SHERLOCK HOLMES 3.0*** (almost 3.5***)
The movie opens with Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey,Jr.) and Dr. John Watson ( Jude Law) apprehending serial killing Satanist Lord Blackwood. Blackwood is subsequently executed by hanging, but then when he seemingly he rises from the dead, the deductive duo must determine whether it's a supernatural occurrence or if there's a logical explanation. It's exactly the type of mystery Sir Arthur Conan Doyle would have devised, with plenty of twists and opportunities for Holmes to show off his genius as he races to stop a plot to take over England and (gasp!) America. Everything from the experiments Holmes performs in his Baker Street flat to his climatic revelation and explanation of the mystery.

Robert Downey Jr. is right at home in the role of the infamous detective. Swapping out futuristic armor for a pipe and fiddle, he plays a character with the same wit and confidence as his Tony Stark character in the excellent movie, “Iron Man.” This makes sense because, to some degree, what is 'Sherlock Holmes' if not merely the Tony Stark character set back about a hundred years? Regardless, Downey Jr. is excellent, providing a wit and charm to his latest role. Jude Law plays his right hand man, Dr. John Watson, in a role much smarter than past incarnations of the Watson character. The two are more equals than hero and sidekick, and their chemistry is marvelous..it really makes the movie..

Even though Sherlock Holmes seems a bit more like James Bond, he doesn't seem any less like Sherlock Holmes. Director Guy Ritchie finds a way to even depict Sherlock's fighting more as a mental exercise than as a physical feat. The film has fun exploring this part of Holmes left untouched by other films….the physical side. Yet Holmes was a boxer, stick/sword fighter, and a martial artist. It was in the books, and it is brought forward in this film as well . Holmes's eccentricities and drug-use are also shown. But, Holmes was never meant to be a symbol of a stiff-upper lip Britain, yet that's what he had become. Now they’re changing that image and maybe that isn’t so bad… but it does take some getting used to, and I have to admit I struggled with this during the movie. But, I have come to understand it better upon reflection.

“Sherlock Holmes” is smart and entertaining, a combination which always works better than either adjective by itself. This is an invigorating re-boot that reminds us why this detective is such an icon. It is an entertaining film for the head and heart. But be prepared for a different type of character…one who combines his brilliant mind with physical prowess to overcome the villains and along the way, at time, appears “spaced out” …brilliance and drugs will do that.

Clark

TWILIGHT 3.5**** ( The 1st of the Meyer books made into a movie (2008)…just saw it on the DVD..the 2nd is now out and I’ll be seeing and reviewing it soon)


Okay, now I know what ALL the fuss is about. I understand. And I liked it a lot. This is a beautiful, lush movie with a beautiful, moving love story. And unless you’ve been stranded on a deserted island for the past 3 years, you will already know that the story has to do with vampires..but, as it turns out, not your traditional vampires… now they still like blood, but can go for different varieties, and they’re still super strong and fast and have that washed out look on their face with the color-changing eyes. As for how they’re different…can’t tell..you need to discover that from the movie.

The story is set in a small town, Fork, in the State of Washington…thus why everything looks so lush from all the rain…also a perfect home for vampires since the sun almost never comes out due to the constant clouds and overcast. The setting is high school where the main characters are juniors. The female lead, Bella (played quite well by Kristen Stewart) moves there to live with her father..her mother has remarried and is on the road a lot because the new hubby is a baseball player. Bella hits it off quite easily and quickly with the other kids and in the process meets a mysterious and dazzlingly beautiful Edward Cullen. ( played quite well by Robert Pattison ) Edward is nothing like any boy she's ever met. He's nothing like anyone she's ever met, period. He's intelligent and witty, and he seems to see straight into her soul Oh, and to no one’s surprise, he’s a vampire. The surprise, however, comes in discovering what kind of vampire he is and how the relationship between Bella and Edward develops and whether it can last.
The movie is directed by Catherine Hardwicke, who also directed the teen films Thirteen, Lords of Dogtown and The Nativity Story. She chose her leads wisely: the pretty Stewart is a questioning, questing presence; the Pattinson, a sensitive-stud dreamboat. And Hardwicke is faithful to the book's chaste eroticism. The couple must put off having sex because, well, it could kill Bella. Yet waiting has its own delicious tension. So, even if Twilight isn't a masterpiece, it sweetly rekindles the warmth of great Hollywood romances, where foreplay was the climax and a kiss was never just a kiss.
So although I am a man and far from 13 years old, and even though I have not read any of the books in the Twilight series, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie and look forward to seeing the sequels. However, my next movie will be “Fight Club” on DVD which I haven’t seen yet…so as to get my testosterone level back up to He-Man levels.

Twilight (120 ) is rated PG-13 for violence and a scene of sensuality.

Clark

TRIVIA NOTES

1.Over 5,000 actors auditioned for the role of Edward.

2 Kristen Stewart turned eighteen while filming the movie and was rewarded with a birthday cake - and a full night of shooting. Kristen Stewart has naturally green eyes. She wears brown contacts for filming to match Bella's eye color.

3. Stephanie Meyer claims these authors partially inspired her: Jane Austen, Orson Scott Card, Shakespeare, and Charlotte Bronte. The author of the books has a Cameo part and can be seen next to a laptop ordering a vegetarian sandwich in the diner at the beginning of the scene where Charlie asks Bella if she likes the boys in town.

4. Robert Pattison performed two songs in the movie, however only one of these songs, "Never Think," appears on the soundtrack. His other song, "Let Me Sign", is a bonus track. He actually plays the piano in the scene where Edward is playing "Bella's Lullaby".As soon as Pattison was cast, he moved to Oregon and began working on his character, both physically and mentally. He worked out five hours a day with a trainer: learning to fight, play baseball, and do stunts. He also had to learn to drive and get an Oregon driver's license.

5.In the movie when Bella and Edward are lying in the meadow, the sun coming through the trees makes a heart between them.

6.. With its $69.6 million opening weekend gross the movie had the biggest opening ever for a film directed by a woman, and also for a film starring a woman.

7. When in the movie, at the cafeteria salad bar, Bella drops an apple which Edward picks back up and then cradles in his hands, copying the cover image of the Twilight novel. Director Catherine Hardwicke said that took 13 takes to get it right… see photo below..

NINE 3.5**** (almost 4.0****)
Nine” is a knock-out. “Nine” is almost a 10 and is better than “81/2”. “Nine” is one of a kind. “Nine” is like a fine wine. So you ask, what is this “Nine” . Well it is another musical extravaganza from the very talented Rob Marshall who brought us “Chicago..the one where he taught and directed Catherine-Zeta Jones, Renee Zellweger and Richard Gerr to sign and dance. In “Nine” he repeats the phenomena by teaching Daniel Day Lewis and a bevy of beauties to sing and dance..and what a bevy we have: Sophia Loren, Marion Cotillard, Nicole Kidman, Judith Dench, Kate Hudson and Nancy Ferguson.
The story is set during the mid-to late sixties in Italy and the focus is on a famous but fading movie writer-director who is struggling with his 9th movie. The major problem being he has not written the script yet and they are 10 days from starting the movie. All the wonderful actresses play characters with strong connections to him that are primarily revealed in terrific musical production numbers. Let me tell you, these ladies look gorgeous, can sing like all get-out, and Kate Hudson and Fergie can dance up a storm (Kate Hudson’s feisty go-go-type dance number was rehearsed for 6 weeks and took 2 days to shot..but WOW what a number).
I really enjoyed this film. It was a visual feast and an energetic knee-slapper. Rob Marshall is a magician when it come to inspiring non-musical actors/actresses to achieve musical triumphs. He has also become the master of capturing on the screen the verve and excitement of a stage production, which “Nine” was in the 80s..in fact, a Tony Award winner.

I say BRAVO, BRAVO !!!!!

Clark

NOTE: This has a PG-13 rating and is okay for teens on up but is primarily an adult film because of the sexual content ..nothing very overt but an overriding element in the movie.

AVATAR…4.0****
How often do you get to see movie history being made? Not looking back after-the-fact, but as it is actually happening? No ! Not often. I remember when Star Wars first came out in 1977, and I and other people felt a similar way, that we were witnessing something never before seen before that would change movies forever. Well, James Cameron's “Avatar” with it’s long-awaited, much-touted 3D motion-capture technique is just such a giant step into the future of movie making. What we see on screen during “Avatar” has never been seen before and is nearly impossible to explain with words. The advanced motion-forward technique, the exhilarating CGI (computer generated imagery) and the enhanced depth and clarity afforded by the 3D all come together to make a stunningly awesome and truly extraordinary movie. The result is that you become so totally immersed into the film and the action you forget that you’re in a theatre….you enter a whole new, exhilarating fantasy world and you see everything as if it were real.

The story focuses on Jake Sully, a paraplegic U.S. marine, who travels trough space to the Pandora, a planet inhabited by the Na'vi, an alien race, and although they are 9 feet tall and have blue skin and large doe-like eyes, they are still very similar to humans. There he becomes involved with the Avatar project…a process by which his mind and consciousness are transferred to the clone of a Na'vi body. The military on Pandora is interested in mining a very rare and precious rock material and, as luck would have it, there are large quantities of this material in the very place where the Na'vis live. Jake, in Avatar form, goes to live with the Na'vi in order to gather info for the military. While living with them, Jake learns about their culture, their way of life and he starts to see the world trough their eyes. His guide and teacher is the Na'vi Princess, Neytiri. As you might guess, she becomes a romantic interest too. As you watch the movie, you come to care about the characters, especially the Na’vis and the way they respect nature, the animals and above all, life itself, which is a good lesson for all of us to learn and practice. I found myself becoming involved and caught up in the story and characters in a way that I have seldom experienced in many other movies.. it’s an altogether awe inspiring, thrilling, super-visual experience.
“Avatar” represents the wonderful culmination of James Cameron’s greatest moments as a director; bearing the boldness and surprise of 1984’s “Terminator”, the vision and pacing of “Aliens” and the sweeping scope and romance of “Titanic”. And by the way the very gifted James Horner is back for the music and musical score ( he did the wonderful music for “Titanic”).”
Avatar” is one of the best if not THE best film of the year. In fact, it may be one of the most exciting, visually superb films you'll ever feast your eyes. “Avatar” is a movie experience to be savored and remembered, AND you absolutely MUST see this in a theater preferably with 3D and if possible at I-Max 3D.
Clark

TRIVIA NOTES:
1) A full phonetic Na'vi language was created entirely from scratch by linguist Paul Frommer, who was hired by James Cameron to construct a language that was easily pronounceable by the actors, but lacking any resemblance or influence from any single human language. Around 500 words were created.
2) The movie is 40% live action and 60% photo-realistic CGI with a lot of motion capture technology and 3D.
3) With an estimated budget of at least $280,000,000, this is one of the most expensive movies ever made. (For instance, to get an idea of the labor intensive cost of doing the CGI (computer generated imagery), over 800 artist and technicians worked for over 6 months at a location in England solely on that phase of the movie.

INVICTUS…2.5***


There is Hollywood’s way of making movies and then way. Actor/Director Clint Eastwood stamps each of his films with his own imprint. They are straight to the point movies that don’t waste the audience’s time on needless subplots or extraneous events.
there is the Eastwood
The film is about Nelson Mandela and the period of his life after he was released from 27 years in prison. Soon thereafter he was elected President of South Africa and he inherited a very divided racial country. The blacks didn’t trust the whites and vice versa. In order to unite the country Mandela (Morgan Freeman) came up with the idea of using sports, or, one should say, the sport of rugby which was the sport of choice in South Africa. The Springbok rugby team had for years represented South Africa…...at least the “white” South Africans who had ruled South Africa before Mandela as an Apartheid, racially divided country . The team was lead by Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) and he and his teammates were heavy underdogs to win the 1995 World Cup. Still Mandela thought they could and he enlisted the help of Piernar to inspire the team to greatness.

This is the bare bones of the plot We get glimpses along the way of the country, of Mandela, and of Pienaar and the team…but there are no “getting to know you” scenes. It is either basic to the plot or it is not shown. As long as you can appreciate Mandela’s dream of unity and how he uses the team to achieve that goal then you don’t need to know anything about the sport of rugby. Freeman and Damon are excellent but especially Freeman whose performance is nearly flawless…the role fits him like a glove …he becomes Mandela. He will be in the running for a Best Actor Oscar nomination.

My problem with the movie was that I was not inspired…I watched, I enjoyed, but I was not captivated by the story or the characters. It was almost as if I was watching a well-done documentary on the History Channel. So, to me it was not great but still quite good because it is about great people and great events.

Clark

THE ROAD 3.5***
How to describe this stunning movie. It is as bleak and despairing as any you may ever see which was also true of the book. But, it is ,nonetheless, an inspiring, powerful love story of a father and son. The setting is sometime in the not so distant future following a global disaster of massive proportions…an apocalypse leaving only a few survivors in the world and they are in a horribly desperate place where civilization has deteriorated to the point of complete lawlessness. The "bad" guys are human only in the sense that they still look like humans but they have become mean, vicious marauders who rape and kill without hesitation..initially for the thrill of it and also to steal food, water and other materials. When the food runs out they then capture and kill with their victims becoming the food…yes, cannibalism.

"The Road" is the story of a father and son making the very perilous "road" trip from their former home to where they hope and believe there is a better safer place… somewhere in the southern part of the USA where the other "good" people are supposedly gathering to live in a restored civilization. The trip…the long “road” they follow and only on foot..is so treacherous, so full of danger and menace.. not only are they worn out and exhausted by the journey, those watching the film will be too This is a truly hard film to sit through and endure for the full 1 hr. and 53 min...but if you can endure the darkness, it has its rewards. The father-son love story is moving and powerful, the cinematography is remarkable for presenting such a realistic apocalyptic world and the acting is excellent, especially by Viggo Mortensen, as the lovingly, dedicated father… he will be nominated for an Oscar.

Surprisingly, there is very little violence, no gore, no profanity…there is suspense as you are constantly in fear for the father /son, and foremost an almost overpowering feeling of dread and despair…offset only, but not completely, by the touching, powerful love story.

Only the most sturdy or heart and disposition should attempt this movie…it is the complete..180 degree opposite of a "feel good" movie. In fact, after I saw it I had to go home and watch some several “Three Stooges" episodes on TV to restore myself. BUT, despite its drawbacks, it is an excellent artistic movie.

Clark

NOTE: I have seen “Avatar”… my review coming soon… it is absolutely stunning…a 4**** film. YOU MUST SEE IT IN 3D.

2012 2.0*** (barely)


Believe it or not, “2012” cost 260 million dollars (that’s more than a ¼ of a BiIIion $$) and is 158 minutes long. At roughly 1.65 million dollars a minute, one might at least expect a thrill-a-second work of exciting entertainment. Unfortunately, the many millions spent on this overblown special effects “end of the world” movie are a colossal waste of epic proportions which the movie was meant to be..i.e,. of epic proportions. There is no plot to speak of – primarily it is about Jackson Curtis (John Cusack) learning of the impending end of the world and his trying to rescue his 2 kids and ex-wife ( Amanda Peet) from the disaster. That's about all that happens in the entire movie - for over 2.5 hours! And after you have seen Cusack and his family miraculously escape death, time and again and then time after time once more (whether by earthquake, plane crash, volcanic eruption, tsunami, etc., etc.) the whole thing becomes so wearisome and unbelievable that you almost find yourself rooting for the tsunami to end their desperation just so the movie can end and you can go home. For some, me included, watching this movie was like being hit over the head with a baseball bat multiple times until you eventually are stunned into an abject stupor.

So why are so many people flocking to see this movie…primarily for one reason, the SPECIAL EFFECTS. They are , simply put, amazing. Not credibly, mind you, but dazzling nonetheless. Unlike other disaster pictures, “2012” doesn't just involve a couple of major US locations ( Los Angeles, Yellowstone Park, Washington DC, New York City). It also involves the whole world and we get glimpses of San Paola, Brazil, London and even the Vatican being obliterated (I almost cried when they showed the Sistine Chapel in St Peters collapsing). AND, there are a whole variety of disasters. There are monstrous floods and tsunamis, 10 scale earthquakes, massive ash rain, horrific volcano eruptions... well, you get the idea. It's all very visually dynamic and the variety of it not only left me in awe, but also made me realize I was watching the ultimate disaster film. …the super “popcorn” movie of all time.

So, should you go or not. Yes and no depending upon whether you can completely disengage your brain and fully engage your other non-thinking senses..eyes and ears. Since I knew this going into this movie, I was partially able to enjoy it, especially the special effects. But only partially because my brain refused to be put on hold for 158 minutes. It re-engaged itself for the last 28 minutes and revolted against the near total illogic of the story…when I didn’t leave, there was almost a neurological meltdown. BUT despite this, “2012’ was still a fun, at times exciting, roller-coaster-ride visual experience and I don’t regret having seen it.

If you think you want to see, you MUST see it on the big theatre screen with the surround, multi sound system…you must…otherwise, don’t see it all.

Clark

THE BLIND SIDE 3.5****
This is one of those BIG surprise movies that comes along every now and then. It is basically a medium-to-low budget, independent film where they did everything right and it has turned out to be a BIG audience favorite and a BIG money maker to boot. “The Blind Side” has literally “blind-sided” the traditional Hollywood crowd/producers by taking an “it’s been done before” sports story and successfully turning it into an endearing and inspiring movie that is good for the whole family. In fact, it should have received a PG rating rather than PG-13..there is so little that could be considered offensive , the family value of the film should have prevailed and allowed for a PG result.
The Blind Side" depicts the true story of Michael Oher, a homeless African-American youngster from a broken home, taken in by the Touhys, a well-to-do white family living in Memphis, TN, who help him fulfill his potential. At the same time, Oher's presence in the Touhys' lives leads them to some insightful self-discoveries of their own. As a football player and student, Oher works hard and, with the help of his coaches and adopted family, has the opportunity to make something of himself.
Leigh Ann Tuohy (Sandra Bullock), seems to have the life most women would envy, a wonderful supporting husband(Tim McGraw), and two great kids(Lily Collins and Jae Head). But one day while driving home, she sees, a larger than life teenager whom everybody calls Big Mike (Quinton Aaron). When she tries to talk to him, he comes across as quite shy and withdrawn. When she determines he is homeless, she decides to take him into her well-to-do home with the full support of her family. Michael is a man-boy of few words. This gentle giant brings out the best in other people, especially his new family. He is a teen without an attitude…..a rarity and , as it turns out, the same is true of the Tuohy kids, although they are more all-around-outgoing kids.
The soul of this excellent film is Sandra Bullock . She commands the screen… she is smart, sassy, and strong, Yet she endears herself to you with her touching relationship with Michael, who is authentically played by Quinton Aaron. Aaron is deceptively expressive and strong. Both are well cast and give excellent performances. Country singer, Tim McGraw (who is so believable as Bullock’s husband you may not recognize him) gives a solid performance and he holds his own next to Bullock's fast and feisty Leigh Anne. Jae Head, who plays the Tuohy's son, steals a lot of scenes with his quick wit and enthusiasm. There is also a small but good role for Kathy Bates.
“The Blind Side” will touch your soul and warm your heart…it’s a winner… a fine “feel-good” movie.
Clark