Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows part 1

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1

The producers of the Harry Potter franchise must have faced an immense amount of pressure with the latest film. They couldn't just maintain the quality of the previous installments. They had to up the ante, they had to knock this finale out of the park. If they messed this movie up, then they would have practically wasted the last 10 years.

The jury is still out. Part 1 is the appetizer and I think all the meat is going to be in Part 2. That's not to say the movie is bad. Overall, it is pretty good. The story, first of all, is solid and different from the others. When the evil lord Voldemort (a defiantly creepy Ralph Fiennes) and his cronies take over the wizard government, Harry Potter (Daniel Radcliffe), Hermione Granger (Emma Watson) and Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint) go on the run. Fugitives, they desperately teleport from place to place, trying to stay one step ahead of the their pursuers and destroy the horcruxes - artifacts that contain the different pieces of Voldemort's soul. Along the way, they uncover the existence of the Deathly Hallows - the three most powerful items in the wizarding world. Can they find them before Voldemort does?

The biggest strength of Deathly Hallows could very well be the acting. The films have always been strong in the acting department, what with casts that included a who's who of amazing performers. I'm happy to report that our three leads - Radcliffe, Grint, and especially Watson now fit in very comfortably with their esteemed colleagues. They bring on the intensity with full force and are utterly believable in their dire situation. The movie also has some terrific set pieces, including a memorable infiltration into enemy headquarters, that is superb because it deftly balances true tension with some terrific humor, which isn't easy to do. It's one of the best sequences of the film.

But the movie has some issues. The pacing is probably the biggest problem. I think the filmmakers were so interested in Potter going fugitive, that they rushed through all the really important stuff leading up to it. Major characters are killed off screen or super quickly, major events like the fall of the government just kind of happen with a passing line of dialogue. They just blow through all this important material and then when the heroes become fugitives, the pace slows down. While I appreciated the slower pace here, and I really enjoyed this part of the movie, it does drag a bit in the middle. They should have trimmed some of it and added some necessary exposition in the beginning.

Still, overall this is a solid entry into the franchise and succeeds at its most important task: it sets all the pieces on the board in preparation for a huge final battle. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 2 comes out next summer. The pressure's on. Don't mess this up, guys.

MVP: I need to give an honorable mention here. Minor spoilers here: Emma Watson wins in the acting department in a nicely balanced performance as Hermione Granger. A nice example of why she gets an honorable mention is her work in the movie's most emotional scene, way in the beginning, when she erases herself from her parent's memories to protect them from the coming horrors. It's a powerful moment and Watson gracefully balances the grief with the steely resolve that this is the right thing to do.

But the real MVP goes to Ben Hibon, the animation director of the coolest sequence of the film. When Hermione tells the story of the Deathly Hallows, the film cuts to a bizarrely animated and brilliantly haunting sequence that recounts the legendary tale of the three brothers who encounter Death. The animation is fantastic, and is easily the best thing about this movie. It was so different than anything else in the series so far, but yet so perfect at the same time. Awesome stuff.

BEST LINE: Mad-eye Moody: "Fair warning to you. It tastes like goblin piss." Fred Weasley: "Have lots of experience with that, do you, Mad Eye? ...uh, just trying to diffuse the tension..."

TRIVIA: When our heroes are in London, they pass by a poster for "Equus," the West End play that Daniel Radcliffe starred in.

OSCAR NOMINATIONS: Art Direction, Best Visual Effects

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb

Blood from the Mummy's Tomb

I am now convinced that the Mummy franchise was the weak link of the Hammer franchises. The original was alright, if a bit stuffy. Curse of the Mummy's Tomb was mediocre, and The Mummy's Shroud was terrible. I was dreading the thought of having to watch the fourth and final film of the franchise - imagine my surprise when I realized that Blood from the Mummy's Tomb is not half bad. It's actually one of the more creative mummy movies I've seen.

First of all, there isn't really a mummy. Archeologists led by Professor Fuchs (Andrew Keir) unearth the tomb of the evil Egyptian Queen Tera, but they don't find a decomposed and wrapped body. Instead they find a perfectly preserved (and barely dressed) body of the evil Queen Tera (played by Valerie Leon). That's strange. But even stranger is that her hand, which had been severed during her burial, still bleeds. At the exact moment the tomb is unearthed, thousands of miles away in England, Professors Fuch's wife dies in childbirth. But the child, Margaret, survives. What is weird is that as the older she gets, the more she begins to look like the young dead queen in the sarcophagus. That's odd. More years pass, and someone begins murdering members of the expedition one at a time. After her father is viciously attacked, Margaret (also Valerie Leon) begins to investigate the connection between the murders and Queen Tera's tomb.

It is a neat plot, based on a short story by Bram Stoker called Jewel of the Seven Stars. And this is actually an intriguing film. And I'm not sure why. There is a lot to not like here. First of all, the film can't make up its mind when it even takes place - sometimes it seems like 1970s swinging London, but certain characters are dressed as if it were half a century earlier. The acting is mostly unremarkable, and not even the usually dependable Andrew Keir is on his game.
And I think Valerie Leon was hired more for the way she wears the Egyptian neckpiece and not so much for her acting (see the picture over there). Oh, she's fine as the haughty and imperious Queen Tera, but as Margaret she isn't believable for a moment. Also, the ending of the film makes absolutely no sense. Just when we are going to get what I think is going to be an exciting climax, we get characters switching sides for no reason and then the movie just ends. Just ends. Without really even telling us what was happening.

And yet, there is a lot of good stuff in here. Maybe we can thank Stoker, but the story is actually interesting and creative. The movie leaves you guessing for most of its run time as to who the heroes and the villains are. Certain characters you are sure are going to live are killed off in surprising ways. The director Seth Holt (Scream of Fear) brings a lot of interesting tricks to the table with nice camera angles and atmospheric lighting that mask the film's small budget. And as usual, there is a flashback to ancient Egypt - scenes that invariably slowed down the previous Mummy movies, but here Holt incorporates the flashback into Margaret's nightmares, which gives them relevance.

I guess intriguing is the best word to use. Is Blood from the Mummy's Tomb any good? I don't know. Probably not. Too much of it doesn't work. But it is very intriguing and I found myself enjoying the journey it look me on. It's just a creative little oddity. If you're curious, check it out.

MVP: I'm tempted to say Queen Tera's neckpiece, but I think I might go with James Villiers as the scientist Corbeck. As one of the explorers on the expedition, he was present when the tomb was opened. He should be in danger like the rest of the group, but you would never guess so from his attitude. His snide and arrogant line readings are a hoot. He clearly thinks everyone in the world, with the possible exception of Tera, is beneath him and not worth his time. It's a fun performance.

Oh, who am I kidding? The MVP is supposed to be the best thing in the movie. And that is clearly Queen Tera's neckpiece. So there you go.


BEST LINE: Corbeck: "The meek shall not inherit the earth. They cannot be trusted with it."


TRIVIA: This movie seemed to be marked with tragedy from the beginning. Peter Cushing was due to star, but his wife passed away just before filming began. Andrew Keir stepped in to take his place. And then a week before the movie was due to be wrapped, director Seth Holt died and had to be replaced with producer Michael Carreras.

No Reservations

No Reservations

Modern day romantic comedies generally aren't my thing. Which is funny, because I love old school romantic comedies. But the best days of the genre, along with its best stars - Cary Grant, Rock Hudson, Audrey Hepburn, Irene Dunne - are gone. Now, all romantic comedies are the same and follow the same well-worn path. What separates the good from the bad is always your team (obviously). If you get a good director, a decent writer and a fun cast with some chemistry - well, then the formula isn't a bad thing. The problem is, the best and brightest talents in Hollywood are rarely interested in this genre anymore.

So when I saw the pedigree for No Reservations, I actually thought it might be something. The director is Scott Hicks, the Australian auteur behind Shine. The cast includes actors who don't normally make these kinds of movies - when is the last time Catherine Zeta Jones, Aaron Eckhart, and Patricia Clarkson were in a movie like this? Even the composer was unusual for this type of project- classical composer Philip Glass who ventures into movies rarely and when he does, it is for indie films or esoteric documentaries. Plus, No Reservations was based on a German comedy called Mostly Martha, which was supposed to be terrific. This all made me very curious.

Kate (Catherine Zeta Jones) is a uptight chef in an expensive restaurant owned by Paula (Patricia Clarkson). She is a brilliant chef, but a bit ornery, and she has a habit of insulting guests who don't like her food. In an effort to force Kate to deal with her temper, Paula forces her to go to therapy (the therapist is played by Bob Balaban). When her sister is killed in a car accident, Kate adopts her niece Zoe (Abigail Breslin) and is forced to change her strictly regimented life. To make life more stressful, Paula has hired a new sous chef for the restaurant, the free-wheeling, opera-singing, self-trained Nick (Aaron Eckhart). Kate and Nick are complete opposites and the tension begins almost immediately. And....I think we can all see where this is going.

Unfortunately, the esteemed cast and crew of No Reservations are unable to lift the film past its own blandness. Oh, the cast does its job. They are all pleasant and professional, if unremarkable. Zeta Jones and Eckhart go through the motions gamely enough, though they lack any sort of chemistry whatsoever. They are clearly falling in love because the script is telling them to. But they aren't really bad. They're just there. The best performance easily comes from little Abigail Breslin. It's a shame that her character is basically wasted - she is just a chess piece designed to bring Nick and Kate together. The most interesting story element is Zoe dealing with the traumatic death of her mother; more time should have been spent on this and less on the goofy verbal sparring between Kate and Nick.

The other creative partner that rises to the occasion is Philip Glass. What is he doing scoring this film? Did he lose a bet? It's so odd. That said, he rises to the occasion, writing an alternately bouncy and emotional score that somehow both adheres to genre rules while still keeping to his minimalistic cyclical style. Go him.

As for the rest of the movie, there is nothing really bad I can say about it. The problem is, there is nothing really good I can say about it, either. It is almost entirely forgettable. It's good to watch when you can't sleep one night and you happen to catch it. And don't worry if you start the film halfway in. You haven't missed anything because you've seen it all before.

MVP: I'm going with Breslin, who acts circles around her older, more established co-stars. She brings three-dimensions to her character. If the whole film had been about her dealing with the death of her mother, it could have been a winner. With her limited screen time, Breslin rises to the occasion and in the processes, rises her character out of mediocrity. When she is told about her mother's death, her reaction was gut-wrenching. It's one of the few times I felt any sort of emotion - good or bad- in the movie. Breslin's the real deal. I see Oscars in her future.

BEST LINE: Nick: "Get your hands off my tupperware."

TRIVIA: In a subtle bit of product placement, the characters all gush over an Australian wine from Yacca Paddock Wineries. These wineries are actually owned by Scott Hicks, the director. Clever.

Red Cliff (International Version)

Red Cliff

First of all, let me be clear about one thing. John Woo is back. Having escaped Hollywood, Woo has made his first film in his native China since 1992 - a behemoth 2-part epic Red Cliff, which displays all the flare and energy we came to love back in his heyday. Red Cliff isn't just a return to form; it's an expansion on his abilities. The sheer scope of the production is staggering and more massive than anything Hollywood has done in awhile, and Woo pulls it off admirably.

There is a "but." I know a lot of foreign films only make it to the United States in an edited form. Producers slice up a movie to make it more "palatable" for American audiences and usually they butcher the film in the process. While I wouldn't wish that fate on Red Cliff, I have to admit that this is a movie that is in serious need of some big cutting.

Red Cliff is the story of one of the most epic battles in Chinese history (and one of the greatest levels in the Dynasty Warriors video game franchise). In the dying days of the Han Dynasty, the ambitious Minister Cao Cao (Fengyi Zhang) tramples over all opposition with his massive army. His ruthless ambition forces an alliance between the two other major power players of the time, Liu Bei (Yong You) and Sun Quan (Chen Chang). Even combined, the new allied force has some serious disadvantages. Cao Cao has the largest army in the world, numbering in the hundreds of thousands. His men are well-trained, well-fed and well-armed. The allies, on the other hand, have a combined army of no more than 80,000 men, their leaders mistrust each other and have different priorities, and they are running short on supplies and weapons. But the allies do have a few advantages, namely the word's coolest general Zhou Yu (Tony Leong) and the brilliant strategist Zhuge Liang (Takeshi Kaneshiro). Part I of the film focuses on the alliance, the initial battles, and the various strategic moves the armies make as they prepare for the big battle. Part II deals with the final strategies and the epic battle itself.

There is a lot of ground to cover in these movies, but five hours is pushing it, especially when it would have been easy to do some slicing and dicing. It's not that the individual scenes are unnecessary; it's that they go on for too long for no reason. For example, when Zhuge Liang visits Zhou Yu to propose the alliance, he finds that Yu's favorite horse is in labor and having difficulty delivering. Zhuge Liang, who is a brilliant farmer when he isn't busy being a brilliant strategist, helps deliver the baby horse. The scene is important because Liang proves his worth to Zhou Yu and this moment is the trigger that builds trust between the two men. But the delivery scene goes on forever! And I could have lived without the slimy baby horse leg slowly coming out of the mommy horse's private parts. Is that really necessary?

There are a lot of moments like this in the film, when you will turn to you buddy and say, "Why are they spending so much time here?" or "Why are they still playing the musical instruments?" or "Why is he still sword-dancing?" or "Why are they still playing soccer?" or most importantly, "Why is this movie five hours long??"

With some trimming, Red Cliff could have really been superb. The art direction is great, the actors are all uniformly excellent, and the action is a lot of fun. The battles are like the Dynasty Warriors game come to life, and I got a thrill from watching old favorites from the game, like the legendary Guan Yu, kicking butt on the battlefield. And the climactic battle in Part II is appropriately epic, with thousands of men piling into each other, firing arrows, throwing spears, launching explosives. The carnage on display is chaotic and massive, and yet we never lose our bearings because of how carefully Woo has orchestrated the battle. It's a pretty impressive - though I will admit the battle ends a bit anti-climactically (SPOILER - the way the scene is edited, it seems like the final victory is achieved because one character is able to mess up the other character's pony tail. Probably not what they were going for, but Wha?!?).

The best parts of the movie involve the various strategies the two forces use. It's fascinating to watch the generals as they ponder ways to outwit each other. And the movie isn't just the underdogs outwitting the big bad guy, either. Cao Cao gives as good as he gets, and makes some really clever and ruthless moves. He is clearly a good general and is a genuine inspiration to his men. It's rare that movies give the bad guy a big, inspirational speech, but Woo gives Cao Cao a great one. All this just makes him a more memorable adversary.

I know there is another version of the film that has been sliced down into 148 minutes. I'd be curious to see how it is, but I doubt it is any good. That is cutting too much out of the movie. I like the character development, and I appreciate the fact that the movie delves into the motivations and psychological implications of warfare. This is heavy stuff, and I'm sure the American version takes most of it out. But there is no doubt that Red Cliff is too long, and would have been much better with about an hour sliced out. 

MVP: Fengyi Zhang as Cao Cao is my MVP. It's a tough call because Tony Leong and Takeshi Kaneshiro are also superb. But Cao Cao is a strong villain, three-dimensional, passionate, and ruthless. I don't want to give too much away about his true motivations, but it completely changes his character from the cartoonish dictator with an invincible army to a fully rounded human being. It's a great performance from Zhang.

TRIVIA: Chow Yun Fat was to play Zhou Yu, but dropped out on the first day of principle photography. This worked out for the best, I think. As much as I like Chow Yun Fat, I think Tony Leong is a better choice for that role.

BEST LINE: Cao Cao "He has brought his stupidity upon me."

Hot Tub Time Machine

Hot Tub Time Machine

When I saw the previews for Hot Tub Time Machine, I was a little confused. While it is always nice to see John Cusack in a comedy, I had to wonder why he was in this movie. And then when I found out he was actually one of the producers, I got even more confused. This is a Hangover-like crazy-fest, and the last thing I expected to see Cusack in.

Lou (Rob Corddry), Adam (John Cusack) and Nick (Craig Robinson) are three friends who are down on their luck. They go through their day in dead-end jobs or in dead-end relationships. Adam is forced to live with his nephew Jacob (Clark Duke) who escapes to the basement all day, playing online games. Simply put, their lives suck. In an effort to cheer Lou up, the gang decides to take a trip to Kodiak Ski Resort, where they had partied hard as teenagers. Unfortunately, Kodiak is a dump now, rundown and deserted except for a grumpy one-armed porter (a fantastic Crispen Glover). That night, in an alcohol and energy drink-fueled haze, the four vacationers jump into the hot tub and pass out. When they wake up, it is 1986!! Not just 1986, but it is the very night where Adam, Lou and Nick hit a crossroads in their lives, where they all made a fateful decision that would affect the rest of their lives. What will happen now that they get to relive that day?

If this all sounds predictable and kind of corny, it is. But the movie does actually have its share of big laughs. When the writers throw jokes at you a million at a time, there are going to some that stick. Each of the four characters have their own little adventure - my personal favorite is Nick's story. Nick has to accept that his wife is cheating on him and find the courage to somehow play with his band again. Nick goes on a funny, emotional journey, and he cries a lot - and Craig Robinson crying is really funny 100% of the time.

The worst story, ironically, is Cusack's. Not that his performance is bad. It's fine; it just doesn't belong here. He is playing his usual role, a self-conscious angst-ridden man who hems and haws about whether or not he should have broken up with a girl. It sounds like a lot of John Cusack movies. The problem is, none of these movies are Hot Tub Time Machine. Cusack and his movie belong somewhere else, away from the 1980s cameos, vomiting and Craig Robinson crying. It just sticks out and slows the film down when it should be ramping up. It's a shame really - Cusack did so many films in the 80s that it makes complete sense for him to be in a satire of the decade. But his angst doesn't belong in a slapstick piece of insanity.

Overall, the movie is okay. Some people even like it more than The Hangover, which I think is crazy. I definitely disagree with that. The Hangover was a subversive, creative surprise. Hot Tub Time Machine goes through mostly familiar territory and has only a few genuine surprises. Clark Duke doesn't have much to do, Cusack's story drags the film down, and Rob Corddry is a bit too over-the-top in a lot of scenes. On the other hand, you have Craig Robinson, Crispen Glover and Corddry's good over-the-top performance in other scenes. It's not great, but there are a good number of laughs and a few really big ones. Definitely worth a rental, if nothing else.

BEST LINE: Jacob: "Actually, that's the sort of thing that would be in the asshole handbook."

MVP: I'm going with Crispen Glover as the Kodiak's one-armed and bitter porter. In 1986, he still has both his arms and we spend the whole movie anticipating when he is going to lose his limb. This is the one element of the movie that actually sort of keeps us guessing. And Glover's performance is so WEIRD. In the present day, he is just so angry, spewing his venom, throwing luggage around and still expecting tips. In the past, he is so enthusiastically cheerleader perky. It's just a bizarre little performance and my favorite thing about the movie. Robinson is a close second, though.

TRIVIA: Craig Robinson actually came up with the popular line, "We must have gotten in some sort of hot tub time machine," before staring deadpan into the camera. It's a great gag and perfect for the marketing machine, which is why it was in all the trailers.

The Devil's Bride (or The Devil Rides Out)

The Devil's Bride (or The Devil Rides Out)

Reputation-wise, The Devil's Bride (or its original title, The Devil Rides Out) is considered one of the crown jewels of the Hammer Film series. At the recommendation of their top star Christopher Lee, they optioned the rights to the popular Dennis Wheatley novel. Their top director Terence Fisher (Horror of Dracula) was brought on board to helm the project, and acclaimed novelist Richard Matheson (I Am Legend) was hired to write the screenplay. The film is regarded as a classic of the genre. I guess you can call me the party pooper, but I think it is a great idea that unravels as it goes.

The film has an intriguing premise. The Duc de Richeleau (Christopher Lee) and Rex (Leon Greene) are old friends. A third friend had passed away many years before, and Richeleau and Rex had promised to watch over his son Simon (Patrick Mower). Unfortunately, Simon has fallen under the influence of a satanic cult leader named Mocata (Charles Gray). Luckily enough, Richeleau also just happens to be a master of the occult. The movie becomes a battle of wills between the villainous Mocata and Richeleau, with Simon's soul in the middle. Richeleau and Rex also try to save Tanith (Nike Arrighi), another potential young victim who is definitely due to be sacrificed to the devil.

The first half of the movie is pretty good, as Richeleau and Mocata keep interfering with each other's plans. There are actually some genuinely creepy moments, especially when Mocata begins to use his hypnotic influence over the weak-willed Simon and Tanith. The stakes raise, lives are threatened, we have car chases, evil genie demons, a dark and bloody ceremony in the woods, and the momentum builds to an awesome idea for a climax. Hiding out in a country estate with friends Marie (Sarah Lawson) and the skeptical Richard (Paul Eddington), Richeleau draws an magical protective circle on the floor. So long as they stay in the circle, they are safe. But Mocata's dark powers assault them at all sides, trying to either break through the barrier or convince the good guys to come out. This is a fascinating idea and an opportunity for some truly horrific magic coolness. Unfortunately, this set piece never lives up to its potential and as the film barrels to the climax, there are just so many "huh???" moments, that I was continually taken out of the movie.

For example - Spoiler Here - if you live in a house that is about to be attacked by a satanic cult, why would you put yourself in a protective magic circle, but tell your 8-year old daughter to just go upstairs to her room and go to sleep. Yeah, that sounds like a good idea. So later in the movie, when they find out that Mocata has kidnapped the girl, should they really have been surprised? I wasn't. The last act of the movie has a lot of moments like this that kind of ruin the rest of the movie for me. And don't even get me started on how the movie talks about the space-time continuum. Yes, The Devil's Bride talks about the space-time continuum.

But when it works, it really is enjoyable. Terence Fisher's direction is dependable as usual, and the acting is all quite good. Christopher Lee and Charles Gray are of course the highlights - two confidant and charismatic men who are great foils for each other. And like I said, there are some genuinely cool moments. I just wish the film didn't fall apart near the end.

Overall, I think this film is worth watching, but I don't understand why it is considered one of Hammer's best. 

MVP: Christopher Lee, for once playing a good guy, is the clear MVP. It's his show from the beginning. He even sells some implausible plot points - the fact that he is a master of the occult is literally just mentioned with a "oh, by the way" slight of hand. But I bought it, because I believed that Christopher Lee believed it. I think that's why Lee and Cushing are considered such icons of the genre. Because even in the most ridiculous circumstances, they seem like they believe it; they seem like they belong in this world. It makes the choice easy: Christopher Lee owns the movie.

TRIVIA: In England, the film was called The Devil Rides Out. But the U.S. distributor was worried that American audiences would think the film was a Western, so they retitled it as The Devil's Bride. It's a pity, because The Devil Rides Out is a way cooler title.

BEST LINE: A rare moment of comedy. Sitting in the magic circle, Richard says: "I think we are behaving like a pack of idiots."
Richeleau: "It begins."
Richard: "What? What begins?"
Richeleau: "Mocata is working on you. Because you are the weakest link."
Richard: "What?"
Richeleau: "Uhhh, from his point of view!"