Reviews of albums, films, concerts, and more from the Bay Area Music and Movie Nerds
Superman turns 75 this year, and appears no worse for the wear in Man of Steel, director Zack Snyder’s serviceable, if somewhat dispassionate, reboot. Writers Christopher Nolan and David S. Goyer, who both penned recent Batman films, bring a similar dark, edgy, sensibility to the Kryptonian hero’s story, with mixed results. Continue reading “Film Review: Man of Steel”
(NOTE: I worked at Google for a number of years. Let us just say that I may be slightly biased…but I can also shed some light on accuracies and inaccuracies depicted in The Internship about life at Google.)
In a performance review, The Internship would meet expectations. It is a silly film with a few laugh-out-loud moments and many more moments that miss the mark. We have seen this story before — a group of underdogs learn to work together and discover real value in themselves that helps them fight against the odds. It crosses every stereotype and dots every cliché. The Internship borrows elements from fish out of water stories, bromance plots, and sappy inspirational tales. Such a concoction of non-surprises fit into a one-note joke of a movie would be forgivable if it were actually hilarious. Unfortunately, it is not. However, if you are a fan of Vince Vaughn’s motor mouth, you will have a good time. If you work in the tech industry, you will find the film highly amusing. But most importantly, if you don’t expect much, you will be decently rewarded.
In my last review, I suggested you may want to see a blockbuster like Star Trek: Into Darkness instead of the independent film What Maisie Knew, since it’s a bit of a slog, and not exactly lightweight summer entertainment. This week, however, I have an indie to highly recommend, especially if you are now burned out on big budget Hollywood summer fare: the brilliant low budget Australian film Wish You Were Here. Continue reading “Film Review: Wish You Were Here”
Two teens bang sticks against a giant rusted steel pipe running through the forest; atop the pipe, a third teen dances spastically to the rhythm. The three kids continue like this for a while, devoid of distractions or concerns. They’re completely carefree, and we immediately yearn to free ourselves with them. So begins The Kings of Summer, a film about three teenagers who run away from their frustrating domestic lives to build a house in the woods and fend for themselves in the wilderness for a summer. The story is a familiar type of coming-of-age tale in which each character discovers something about his or herself — not just the teens, but the adults, as well (or at least a few of them). The film features beautiful cinematography and a lively soundtrack. It is wistful and sincere, yet partial and contrived. There is something inherently attractive about this film genre — the independent coming-of-age film — in which not that much really happens.
I was excited to see Before Midnight, the third film in the series directed by Richard Linklater that, in a way, I felt like I grew up with. The characters of Jesse (Ethan Hawke) and Celine (Julie Delpy) have always been so strong in my closet-romantic pseudo-intellectual imagination. I’m not going to pretend for a minute that I’m not a sucker for a good romantic movie, especially ones like the Before series where the characters feel so real and the dialogue is more like a true conversation than a planned script. I couldn’t wait to see what insights and ideas the newest film would bring me. Continue reading “Film Review: Before Midnight”
Ludacris sums up Fast & Furious 6 rather perfectly when his character says, “we’re talking vehicular warfare.” Expecting anything less (or more) from a fifth sequel in an action franchise would be knuckle-headed. At this point, the Fast & Furious franchise has all but given up on the sense of wonder and emotional release the first movie captured so well in its focus on muscle cars and street racing. Carried on the muscular shoulders of Vin Diesel (now age 46, seriously!) and Dwayne Johnson aka The Rock, and to a much lesser extent Paul Walker, and guided by the action-trained eye of director Justin Lin, the sixth installment is a top notch action thrill ride but lacks heart. Of course, ‘heart’ isn’t even close to what the filmmakers set out to capture. Ready and rearing to continue making bank, Fast & Furious 6 puts the pedal to the metal and delivers a high-octane cinematic escape that is as entertaining as it is absolutely crazy! (see above image)
It’s Friday morning, and you’re turning to your significant other saying, “Let’s go to the movies tonight…. What should we see?” You scroll through Fandango or skim through the Chronicle Datebook listings (okay, maybe that’s just me…) and ask, “What about this film about these two flawed people involved in a bitter custody fight over their sweet six- year-old daughter?” Your S.O. is no doubt responding…. “Ummm… how about Star Trek?” Continue reading “Film Review: What Maisie Knew”
Naming a film Epic is asking for a lot, especially when it’s based on a children’s book of a different and less demanding title, “The Leaf Men and the Brave Good Bugs” by William Joyce. Mirriam-Webster defines ‘epic’ as “extending beyond the usual or ordinary especially in size or scope.” To focus Epic on inherently small things, like insects and miniature people in a world of forest trees and underground hives, is a problem in of itself. Sure, things may look “epic” from the characters’ point of view, but from the perspective of a human being in the audience, not so much. Luckily the visuals do look epic, they just don’t feel that way. This is due in part because of the relatively banal storyline and uninspired character design for the protagonists. It’s still a very playful film with just enough depth to satisfy adults, but as it tries to balance emotion and a tone oriented toward small children, it falls short.
Simon Pegg and John Cho, reprising their roles as Montgomery “Scotty” Scott and Hikaru Sulu respectively in the newest chapter of the Star Trek film franchise, Star Trek Into Darkness, sat down with a few members of online press outlets to answer a few questions. Dressed in casual clothing and beaming with smiles, the two actors couldn’t be more welcoming and polite. We sat around a tiny circular table and jumped right into it…
J.J. Abrams is a huge fan of the Star Trek franchise, how does the fact that he’s such a big fan of both the Star Trek films and the original TV series translate into the fact that he’s making the new franchise…with this film especially?
Simon Pegg: I don’t think he was. I think he was more of a Star Wars fan growing up.
John Cho: Yeah.
Simon Pegg: And I think he came to Star Trek as somewhat of an outsider…
Continue reading “Round-Table Interview: Simon Pegg and John Cho of “Star Trek Into Darkness””
In 2009, J.J. Abrams jumpstarted a dulling Star Trek franchise by instilling youthful energy and adrenaline into a familiar cast of characters. The universe was the “same” but the feel was different. It was shinier and faster paced, and took advantage of modern computer technology to produce visual effects in a way that the original Star Trek series may have dreamed of but never could harness. But the most powerful weapon 2009’s Star Trek wielded was a solid origin story that balanced the needs of the salivating Trekkies with the cinematic desires of general audiences. It was fresh and fun, familiar yet new. With Star Trek Into Darkness, the formula remains unchanged. At its heart lies a refurbished story that is uniquely enjoyable, complete with a sly tip of the hat to its franchise predecessors. But there are a few J.J. Abrams specialties and stellar performances that make this generally risk-averse Star Trek film the most entertaining one to date. (I suspect I may pay for that proclamation.)