Terminator Salvation

Wow. This movie didn't suck hardly as much as I expected it to. Who knew? After the epically underwhelming Rise of the Machines, I couldn't help but go into this one with extremely low expectations. After all, it was directed by McG, the dude best known for his work on the Charlie's Angels flicks. Plus, I've never found the post-Judgement Day era as the most compelling part of this story. In fact, I always thought those future sequences were pretty lame. But to my surprise, the script keeps things interesting, presenting several chicken-egg quandaries as John Connor seeks to save his teenage father, Kyle Reese, played by Anton Yelchin; also seen as Chekov in the new Star Trek movie. It appears the movie branches off of the last film, seemingly ignoring the events of The Sarah Connor Chronicles TV show, which picks up the story after T2. Maybe there is a connection between the two, but I couldn't figure it out. Anyway, the movie does showcase some major events in Terminator lore including the origins of the legendary T-800. Unlike the last film, this one gives us plenty to think about while delivering solid top-notch action sequences. Some of the larger machines looked like leftovers from the Transformers movie, evoking an involuntary gag reflex. But such moments were fleeting. Overall, this is a good Summer popcorn flick, especially if you've brushed-up on the mythology of the series.

Angels & Demons

Of the two Dan Brown novels I've read, I liked Angels & Demons the best. So I was quite eager to check out this movie, especially considering the (limited) access Ron Howard was given to the Vatican. Plus, I thought he did a commendable job of bringing The Da Vinci Code to the big screen, despite Tom Hank's horrific hair. But unfortunately, Angels & Demons is a mess. Granted, this might be one of those unfilmable books. For most of the film Robert Langdon's mental process is expressed through dialogue, helping fill the audience in at a rapid pace as he describes the significance of statues, symbols, and minutiae of church history. Much of the insights offered in the book are totally lost in these heavily abridged dissertations. Beyond that, the entire premise is completely ridiculous, something I was willing to overlook in the book. It's one of those movies where the bad guy goes out of his way to drop clues so the protagonist has a fighting chance at thwarting the dastardly scheme. Sure, it makes for good drama as Langdon and crew ping pong all over Rome looking for the next clue. But when you apply logic to the narrative, it just doesn't work. However, I do give the movie credit for one improvement over the novel. We were spared the scene of Langdon plunging out of the helicopter and creating some sort of MacGyver-style parachute mid-air before splashing down in the Tiber without a scratch. That's the point in the novel where I totally gave up. I gave up on this movie long before that omitted scene.

Star Trek

I've never been a huge fan of the Star Trek movies. Sure, Wrath of Kahn is decent, but all the others were pretty mediocre, even when compared to the significantly older and lower budget original series. The TNG movies weren't much better. So when this J.J. Abrams reboot was announced, I couldn't muster an ounce of enthusiasm. But as the release date got closer and closer, I fell victim to the buzz and began to show some interest. After all, it was the first big event movie of the Summer. So I went and saw it on the opening weekend before I could be swayed by what I felt would be mostly negative reviews. To my surprise and delight, this is the best Star Trek movie yet. The pace, tone, and casting are near perfect. Chris Pine really blew me away as the new Kirk. But everyone else is great too, in particular Simon Pegg as the new Scotty. There were moments when I thought the movie tried too hard to appeal to the original's fans. As a result, there were moments where the sense of homage edged dangerously close to parody. Really, how many "Damn it Jim, I'm a doctor..." lines do we need out of Bones? But overall, it's a great piece of entertainment whether you're a hardcore fan or not. And I hear everyone has signed on for at least two more films so I can't wait to see where this new crew goes next.

Watchmen

Most comic book movies are loose adaptations at best. Filmmakers usually pull the main character(s) out of a comic book and devise a new adventure to be lived-out on the big screen. Watchmen on the other hand is arguably the most faithful graphic novel-to-movie adaptation ever attempted. Almost everything is present, down to the most intricate details. Entire swaths of dialogue are pulled directly from the novel. Camera angles are meticulously framed to match Dave Gibbons' artwork. There are minor differences, but for the most part, the story is left intact. Overall, I'm amazed at how much Zack Snyder's team was able to cram into a 163-minute running time. I was expecting many more cuts. But does the movie work on it's own? I'm not so sure. I can imagine the movie would feel like a confusing mess to those unfamiliar with the graphic novel given the non-linear narrative structure, not including Dr. Manhattan's perception of time and subsequent flashbacks and flash forwards. Largely, I feel this is a movie for hardcore fans, and for that I commend Snyder (and the film's financiers) for taking such a huge risk. I won't be surprised if this film has a big weekend then quickly fades. At the showing of Friday the 13th a few weeks back, the trailer for Watchmen barely registered a response from the packed house. Meanwhile, the trailer for Transformers 2 was greeted with thunderous applause. Go figure. But I get it, and I liked it. Can't wait for the Blu-ray.

Friday the 13th

On most Friday the 13ths I usually search the cable channels for a Jason marathon. No matter how many times I've seen these corny flicks, I just can't seem to get enough. But last Friday night, I had the chance see the latest reboot in a crowded theater. And the weather was perfect for the occasion; dark and rainy. Going in, I was expecting to see a modern take on the Camp Crystal Lake legend. And this film definitely delivers that. Overall, the movie plays like a fast-forward composite of the first four movies. There's the prologue sequence with Pamela Voorhees meeting her fate. Then there's the hooded Jason period, before he finds the iconic hockey mask. Finally, there's Jason stalking his prey in an upscale vacation house...much like The Final Chapter, but without the bald Corey Feldman. I really liked the whole origin angle with nods to the original films. But one carryover from the originals that I could have done without were the one-dimensional portrayals of the victims. Within the first few minutes you can figure out who's going to live and who's going to die simply by the inane dialogue. Beyond that, it's just a matter of guessing when and how. I think this is a series that could be made much more terrifying if the victims were a bit more sympathetic. Plus, Jason's portrayed more as a reclusive serial killer than an invincible supernatural being. I guess that sort of works with the whole origin aspect. Despite these shortcomings, this is still a very entertaining movie and the most technically proficient Friday the 13th ever made. Given it's performance over the weekend, I suspect we'll be seeing more of Jason in the years ahead. Hopefully they can find ways to keep it fresh and less predictable.

G.I. Joe Trailer

For me, the best part of the Super Bowl was seeing so many new movie trailers. In fact, I don't recall seeing so many movie ad buys in a Super Bowl. But the one that stuck out for me was the trailer (more of a teaser) for the G.I. Joe flick set to release in August. Now I absolutely hated the Transformers movie, but it looks like this is one that could work. Anyway, if you missed it, it's now up on the official website. While I'm not too crazy about the skintight X-Men-like costumes, this could be a good real-world adaptation. Plus, it looks like we're going to get a Snake Eyes vs. Storm Shadow showdown. I'm there, even if the rest of the movie stinks. But Marlon Wayans as Rip Cord? And the kid from 3rd Rock as Cobra Commander? Yeah, I have my doubts but we'll see what happens.

Death Race

Paul W.S. Anderson's Death Race was the B movie of last night's double feature. As a fan of the original (Death Race 2000) I was very skeptical about this remake, homage, or whatever they want to call it. The original was part satire, part action film, and despite the extremely low budget, remains one of the most entertaining movies ever made. The update loses all the humor (and nudity) and goes straight for the action. Like most remakes, there are nods to the original that some will catch. My favorite was a voice-over cameo by David Carradine playing the original Frankenstein. In this movie it's Jason Statham who takes on the role of Frankenstein, following the original's lethal wreck. Apparently Jason Statham is the go-to-guy when it comes to making car flicks these days. While the script is anything but original, the action sequences are surprisingly top-notch. The racing scenes are just downright awesome with plenty of explosions, gunfire, and gore. What makes them even better is that little CGI was used in these sequences. This is all real old-school stunt work! So refreshing! So if you can stomach the story line, give Death Race a chance. And don't feel bad about fast-forwarding to the race scenes.