Scream 4 Review

                                    

                                                           3 Nuts!

Director: Wes Craven

Scream is back and bloodier than ever.  Eleven years after the last Scream movie, Wes Craven was ready to give it another go. Was bringing this franchise back for the 21^st century really necessary? Absolutely, and it’s a damn good thing they did.

Poor Sydney Prescott, this woman just can’t seem to catch a break.  In this installment Prescott  (Neve Campbell, Scream)  returns to her home town of Woodsboro, where the infamous “Woodsboro killings” took place years earlier.  She is there to publicize her new self-help book about her life and the horrific murders that have befallen so many of her friends over the years.  It finally seems like things are settling down for Sydney.  Of course, that doesn’t last long when a new ‘Ghostface Killer’ arrives on the scene to once again ruin her life and the lives of the people close to her.  It now appears her younger cousin Jill Roberts (Emma Roberts) and her friends are the new targeted victims.

This movie did not disappoint.  It’s clever, suspenseful, and delivers the perfect balance of frights and laughs.  The audience will still be creeped out and on the edge of their seats.  This is what makes the franchise so great (especially the first two Scream movies), its ability to poke fun at horror movies while at the same time remain true to the horror genre.  The film makes fun of itself which the audience has come to expect, but this time it goes one step beyond; making fun of itself for making fun of itself.  The film is aware that the franchise is being dragged out and somehow they still make it work. 

All the familiar faces the viewer has come to love (less the ones killed over the years) are back including Courteney Cox and David Arquette.  It’s nice to see them again, picking up their old character roles and being worked into the new plot.

One of the best parts of Scream films are the introductions.  The original Scream had one of the creepiest horror movie introductions to date.  Scream 2’s intro was extremely clever, in which the opening scene takes place in a movie theater.  It’s hard to imagine a scarier scene to watch while the viewers are seated in a movie theater themselves.  This intro although not as good, still was very well done and fits in perfectly with the feel of the originals.

In a peaNut Shell: Scream 4 is one hell of a good time.  If the viewer enjoyed the first two films this one will not disappoint.  It may not be as good as the first two but it’s impressive how smart this movie is considering that this is the fourth installment.  With all the unsatisfactory horror movies put out today, the audience will walk out of this one pleased.

First published in The Daily Targum

The Conspirator Review

                                                      

                                                         2 1/2 Nuts

Director: Robert Redford

John Wilkes Booth killed President Lincoln on April 15, 1865.  Exactly one hundred and forty six years later The Conspirator is released and asks the question; who conspired with Booth to take down the president?  Mentioned in the film’s tagline and throughout the movie comes the answer; “One bullet killed Lincoln, but not one man”.  Her name is Mary Surratt, a middle-aged Catholic, Confederate sympathizer, played by Robin Wright. She ran a boarding house where Booth stayed along with many of the other men complicit in planning the assassination of President Lincoln and Secretary of State Seward.

The film focuses primarily on Frederick Aiken, played by James McAvoy, an ex- union officer, placed in the unenviable position of defending Mrs. Surratt.  Although it is Surratt who is on trial, the entire film is from the viewpoint of Aiken. The movie centers more on the troubles he experience while defending Surratt, than that of her own.  Internally he is conflicted because he is unsure of her innocence, and at the same time he is being ostracized from society and looked upon as a traitor to the Union.  These are the more fascinating parts of the film.

Unfortunately the appealing parts of the film are surrounded by extremely slow periods, which seem to drag on and go nowhere.  The movie’s premise is rather intriguing but there are too many scenes riddled with unnecessary dialogue. The court room scenes standout in the film; this is mostly due to McAvoy’s strong performance fighting for this seemingly guilty woman. 

The issue posed in the film is not whether Surratt is innocent or guilty but rather is she being tried fairly.  Redford, the director of the film, purposely raises this issue.  This was a strange time for the country.  The Civil War had just ended and the people wanted to see the guilty parties punished for the atrocities committed.  The film depicts the trial as being exceedingly contrived; it seems like no matter what happens, whatever evidence Aiken presents, Mrs. Surratt will be found guilty.

The cinematography and set design feels true to the time period.  The picture is not as sharp as many movies made today; dust seems to be present in many of the courtroom shots however that only adds to the authenticity. 

In a peaNut Shell: At times The Conspirator has potential to be a great film, but can’t seem to sustain it throughout.The story is fascinating and raises a lot of questions regarding the judicial system, especially military court. The film can be rather slow and boring at parts but people interested in the post- Civil war period should go and see it.

First published by The Daily Targum

Your Highness Review

                                                 
                                                          2 1/2 Nuts

Director: David Gordon Green

With the amount of publicity Your Highness received via both the internet and television, one wonders if there is a chance of it living up to the hype. Could this movie turn into our generation’s The Princess Bride?  Unfortunately, the answer, is no. 

The film is about Thadeous played by Danny McBride, who sets out on a quest with his brother Fabious (James Franco, Spiderman). Together they must rescue Fabious’s soon to be wife, Belladonna from the evil Wizard Lizar. In their travels they run into Isabel, played by Natalie Portman, who assists them on their journey.

The story isn’t exactly original. However this film is intended as a comedic spoof of medieval times so it doesn’t need to be original to still be funny. Regrettably the parody doesn’t work well, due to the fact that everything is taken to such extremes that the audience knows this isn’t even remotely close to what it was like back then. This film is in no way subtle with it’s very ‘In your face’ humor.  Although the characters speak using old English, the content of the dialogue comes right out of the 21^st century. 

There is no denying, this is a funny film that has the audience laughing from start to finish.  Unfortunately, the problem lies in ‘how’ the movie gets the audience to laugh. There was an unusual amount of jokes where the punch line was the F-bomb. Sure, it was funny the first few times but eventually one grows tired of it and wants something different. The film seems to sink to the lowest common denominator to get a laugh and then somehow goes lower.  

With all the film’s flaws, Danny McBride keeps this comedy afloat. He is hysterical, and the majority of the laughs come from his lines. James Franco and Natalie Portman are not particularly bad in the film; however their characters could have been easily played by anyone else. They are much stronger as serious actors then they are as comedic actors as we have seen in their respective signature performances in 127 hours and Black Swan.  

A lot of time (and money) was put into the set design and mythological creatures in this film.  The creatures fit well with the absurd and perverse feel of the rest of the movie. A good deal of special effects is used for both the monsters and the wizard’s magic. They went a bit over the top in these areas almost to a fault, and viewers may find themselves rather annoyed by the bright lights and loud noises during the fight scenes. 

In a peaNut Shell: This is still a funny movie, despite its problems. Although, anyone past college age will probably find this film offensive and should refrain from seeing it for this reason. It’s not a great comedy; however there are many scenes where you are guaranteed to laugh and isn’t that the point anyway?


First published in The Daily Targum 

Source Code Review

                                                            3 Nuts!

Director: Duncan Jones

Source Code is one of those movies that will have viewers talking about it well after the ending credits. This sci-fi thriller is smart and utterly enjoyable.  The film is about Captain Colter Stevens, played by Jake Gyllenhaal, who wakes up on a train in someone else’s body and is forced to relive the last 8 minutes of that person’s life,  before the train blows up.  Stevens soon learns that his mission is to find out who blew up the train. 

For the first 45 minutes of the film the audience is just as confused as our protagonist; learning things only as he learns them.  Although this gets a bit confusing, the plot remains intriguing.  The film follows Stevens as he tries to uncover who the bomber is while at the same time figure out what’s really going on with him. 

Quick editing is perfectly utilized in the early parts of the film to create a sense of instability in Stevens’ world.  When he first wakes up on the train he is very fidgety and the camera enables the viewer to feel his discomfort.   Each time Stevens is sent back to relive the 8 minutes, the same events occur; a soda can is heard opening, and then it cuts to a woman spilling some of her drink on Stevens’ shoe.  The audience knows these events are coming and so does Stevens.

Many of the funny moments came from the star Jake Gyllenhaal whose natural energy and charisma make him a very likable character.  The one character in the film that was miscast is Jeffery Wright who plays the creator/inventor of this mission. His lines feel forced and overacted at times.

Although the first hour is very strong, I felt like the last 30 minutes were a bit weaker.  Not that the conclusion of the film is weak, I just felt it loses some of the shine it had in the beginning.  The film’s tone changes a bit and a few scenes begin to feel like something other than an action thriller.  The last few minutes deliver a twist but it happens too fast and is done almost too casually. 

In a peaNut Shell:  Source Code is a solid sci-fi thriller that feels like The Matrix meets Groundhogs Day. There are a few plot holes, but that should not stop you from enjoying it. This film is well worth your time.

This review was first published by The Daily Targum