Avatar

I wasn't completely aware of this movie until Comic Con. Sure, I knew James Cameron was the director, but I had no idea what it was about. But that massive mech-like AMP suit on the convention floor sure got my attention. Then I had the chance to see James Cameron himself, talking about the film at a panel with Peter Jackson. From that point on I took note of the steady stream of marketing, building up the hype. I even got familiar with the world of Pandora while getting an early sneak peak at the video game. It was then that I realized the scope of this film. Unlike most current movies, Avatar is an original concept. It's not based on a comic book nor is it some remake of an old movie or TV show. This is a completely new world, complete with unique flora and fauna. The movie definitely captures the sense of wonder experienced by the characters as they see this world for the first time. This is made all the more impressive by the top-notch CG "performance capture" and immersive 3D photography. But I never got the sense that the film was showboating its visuals; they were just part of the story. While the world of Pandora is truly original, the story feels a bit recycled. It's basically a sci-fi retelling of the Pochahontas/John Smith tale. The RDA (the humans) are after a rare type of mineral called Unobtainium. It just so happens that the local Na'vi tribe reside on a large deposit of this MacGuffin-like resource. Conflict ensues. The similarities between the Na'vi and Native Americans are hard to overlook. Hey, Wes Studi even plays one of the Na'vi elders. But even if the story is a bit too familiar, that doesn't make the movie any less appealing. At nearly three hours long, I was afraid this film would drag. But that wasn't the case. Cameron's pacing is nearly perfect, peppering the screen with the right mix of action, drama, and sci-fi awesomeness to keep things interesting from beginning to end. Definitely worth checking out and paying a little extra for the 3D experience.

The Twilight Saga: New Moon

I wanted to like Twilight. While I had never read the books, anything with vampires has promise, right? But the movie didn't quite work for me. Still, I had hope that with the first movie's crazy success, we'd see a stronger story and more lavish production values in the sequel. Granted, New Moon looks a little better, but the story is almost non-existent. Really, this is a film where nothing happens. It feels like a filler episode of a long-running TV show, as we watch Bella mope around from one low-intensity scene to the next. Let's face it. Bella isn't exactly Helen of Troy material, so it's hard to believe she's caught in this vampire versus werewolf tug-of-war. What's so special about her? She's an increasingly unsympathetic character with a somewhat lame super power: vampire's can't read her thoughts. But if you can believe it, there's actually a more moody character than Bella. Edward is ready to kill himself over his self-imposed isolation from Bella. His plan is to expose his sparkly skin to the muggles, thus marking him for death by the creepy Volturi-essentially the cops in the vampire world. But who associates sparkly skin with vampirism? I'm sure anyone who saw Edward sparkling in the sunlight wouldn't give him a second glance. He just looks like some pale dude looking for his way home after a wild glam-rock concert. Anyway, not a fan of this movie. Still, it may have just enough unintentionally funny moments, making it worth checking out when it's on cable. Too bad MST3K isn't on anymore...they'd have a field day with this one.

Where the Wild Things Are

What I remember most about Maurice Sendak's book is the artwork. It was dark and maybe even a little scary. But I think that was the appeal. After all, there weren't many books about boys befriending menacing monsters with sharp teeth and horns. Spike Jonze's film nails the look of the book, but I can't say the same for the story. Frankly, I don't remember the story at all. Was it really this much of a downer? Maybe it was and that fact simply flew over my head during my formative years. But one thing is clear; Max is one disturbed kid. Just watch as he chases down the family dog in the opening sequence, all while wearing his wolf suit. There's all sorts of psychological issues on display here. But what I find interesting (and totally unconventional) is that his own fantasy world (and even his stories) are as imperfect as his reality. Themes of alienation and social awkwardness abound...and are never resolved. But maybe that's the point. The grass is most certainly not greener on the other side, regardless of where Max's imagination takes him. I'm still not sure if I like this movie. It certainly has stuck in my head the last few days, and that's usually a good sign. Maybe after another viewing or two I'll have it figured out. But I'm not sure children will get much out of it. While it's a movie about childhood, I don't think it's necessarily meant of children. Or maybe I'm selling the next generation short?

Zombieland

Woody Harrelson in a zom-com? How good could it be? At least, that was my initial response to this film when I heard of its production months ago. But buzz started to build, particularly after Comic-Con and the release of some inspired teasers and trailers. This was followed by extremely enthusiastic word of mouth and surprisingly positive reviews. So a little more than a week before it released, I decided this is a movie I had to see. Yeah, a true victim of the hype. But in this case I'm glad I succumbed to the marketing blitz, because this is very fun movie. Jesse Eisenberg (in Michael Cera mode) is our narrator during this journey into the familiar zombie-infested post-apocalypitc world. He's eventually joined by three other survivors (Harrelson, Emma Stone, and Abigail Breslin) as they travel to the alleged zombie-free amusement park (Pacifc Playland) in California. For the most part, this is a road trip movie with zombies. But the finale in the amusement park reverberates with an energy I haven't felt since a group of survivors took shelter in the Monroeville mall. As we all know, there's no such thing as a zombie-free location, and the amusement park is no exception. As a result, the four find themselves under assault among the bright lights and cheerful music. This is where the movie earns big points for originality, the highlight being when Harrelson rides a roller coaster (and several other attractions) while basting zombies. Considering the subject, this is a very upbeat movie with some genuinely tense moments. Oh, and there's one huge surprise in the middle, so go see it before someone ruins it for you.

GI Joe: The Rise of Cobra

I'm pleased to announce that the new GI Joe movie is much better than either of the Transformer movies. Granted, that's not saying much. Still, as a huge Joe fan from way back, I felt this movie got the job done. Instead of creating a pure origin story, the movie jumps right into the action, telling all substantive back stories in flashback sequences. I thought this was a great way to fill-in-the-blanks, getting the audience up-to-speed on the Snake Eyes/Storm Shadow rivalry as well as the history between Duke and the Baroness. But the core focus of this film is the origins of Cobra, and I thought this was handled very well. We get to see who Cobra Commander is and how he came to be. Destro is also a central figure in this story, with an equally compelling back story. There's also some interesting ancillary characters thrown in, such as Dr. Mindbender and Zartan. It looks like the Hasbro folks included a lot of little tidbits that only Joe fanatics would notice too, such as Breaker's obsession with bubblegum. Oh, and an uncredited actor makes a small cameo as Sgt. Stone. Overall, this isn't a great film, but it's definitely a fun popcorn movie worth checking out, even if you do wait until it hits DVD. But if you want to get deeper into the Joe story now, I highly recommend the IDW reprints of the Larry Hama comics from the '80s. Surprisingly, they still hold up and are much more fulfilling than any live-action film could ever be.

District 9

Before Comic-Con I knew very little about Discrict 9, other than Peter Jackson was the producer. But that fact alone was enough to pique my interest. As I learned at the panel with Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp, the film is based on a short called Alive in Joburg, created by Blomkamp in 2005. So when the Halo project fell apart, Jackson and Blomkamp focused on expanding the Joburg story into a full feature. Now that I've seen the film in it's entirety, it seems that some of the Halo pre-production work came in handy, especially where some of the weapons and visual effects are taken into account. That being said, this is a far more original film than Halo ever would have been. In fact, it's one of the best sci-fi flicks to come out in years. Unlike most movies clogging cineplexes this Summer, it has a soul and a message. But none of this is done in a heavy-handed fashion. At it's core, the film is a straight-forward action movie, with some amazing sequences, seamless visual effects, and a frantic pace. The social commentary is there for those who wish to ponder the deeper meaning, but the film doesn't get bogged down or beat you over the head with these rather heavy issues.

(500) Days of Summer

There's a scene early in this movie where Zooey Deschanel does a karaoke version of Nancy Sinatra's Sugar Town. Soon after, Joseph-Gordon Levitt does his own version of The Pixies' Here Comes Your Man. At that point, it was clear these were two characters I wanted to get to know better. While I'm not a huge rom-com fan, this is one I can get behind, mostly because it ditches all of the tired formulas and cliches associated with the genre. For one, it's told in a non-linear format, jumping around to different days in the lives of Tom and Summer, illustrating the evolution of their complex relationship. Sure, non-linear story telling is nothing new, but I don't believe I've seen it attempted in this genre; at least not this successfully. Some scenes are made more poignant because we know how things turn out in the future. Beyond the format, the writing here is brilliant and may be the best hipster rom-com since High Fidelity. The script is drenched in pop culture references which will likely fly over most people's heads; don't feel bad, I'm sure there's several I missed too. But this isn't a movie obsessed with how smart it is. The story and characters remain the focus at all times without detouring into self-indulgent narrative tangents. Considering this was written by the team that brought us The Pink Panther 2, it's quite remarkable how this film turned out. So if you're still mourning the loss of John Hughes, give this film a shot. It'll help restore your faith in movies.