn Levy Screenplay by: David Guion and Michael Handelman Story by: Mark Friedman, David Guion, and Michael Handelman Based on Characters Created by: Thomas Lennon and Robert Ben Garant Cinematography by: Guillermo Navarro Music by: Alan Silvestri

Premise: The magic tablet that gives the denizens of the American Museum of Natural History life is slowly growing tarnished and is affecting those it helps bring to life every night. As Larry tries to discover what's wrong with the tablet and how to fix it, he finds himself with a second, different kind of trouble in his hands - his son has decided he doesn't want to go to college. So the two of them, and a few friends, go to London to consult Ahkmenrah's father on what to do.  (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: All our favorite actors are back for the 3rd installment of the Night at the Museum series - Ben Stiller, Robin Williams, Owen Wilson, Steve Coogan, Patrick Gallagher, and even Crystal the Monkey. For this last roundup we also meet several new characters from the other side of the pond played by Dan Stevens (Sir Lancelot), Rebel Wilson (Tilly), and Robin Williams (Garuda). Yet the most fun  is had with a new character who came about as Dr. McPhee's joke - the new neanderthal in the prehistoric section, Laa, who bears a striking resemblance to Larry.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The animations and CGI on the film were fantastic! Some were grandiose like the event at the new planetarium while others were more subtle, yet totally as impressive, like the flowing rivers and waterfalls in the tapestries of the Asian exhibit hall in London.

Everything in the London museum was fabulous. One exhibit area had flying bronze cranes, glazed ceramic elephants, and other unusual types of art cavorting around. The demon snake with multiple heads looked amazing! The fight with the bad tempered triceratops was a lot of fun to watch as well.

An unexpected and fun bit is when the characters leap into the drawing called 'Relativity' by M.C. Escher. It not only gave the characters a different texture but also let the chase that took them there have all sorts of chaos with shifts in gravity. Too fun!

3) Plot/Story - Neutral: The beginning of the film sets up the main theme of the movie (fathers and sons) as well as introducing a little history about the magical tablet that enables the items at the museum to come to life.

Yet it is once we move onto modern day New York that the main story issue started - Ahkmenrah told Larry something was wrong with the tablet. Larry saw it, saw Ahkmenrah almost fall, saw the corruption move up over an inch in a second (so it now covers an eighth or more of the tablet, but then still decides it's nothing they need to worry about until later. I'm sorry - in four thousand years there's never been something growing/corrupting the metal and you just see a chunk of it turn green and look corroded, and you're going to just ignore it? Uhmmmm. It would have been better to have had things go wrong and THEN discover there's something not right with the tablet.

All the old gags are back, and some new ones appear, keeping the jokes fresh. Several of the better moments, however, had already been spoiled in the previews.

The father/son theme is played on several levels and in several directions. The use of Laa and brotherly jealousy was incredibly amusing. Yet so much time was spent on all the different father/son dichotomies that it left little room for other things - things that might have helped the plot or made decisions and turns seem more convincing.

Magic just is. And the giant secret about the tablet that no one can know is so non-threatening that it made no sense it was ever a secret at all. Also, the way all of Larry's friends just decide things will end, telling him to move on, seemed a contrivance to get out of a bad spot rather than an actual true response. What kind of friends leave another after he just saved you, and especially as you know his son is about to leave the nest?

Yet weirdly enough, the thing that was most disappointing was that after all the fatherly heartache at his son's choices, when the story moves ahead to three years later - there's not a peep about the son. :(

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Some very lovely shots of New York and the outside of the museum's planetarium (which coincidentally matched right up with the book I started reading this week "Raging Heat" by "Richard Castle" - the murder happens at the same place! lol). Some great shots of London as well. Though with regards to the London Museum, there's a disclaimer at the end of the film that not all the exhibits and exhibit rooms match are actually like those shown in the film.

Conclusion: "Night at the Museum: The Secret of the Tomb" wasn't so secret. Some definitely cute gags, great CGI, but the plot was full of contrivances. Still, it's worth watching for the effects and also for the parting of Robin Williams and Mickey Rooney. Kids will love all the jokes and icky moments.

Rating: 3.5 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Vampire Academy

Vampire Academy

Starring: Zoey Deutch, Lucy Fry, Danila Kozlovsky, Gabriel Byrne, Dominic Sherwood, Olga Kurylenko, Sarah Hyland, Cameron Monaghan, Sami Gayle, Ashley Charles, Claire Foy, Joely Richardson, Dominique Tipper, and more.

Directed by: Mark Waters Screenplay by: Daniel Waters Based on the Novel by: Richelle Mead Cinematography by: Tony Pierce-Roberts Music by: Rolfe Kent

Premise: After a year living among normal people, Lissa Dragomir and her protector, Rose Hathaway, are found again by the Guardians of the Vampire Academy. Lissa and Rose are the only survivors of a terrible car accident two years prior. One which has made Lissa the sole remaining Dragomir, and one who is in line for the throne. Not that the way she's treated by everyone at the academy makes her feel like she's actually anyone important. But her special bond with Rose, which goes beyond their survival of the crash, might be the one thing which will keep her out of evil's clutches. (PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Zoey Deutch was so much fun as Rose Hathaway. As the main character, her delivery of Rose's 'snark' and general 'speak her mind' attitude gave the film a lot of zing. Lucy Fry played a very convincing Lissa, demure and reserved yet slowly flowering into the queen she might yet be. Dominic Sherwood did great as the first smitten, later spurned, then boyfriend and Rose's 'frienemie'. Sarah Hyland and Sami Gayle were very convincing as their roles slowly changed through the film.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: Since the Moroi are magic wielders, this gave ample opportunities for the special effects department to show us some neat little special effects. The change in Rose's eyes whenever she tuned in to Lissa looked great. And so did the Strigoi - the truly undead vampires in this universe. Their wolves were all right, though most special effect groups do seem to have a hard time with them. But definite praise should be given for the transformation which occurs late in the film - it was so seamless you almost didn't even realize it happened. A very impressive piece of work.

3) Story - Total Thumbs Up: Viewers are rushed about a little as a lot of information is fed to us very fast. Rose's continued commentary, however, helps with the transition. For the short 104 minutes of the film and the amount of history needed to be imparted to viewers to give them a sense of the world they were viewing, the screenplay did a pretty good job. I've not read the series the film is based on, but overall I felt I was given enough information to have a decent 'clue' on what was going on and why.

This is film based on a young adult series, so it brings up a lot of the usual issues in high school, except these are between living, magic using vampires and the half breeds who protect them. But there's also deeper machinations going on, like the fact Rose was compelled to get her and Lissa to run away the year before in the first place.

It does take some getting used to to think of the vampires at the academy as being alive and of another, very dangerous group who are actually the true undead. But as with any good story, the obvious bad guys aren't always the ones you really need to worry about. Not at first.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some neat training scenes and some definitely cooler combat scenes kept the stunt team quite busy. Add a few bits of magic later on, and the fights got even more of a kick.

Conclusion: "Vampire Academy" is a fast, fun ride. Some twists and turns and not all of them obvious. A cool introduction to a convoluted world.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - 47 Ronin

47 Ronin

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Kô Shibasaki, Tadanobu Asano, Rinko Kikuchi, Min Tanaka, Jin Akanishi, Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa, Masayoshi Haneda, Hiroshi Sogabe, Takato Yonemoto, Hiroshi Yamada, Shū Nakajima, Togo Igawa, and more.

Directed by: Carl Rinsch Screenplay by: Chris Morgan and Hossein Amini Screen Story by: Chris Morgan and Walter Hamada Cinematography by: John Mathieson Music by: Ilan Eshkeri

Premise: After being tricked into disgracing himself, Lord Asano of Ako must commit ritual suicide. He pleads with his second in command not to take immediate revenge on the underhanded Lord Kira, as this would doom all in Ako to death. Instead, he asks that they lay down their weapons and became ronin, masterless samurai, and await a better time to exact their revenge and regain Asano's honor. (Rated PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: There were a lot of familiar and talented faces in this film. Keanu Reeves plays a half-breed believed to have been trained by Tengu (a type of Japanese demon), and who escaped his masters while still a boy. Keanu did a good job appearing subservient and also grateful to Lord Asano despite his outcast status. Hiroyuki Sanada showed great range as Ōishi, Lord Asano's second in command and the one carrying the weight of regaining his dead lord's honor. Rinko Kikuchi was a lot of fun as Kira's witch.

2) Special Effects - Total Thumbs Up: The special effects of the film were awesome. I loved the change sequences of the witch, especially the ones where they integrated the fluid floating cloth into her kimono. The demon the hunting party is pursuing at the beginning of the film also looked great. The pulling of Kira's greed/poison from his body to create a white spider will give you the creeps it looks so good. But the one effect I truly loved was that used for the Tengu Lord. The detail on his avian face and eyes was amazing.

3) Story/Plot - Thumbs Up: The legend of the 47 Ronin, as was mentioned in the film, is a tale considered to show all the best attributes of those following the teachings of 'bushido', the way of the warrior. While this rendition of the tale has added elements not present in thelegend, I was quite surprised and pleased that they kept all the major points the same, especially the end.

In this version of Japan, magic and the supernatural are real. There's also the added characters of Kai, the half-breed/outcast, and Asano's daughter, Mika. However, by the addition of the two characters, even more Japanese culture was imparted in the tale, so it worked out.

There were also some odd changes with regards to "kabuki" and some of the women's dress and styles hair. It's hard to say if these were done in order to point out it was an alternate Japan or something else. For most viewers of the film, however, I doubt it will make much difference.

The one spot that seemed truly odd was how they rendered the Dutch slavers section of the film. Nothing in that sequence was a true portrayal, but it did make for some great fight scenes.

4) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up: Filmed in the UK and Budapest, there was a nice diversity of locations both real and imagined. The bitter and cold look of Kira's realm, the serene, green beauty of Ako, and many lovely shots of mountains and moon filled nights, did much to set the mood in each of their scenes.

5) Costuming/Makeup - Thumbs Up: I went back and forth on my opinions in this area. I loved the way the tattooed Dutch slaver came out -- he was a masterful work of art and looked fantastic. Most of the male Japanese costumes were pretty accurate, except for possibly the Shogun's and Kira's. Yet pretty much everything worn by Mika, except when shown as a young girl, did not conform to normal medieval Japanese wear. Even the witch's costume was more accurate than the majority of Mika's ensembles. The hairstyles of the women too tended to extremes and were odd. The reasoning for the variation wasn't made clear.

Conclusion: "47 Ronin" is an enjoyable, 'spiced up' retelling of the famous Japanese legend. Some liberties were taken with costumes and hairstyles, but the spirit of the legend is all there. The attack on Kira's castle was made of perfection.

Rating: 4 out 5 (Hubby's Rating: Would Pay Full Price to See Again)

Shameless PLUG: If you go see and enjoy this film, you might also like to take a look at my novel In the Service of Samurai. The book is set in a fictional Japan were the supernatural exists. And mine has undead samurai and ninja! So go take a look. :)

Movie Review - Now You See Me

Now You See Me

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Mélanie Laurent, Morgan Freeman, Dave Franco, Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Isla Fisher, Michael Caine, Michael Kelly, Common, David Warshofsky, and more.

Directed by: Louis Leterrier Screenplay by: Ed Solomon, Boaz Yakin, and Edward Ricourt Story by: Boaz Yakin and Edward Ricourt Cinematography by: Mitchell Amundsen and Larry Fong Original Music by: Brian Tyler

Premise: Four magicians receive a mysterious summon. A year later, they put on a huge show in Las Vegas and seemingly rob a bank in Paris with magic. The FBI and Interpol get involved, wanting to make sure to stop whatever the group is up to, though they have no evidence yet to make an arrest. (Rated  PG-13)

Review:

1) Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Mark Ruffalo was fun as the befuddled and out of his depth FBI agent, whom, despite himself, might just start believing in something. Mélanie Laurent will make you want to believe. Woody Harrelson added a lot witty humor. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman were awesome when going at each other and when working together.

2) Special Effects - Thumbs Up: This may sound weird, but there were a couple of places where I wished the special effects team had figured out how to make a piece of illusion or two with real components rather than CGI. The fact CGI was used stole, in my opinion, from the premise of what the film was about. When the group was on the stage and the sheets twirled up and around, it was too obvious they were CGI, so it took away from feeling of the show being an actual stage performance.

But aside from that, the special effects were very well done! The final trick and light display over the building looked great.

3) Plot/Story - Thumbs Up: From the beginning the audience knows there's a fifth person. Even the symbol for the Four Horsemen is made of five squares. So half the fun of the film is trying to figure out who's behind it all. Clues for motivation are sprinkled throughout, but beware the false leads.

The part of the plot which most impressed me, however were the understated subplots. Several were running concurrently, but one especially means so much more than we initially realize until the end. Even magicians can be surprised by other types of magic. It was fabulous! Yet it's also so understated, it could easily be missed. But I felt it added a lot. And the same concept was done in a couple of ways to more than one person. So that was fun too.

4) Stunts - Total Thumbs Up: Some great 'gags' are in this film - a super fun fight in an apartment, big car chase through downtown New York, foot chase in New Orleans, escapes, explosions, and more. You'll also see the most bizarre, yet useful use of a kitchen sink grinder...ever.

5) Locations/Cinematography - Total Thumbs Up:  "Now You See Me" used some great filming locations in Las Vegas, New Orleans, New York City, and Paris. With the large scope of some of the action and tricks, the cinematography showed it all from different angles and panning back enough to show the audience the whole scene. It was used especially well at the site of the third trick, giving the audience an amazing view of the moving art being flashed on the buildings.

Conclusion: "Now You See Me" is a fun ride. Between the magic, the great acting, and the mystery of what set all these things in motion, viewers will have lots to keep them occupied. Plenty of old tricks and new, and the more they show you, the more they reveal while giving nothing away.

Rating: 4 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Full Price of Admission)

Movie Review - Brave

Brave

Starring: Kelly MacDonald, Billy Connolly, Emma Thompson, Julie Walters, Robbie Coltrane, Kevin McKidd, Craig Ferguson, Sally Kinghorn, Eilidh Fraser, Peigi Barker, Steven Cree, Steve Purcell, and more.

Directed by: Mark Andrews, Brenda Chapman, and  Steve Purcell Story by: Brenda Chapman Screenplay by: Mark Andrews, Steve Purcell, Brenda Chapman, and Irene Mecchi Original Music by: Patrick Doyle

Premise: All of her life Merida has been trained by her mother the queen on how to be a proper princess. Yet Merida cares nothing about those things being happiest when she's out in the woods riding her horse and shooting arrows. So when the queen arranges for the sons of the king's three vassals to come compete for Merida's hand in marriage, Merida uses the word of the law to take matters into her own hands not thinking about the possible consequences. And when she uses a bit of magic to try to change things, matters only grow worse. (Rated PG)

Review:

1) Voice Acting - Total Thumbs Up: Kelly MacDonald was precious as the independent, free spirit Merida. As the queen, Emma Thompson was able to come across as both strict and loving. Julie Walters was a lot of fun as the Witch/Woodcarver. But it was Billy Connolly as Fergus, Merida's father, who put in a lot of the film's fun! While the two principals carried the weight of the problems between daughter and mother, it is all the side characters that make the film such a delight to watch.

2) Artwork/Animation - Total Thumbs Up: Pixar always does marvelous work with their animations and their expertise shows in every frame of the film. With sweeping vistas or running views through the woods, we're immersed in Merida's world, one full of Celtic flavor and magic. I do not envy those placed in charge of animating Merida's flowing, curly hair!

The expressions of the characters are easy to read and mesh well with the voice actors's talents. Even better, they impart many feelings visually, especially from those characters who can't or don't speak.

Merida's three brothers are hilarious and so very cunning. Fergus and the lords are used to great effect for comedic relief.

3) Plot/Story - Total Thumbs Up: The story doesn't turn out to be quite what you expect, so some surprises were in order. It is a personal tale, with personal stakes, not the kind which will have dire consequences to the world. Some viewers might be slightly disappointed in this, as the previews slant the expectations about the story to be more far reaching. But there's so much to love about the film, hopefully the lack of a world ending type plot won't detract from their enjoyment of it too much.

All the characters, even those in the periphery, were given great depth and viewers will get a sense of who they are very easily. Even the young suitors for Merida's hand get given hints of who they may one day become, of the potential still hiding inside each of them.

Conclusion: A fun film with something for everyone. It moves at a good pace and intermingled with a lot of fun or funny moments. Don't be surprised if you need a tissue at the end. And make sure to sit through the credits, as there is just a bit more for the audience at the very end. Definitely worth seeing.

Rating: 4.25 out of 5 (Hubby's Rating: Worth Paying Full Price To See It Again)