The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest

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This is the third Swedish film made from the popular book trilogy The Millennium series (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest) by Stieg Larsson’s.  I really enjoyed this new installment of the collection. Although I felt the second film wasn’t as great as the first, I wasn’t sure what to expect from this third piece.  I have to say that I’m very happy with both the film and its conclusion.  Again, this is well put together and powerfully shot.  If you are a fan of the other pictures then you will recognize the look and the intensity of the story.  The filmmakers shot all three films back to back so the feel is defiantly intact.  If you haven’t seen the other films, I do recommend do so.  If you have the opportunity to watch them on Blu-ray, there is an English dubbed version that is remarkable.  If your not a big subtitle reader then this will be right up you alley.  The rubber lips are not very noticeable and it is easy to get into this film.  There is an American version in the works if you prefer to wait, but Hollywood doesn’t have a good track record on making a better adaptation than the foreign originals.  Again, I liked the movie and I’m going to give it 4 RC’s.

Buried

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I just saw the movie Buried the other day and even though I liked the film I was left with mixed emotions.  For those of you who don’t know that much about the movie, it stars Ryan Reynolds and is a single location film.  In other words, the whole movie is entirely shot inside of a wooden coffin.  The story is created through dialogue and actions within this confined space. Even though it doesn’t, on the surface, seem like there’s enough to keep you interested for 90 minutes, there are brilliant and intriguing camera angles that the director executed beautifully in this small setting.  I can also appreciate what the filmmakers did here, attempting to break new ground in a concept that really hasn’t been done before.   With that said, this may not be a film that everyone is going to enjoy watching.  It is a little drab and can be hard to get into.  At the end of the 90 minutes you will find yourself asking a question.  Did I like it or was it a waste of time?  After letting it stew for a bit, I found it be more on the like than the dislike side.  Its definitely one of those movies that people are going to make references to any time they see or hear about someone being trapped in a coffin.  Aside from that, I don’t think it is going to be anything that many people will be able to get into. So, just know that when you watch this film.  For me, I liked it and I could appreciate both what the film was trying to accomplish and also the great performance given by Ryan Reynolds (He’s not just Van Wilder anymore).  He really pulled out the stops in this unusual story.  Again, not a movie for everyone but I’m giving it 3 RC’s.

Suck

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Don’t let the title or the cover of the DVD turn you off to this movie.  The movie is called “Suck”.  It’s about a struggling rock band that starts to become popular once their bass player becomes a vampire.  This movie has a bit of everything running through it.  It’s a vampire road trip movie mixed with comedy and some rock and roll, not to mention a cast of iconic rockin’ rollers (I know what you’re thinking…but I wasn’t a bad thing).  I’m very impressed with this movie.  I first heard about it last year while they were promoting it at Comic-Con, but to tell you the truth, it didn’t look to promising based on the poster.  Looking back, I think it would’ve been cool to see in with that kind of crowd.   I’m happy to say I finally got around to checking it out.  What a great surprise.   Now, I realize you may be a bit skeptical because you not sure what you’re in for but hang in there, it is a decent movie. It’s fun and surprisingly enough, it actually has some catchy music tracks throughout.  The cast did a good job not only fitting the parts but also portraying them.  The main thing that blew me away was the production value and the techniques used to create the look of the film.  They did so many good things with make-up and special effects…and I’m not talking about stuff done in post.  I’m talking, special effects done with lighting and old school camera tricks while on set shooting to give it that real stage and theatrical look.  It looks really really good and is very entertaining.  It’s the kind of movie that can easily become a Cult Classic.  I’m probably going to add it to my collection.  If this sounds like your cup of tea then give it the chance it deserves.  I thought it was a fun movie and I think you’ll enjoy it too.  Oh yeah…see how many live action classic album cover you can spot throughout the film.  A very nice touch to an already cool movie   4 RC’s

P.S.  If you’re into movie making or if you just want to see some cool discussion segments with rockers like Alice Copper and Iggy Pop, then I recommend watching the Making-of documentary, it’s very insightful.

The Social Network

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I saw The Social Network yesterday and I have to say…it was a good movie.  I really enjoyed it.  The story revolves around Mark Zuckerberg the creator of Facebook.  It follows the rise of the most popular social network to date as well as the people involved in its beginnings.  It was a good movie is so many ways.  For one, to have a true story of someone who had a goal and did whatever it took to make it happen (no matter how you might feel about Mr. Zuckerberg) is always inspiring.  Not to mention the film was beautifully shot and well executed.  But the thing that really got my attention was the question that I felt the film was asking.  How do you, in the day and age, create something worth billions without having people claming they were involved in some form or fashion?  Not to say that the people involved here weren’t contributors to Zuckerberg creation but I feel the film is a portrait of our current society and how people deal with success and the success of others.  All in all it was an entertaining film.  Yes, most of which is dialogue driven but a good watch none the less.  I do recommend it even if you don’t know a thing about Facebook.  4 RC’s

The Terror of Tiny Town

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I just saw a movie call The Terror of Tiny Town.  The reason I gave it a look was because it’s kind of a novelty film.  It was a western that was put out in 1938 by Columbia Pictures.  What made this an interesting movie was its entire cast consisted of (using their words) midgets…little people.  I heard about it through a friend and it had been on my queue for a while now and it finally came.  It wasn’t that bad of a movie.  It was your basic run of the mill western…musical western.  I was kind of a serious movie made with little people.  The only “poke fun of” stuff in the film was the town and ranches they lived in. They were made in every day scale.  So you would see the characters doing things like walking under saloon doors and hitching posts, with the occasional hop and climb onto high building porches.  It was an ok story but it is more of a nostalgia thing to watch this film.  If you’re a movie buff and you are interested in these kinds of cult classics, then I would recommend it…just to say you saw it.  For everyone else, I wouldn’t recommend it as a rental.  2 RC’s

Tron Legacy and True Grit

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During the holidays I was able to see two theater movies, it just happens to be a coincidence that Jeff Bridges is in both of them.  I’m talking about Tron: Legacy and True Grit.  Let’s start with Tron shall we.  Tron, as you would expect, was a good visual movie.  I took my nephew to see it and we ended up paying $36 (Ouch!) for two tickets at an IMAX 3D first showing.  Now imagine my surprise when at the very beginning of the film there is a line of text that says that a portion of the movie was shot in 2D (I’m assuming most of the stuff outside of the “Grid” world.) and that’s the way the director envisioned it.  Do you love paying full price for 3D when you’re only getting half of it? Anyway, aside from that, the visual “oh’s” and “ah’s” were there.  Some very cool scenes with the light bikes but similar to the original you are left wanting more.  The story was ok, nothing break through awesome but it was a good frame work to showcase this kind of visual advancement in digital technology.  Hats off to them for trying to pull off the young Jeff Bridges character Clu, using 3D graphics.  The technology is almost there but it is extremely difficult to match all the little facial nuances without detecting that something is a bit off.  The audio they did for the younger Bridges however, was spot on.  Kudos. All in all, it was an exciting visual ride with everything you would expect to see in a present day Tron movie.  Really cool, really fun with an ultra futuristic kind world to boot.  3 RC’s

True Grit, however, was a phenomenal movie. Even if you’re not a fan of westerns, you would have to be missing a pulse not to enjoy this movie.  For one, Jeff Bridges did an outstanding job in the movie. I couldn’t see anyone else playing this part except him and man he pulled it out.  The little girl in the movie, played by Hailee Steinfeld, was awesome.  With the banter and the dialogue back and forth was just hilarious and at the same time engaging.  The Coen brothers did a wonderful job with this remake.  It’s visually stunning and well put together.  I really thought the court room scene was a perfect way to introduce back story and flesh out the Rooster Cogburn character. This is a real big western, the kind we haven’t seen in a long while.  It’s a great ride and a great story and its well worth the price of a ticket.  I recommend it.  4 RC’s

Jonah Hex

Side Bar

I saw Jonah Hex on Blu-ray yesterday.  I have to say…I liked this movie.  I know it was in and out of the theater very quickly, so I didn’t know what to expect.  Strait from a DC comic, Josh Brolin plays Jonah Hex a scared man turned bounty hunter in search of revenge in a post Civil war setting.  His only companionship is with a lady of the evening played by Megan Fox.  Hex is employed to capture a sinister man named Quentin Turnbull (John Malkovich) and bring him to justice.  After the opening scene, I found myself hooked.  This movie wasn’t only beautifully shot, it was entertaining as well.  The film has the melding of a good story, animation, cool special effects and great make-up.  I loved the old school high-tech weaponry.  Even if you are not a fan of the western-esque genre, this movie is well worth the watch.  Good action and remarkable visuals.  I did appreciate how they toned down the Megan Fox hotness element.  They didn’t make her out to be this chick that you’d question “she’s too Hollywood beautiful to be in this setting”.  They didn’t pretty her up just because she’s Megan Fox, she played it plan and believable.  The Mac Daddy of the film has to be John Malkovich.  As a villain, this guy is amazing.  If anything, this should bring you to the movie off the bat.  Malkovich Rocks.  I think this movie was one that flew under the radar.  If you are looking for a fun, action packed ride, rent this one.  I think you’ll enjoy it.  4 RC’s

On Vacation

Woohoo! What’s up movie buffs?  Just a heads up…The RCR team will be on vacation until Oct. 8th.  There will still be DVD release / side bar updates on Facebook and Twitter. We will be back soon with more “In the fold” reviews.  Thanks for watching. – AL

Piranha 3D

I liked this movie.  It was a wonderfully cheesy, over the top 80’s throwback picture. Again, if you’re a fan of horror movies with a lot of gore and female skin, this is the movie for you.  Its truly is not one for the faint of heart.  This gore fest has a little bit of everything, Cheese, laughs, bloody make-up, nudity (both) and ridiculous 3D.  It can be campy and vulgar in just the right way.  It is definitely a movie that’s aware of its audience.  Showcasing a lot of “objects” specifically for the crowd’s benefit. You’ll see.  In addition to the massive amounts of blood, there is quite a bit of gratuitous nudity.  Ladies beware.  There are some big stars in this movie but I can’t emphasize this enough.  Elizabeth Shue did a great job with this character.  She really took a potentially hokey part and did wonders with it.  Good for her for playing it strait…awesome.   There were some cool but gross make up effects that worked great.  All you fans of body part shredding horror scenes are really going to appreciate it.  The 3D effects where by no means top notch.  For one…the movie was another one of those 3D conversions (similar to Clash of the Titans).  That’s when they shoot a movie in 2D and make it look 3D using a process in post…again, mostly to pull in an extra couple of bucks at the box office.  A lot of the time it’s very noticeable but this one was hit and miss.  It was however, entertainingly hokey but given the scope of this movie, it works well.  If I could sum up the movie in two words…they would be “boobs and gore” Enjoy.

The Expendables

This movie had all the star power to pull off a huge opening. And it did.  It had Sly Stallone (also in the director’s chair) and a whole slough of action muscle to bring in the crowds. I know because I was one of them. The idea of all these guys showing up in one flick was pretty cool.  Again, it was ok but…it’s as good as you would expect a movie with an all star cast to be.  I have to say, seeing a lot of my old action heroes on the big screen again was kind of shocking.  Mostly because these guys are getting old…really old.  What’s that say about me?  I was hoping this film was going to be more like the last Rambo, which rocked, but sadly it wasn’t. There was some good choreography in the fights scenes but not enough to keep the movie a float from me. Also, like I said in the show…this fake CG blood really comes off cheesy. It’s supposed to be a no holds bared action movie…bring in the cool stage stuff.  Over all, I think they did an ok job with flick but the kind of scenes I wanted to see weren’t really in the movie.  They had countless possibilities and only touched on a few.  The head to head scene they did have in this story were somewhat redeeming and descent.  All I can say as about this action collaboration is “Close but no cigar”.