I'M BACK! - A brief update on my hiatus

HELLOOOOOO!!!

Long time no see! I think that this is the longest hiatus I've taken from posting. It's been TWO FREAKIN MONTHS since I've written here, so give me a chance to explain. It's for a good reason, I swear. 

About six weeks ago, I got a text from a good friend informing about an opening for a job at Columbia College Chicago's newspaper, The Columbia Chronicle. The Chronicle is America's #1 non-daily college newspaper. It's true because it says so on their business cards. Plus, they have a TON of award plaques hanging in the waiting room. That shit straight up lines the walls.

The open position in question was for a new FILM CRITIC so I threw my hat in the ring with this blog LITERALLY being my only qualification. Within 24 hours after getting the text from my friend, I had sent an email to the associate editor, booked an interview, and was commissioned to write a review of Captain America: The Winter Soldier for the following week's paper. 

I felt like Jeremy Lin - from D-League to hitting jump-shots over Kobe Bryant in no time at all. It was unreal.

Although my articles in the Chronicle don't read quite like they do here, they are professionally written and published, which is far more impressive than this blog. That being said, editing at the Chronicle is far more intense (and surprisingly fun) than editing here... which is practically nonexistent. They're just two totally different beasts. 

It was a phenomenal five weeks of writing and hopefully I'll be back to it again in the fall, but now that it's summer... BACK TO THE BLOG!

So yeah, the reason I haven't written here in two months is because I've been writing for the newspaper, which takes a huge chunk of my time. Now that it's summer, I'm back to my mostly usual shenanigans here at Weitzel Talks About Movies, which is going to get a makeover when I have some free time. 

Once school ends in the next few days, I'll be doing regular postings when I see movies. Because this blog is kind of getting a reboot, I'll be changing up my signature "no-bullshit" writing style to a hybrid of my Chronicle writings to my blog writings. 

We'll see how it works... and that's the end of the update. 

I can't wait to get back to writing my usual reviews. It's been great working at the Chronicle and I hope to work for them in the fall, but for now, let's have some good 'ol fashioned Weitzel-style fun. 

See you guys at the movies, 

- Josh R. Weitzel

THE GRAND BUDAPEST HOTEL - Review

The Grand Budapest Hotel

Dramatic Comedy, 2014
1 hour, 39 minutes
Written and Directed by Wes Anderson
Rated R for "language, some sexual content and violence"

Starring
Tony Revolori
Ralph Finnes
F. Murray Abraham
Willem Dafoe
Adrien Brody
Saoirse Ronan
Jeff Goldblum
Mathieu Amalric
Jude Law
Harvey Keitel
Edward Norton
Tilda Swinton
Bill Murray
Jason Schwartzman

"I don't know what sort of cream they've put on you down at the morgue, but I want some."

Everybody loves Wes Anderson. I don't think I've met a single person who has told me otherwise. He's a prolific and intelligent auteur and he's got the power to do anything he wants. Thankfully, The Grand Budapest Hotel almost delivers on everything it promised.

The film takes place primarily in flashback told by an elder version of the main character, Zero Moustafa (the elder Zero played by F. Murray Abraham). Zero (the younger played by Tony Revolor) was once a lobby-boy in training at the beautiful Grand Budapest hotel when it was in his prime. He works hard under the tutelage of M. Gustave H (Ralph Fiennes) and learns the ways of being a lobby-boy. When Gustave receives word that a close and wealthy companion, Madame D. (Tilda Swinton) has died, he travels with Zero to pay his respects. Soon after, he inherits a priceless painting called "Boy With Apple." However, Gustave is framed for the murder of the Madame, and Zero is sent on a wild adventure to prove Gustave's innocence.

The Grand Budapest Hotel is rather ambitious for Wes Anderson. While most of his films are based around relationships, Hotel is a witty and delightful crime-caper. Despite being somewhat convoluted in execution, plot threads are tied up nicely, like any Wes Anderson picture. In addition, it's basically what you would expect from Anderson's films. His very distinct visual style is very, well, distinct. Two-dimensional cinematography (shot mostly in a 1.33 aspect ratio) and muted colors bring wonderful life to the gorgeous set pieces. The pacing is rather quick, but is only strengthened by the use of sharp dialogue. The film is also rather funny, even if it does take a few unexpected turns. There are actually a few moments that are rather shocking, and yet, these moments might just leave you in stitches.

There are very few issues with the film. I was mostly unsatisfied with how the film plays with aspect ratios, seeing as the 1.85 is only used briefly at the opening and finale, and the 2.35 is hardly used for scope. That being said, the use of 1.33 for the majority of the film actually works quite well. It becomes unnoticeable since it hardly stops Anderson's style from shining through.

As for the actual plot, there were a couple of threads that I would have liked to see through to the end. A few emotional beats, while touching and thoughtful, just didn't get a proper conclusion. And, probably my biggest complaint, is that the stellar cast is hardly used. On paper, this is one of the finest casts assembled in recent memory. And yet, so few of these characters are used to their fullest extent. Bill Murray has maybe two minutes of screen time, but he boats the most impressive mustache in the entire movie. And there are many impressive mustaches in this one.

I personally felt as though the film could have done more. While I absolutely loved the main story arc and the writing and the visuals and the characters, I felt that perhaps I set my expectations too high. I went in expecting a huge ensemble piece, but I walked away with a simple yet well executed caper. I don't think that the film quite exceeded my expectations. They merely met them at a slightly different junction. And that's okay!

The Grand Budapest Hotel is exactly what you should look for in a Wes Anderson movie. There really isn't much else to say about it. If you like his movies, then there's no reason not to love his latest outing.

9.1/10

ACADEMY AWARDS - 2014 EDITION

Salutations, fellow readers! I apologize for not having written many reviews lately. It's that time of year in which nothing is really coming out because the good stuff is being saved for the fall. So, yeah. Not much to write about now. But that doesn't mean I've forgotten about you.

So, without further ado, here are my Oscar predictions for this year's awards. I won't be listing the entire list of nominees because of how time consuming it is, but you can find such a list right here. I'm not going to bother writing description for everything. 

BEST PICTURE 

Who Will Win - 12 Years a Slave

Let's be real, everyone knows this is happening. This movie was made for the Oscars, and there's very little doubt with anyone that it'll win. While the other nominees are actually pretty great, but 12 Years stands out above the rest. 

Wh Should Win - 12 Years a Slave

It really does deserve it. I've talked about how much I loved this film for a damn good reason, and I'll honestly be shocked if it doesn't win. 

The Dark Horse - Gravity or American Hustle 

If not 12 Years, it'll be one of these two. While I think it's more likely to go to Gravity, American Hustle has a decent shot, even if it doesn't deserve it. 

ACTOR IN A LEADING ROLE

Who Will Win - Matthew McConaughey - Dallas Buyers Club

Who Should Win - Chiwetel Ejiofor - 12 Years a Slave

The Dark Horse - Bruce Dern - Nebraska

ACTRESS IN A LEADING ROLE

Who Will Win - Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

Who Should Win - Cate Blanchett - Blue Jasmine

The Dark Horse - Sandra Bullock - Gravity

ACTOR IN A SUPPORTING ROLE 

Who Will Win - Jared Leto - Dallas Buyers Club 

Who Should Win - Pretty Much Anyone Except for Bradley Cooper

I'm very indifferent as to who wins this award... unless it's Bradley Cooper. How crazy would it be if Jonah Hill becomes an Oscar winner?

The Dark Horse - Bradley Cooper - American Hustle

ACTRESS IN A SUPPORTING ROLE

Who Will Win - Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

Who Should Win - Lupita Nyong'o - 12 Years a Slave

The Dark Horse - June Squibb - Nebraska

Not gonna lie, I kind of want her to win. She was fucking hysterical. 

DIRECTING

Who Will Win - Alfonso Caurón - Gravity

Who Should Win - Alfonso Caurón - Gravity

The Dark Horse - Steve McQueen - 12 Years a Slave

ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

Who Will Win - 12 Years a Slave

Who Should Win - Before Midnight

The Dark Horse - Any one of these nominations


ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

Who Will Win - Her

Who Should Win - Her

The Dark Horse - Well... pretty much any one of these noms. 


VISUAL EFFECTS

Gravity is literally going to win every single technical award it has been nominated for. 


That's probably everything worth talking about. Let's be real, we all know that Gravity is going to win every technical award and maybe nothing else. It totally deserves it. 

THE LEGO MOVIE - Review

Hello readers! Sorry I haven't been around since mid-January, but I've been busy doing all sorts of nothing. I mean, school's back up again, so there's that... I've seen a few movies since, but nothing that I've felt the urge to write about. But I'm trying to get back in the swing of things, so here's the first movie review of 2014. Hope you enjoy.

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The Lego Movie

Animated Action-Adventure, 2014
1 hour, 40 minutes
Written and Directed by Phil Lord and Chris Miller
Rated PG for "mild action and rude humor"

Starring
Chris Pratt
Will Farrell
Elizabeth Banks
Morgan Freeman
Will Arnett
Liam Neeson
Nick Offerman
Charlie Day
Alison Brie

"I don't think he's ever had an original thought."

I never thought that I would actually enjoy a 100 minute commercial for a kids toy. Because lets face it, even if you think it's the best movie ever made, it's still a commercial. That's what the GI Joe movies are and that's what the Transformers movies are. It's based on a popular toy. But what makes The Lego Movie so special is that it's a really really good.

The Lego Movie is about a Lego piece named Emmet. Emmet is an ordinary Lego piece, think the default dot-eyes and default hair piece. Nothing special about him. One day, Emmet discovers something called "The Piece of Resistance," which according to an ancient prophecy, will stop the oncoming destruction of the world at the hands of Lord Business who plans on gluing the world together. Emmet is dubbed "The Special," (basically The Chosen One) and must learn to become a "Master Builder." So he teams up with a girl named Wyldstyle, an old wizard named Vitruvius, and some guy named Batman in order to save the world.

Okay... okay... this sounds kind of weird, right? It sounds like a cruddy direct-to-DVD kids movie. Surprisingly, it's not. It's funny. Very funny. There aren't any cleverly hidden adult jokes like in Pixar movies, but there's lots of good bits. The voice acting is fantastic with A-list stars making up pretty much the whole cast. Will Arnett is actually great as Batman, and Chris Pratt pretty much plays his character from Parks and Recreation, so you know he just nails it. There's also an absurd amount of cameos. Not just the voice actors, but the sheer number of Lego characters in the film is astounding.

My favorite thing about the movie was the animation itself. Combining stop-motion and CGI, the world of Lego is shockingly detailed, oftentimes looking as though it was made in someone's basement. Even explosions are made entirely of Lego bricks. Aside from the level of detail, every world is colorful and cleverly crafted. Action sequences are fast paced and always clever, but thankfully it's never disjointed or bogged down by shaky-cam.

But the MOST impressive thing about The Lego Movie is it's inspiring message. It wouldn't be fair to give anything away because it's just so well implemented. It's a kids movie, so expect it to be a tad cheesy, but there's nothing wrong with that. One thing is for sure, however: you WILL be surprised at where it takes you.

Overall, The Lego Movie is the last movie I would have expected to be good. It's well animated, voice acted, and has an inspiring message. Despite the fact that it's basically a commercial and that it sells itself, it never feels like one. On top of being a well made movie, it also serves the fundamental purpose of movies: pure entertainment.

9.5 / 10

Top 20 Movies of 2013

There isn't a lot to be said about movies from 2013. I mean, you could say basically the same thing every year. There are good movies, bad movies, movies that were almost good, movies that looked good, movies that you didn't expect to be good... it's a whole song and dance.

2013 brought the return of Spike Jonze, the Cohen Brothers, Martin Scorsese, and Alfonso Cauron. Not to say that they've been gone (except for maybe Jonze, who hasn't made a feature since 2009) but it's nice to have a great variation of writers and directors back and doing something interesting. While Gravity is the only film that really did something incredible from a technological standpoint, we got a slew of great character dramas. There were some sequels that were pretty good like Star Trek Into Darkness and some movies that didn't quite pan out,*cough cough Man of Steel cough cough*

I'll admit that my list might look generic to other list, but there's a good reason for that: these movies are fucking awesome.

Admittedly there are a few movies that I missed this past year, but I think I'm set unless something else comes to my attention. But for now, this list is how it stands, and the top 10 come with my highest recommendation... although I ask that you pay close attention to #1. It was NOT EASY to pick my #1 because it was almost a split vote between that and my #2. It was tough, but I think I made a good choice.

The links for the top 5 are trailers. 

20. The Place Beyond the Pines

19. Prisoners
18. American Hustle
17. Blue is the Warmest Color
16. Star Trek Into Darkness
15. The Spectacular Now
14. The Wolf of Wall Street
13. Captain Phillips
12. Blue Jasmine
11. This is the End
10. Gravity
9. Before Midnight
8. Mud
7. Nebraska
6. Frances Ha

5. Fruitvale Station
I didn't get a chance to review this movie. It would definitely have gotten a perfect 10, no question. The film starts out with real video footage of Oscar Grant being shot (the film is based on a true story). The film ends with Oscar being shot. No surprise there. But what is surprising is Oscar's seemingly ordinary journey to get to that point. We are able to sympathize with Oscar so easily, but once we see him get shot... It's incredibly powerful.

4. Inside Llewyn Davis
This is arguably the Coen Brothers finest work. A beautiful character piece with a wonderful soundtrack and fine performances. Llewyn Davis himself is probably one of my favorite Coen characters. He might be an asshole, but he's just so damn human that you just can't help but be impressed with the Coen's writing. You'd think they'd make him some wild or unusual guy, but nope. He's just perfectly ordinary. That's a rare thing for a character piece nowadays. And that's what makes this movie so damn good.

3. Her
Her is an exaggerated look at modern relationships. It's all about technology nowadays. Writer/director Spike Jonze takes a bold risk by making a movie about a guy who falls in love with his operating system. Much like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, the film uses the wonderful world of low-key science fiction to tell a beautiful and unconventional love story. And Hollywood is too full of love stories. We just need ones that are different. And unbelievably beautiful.

2. 12 Years a Slave
Writer/director Steve McQueen is gonna go down in history. His third feature following two art-house films, 12 Years a Slave is basically "the Schindler's List of slavery films." And it really is. It's unbelievably powerful and painful to watch at times. It's unflinching. It doesn't stop until the credits roll., and by that time you're in fucking tears. Like weeping tears. Many movies met my expectations this year. 12 Years a Slave exceeded them to an unprecedented level.

1. Short Term 12
Nobody saw this fucking movie. Nobody. Made on a budget of under a million and released in a handful of screens, Short Term 12 is the story of a young woman in her 20s named Grace working at a foster-care facility. Throughout the film, we meet and learn about some of the kids in the facility, as well as Grace's haunting past. The movie will make you cry one minute, the next, you'll be laughing. The performances are effortless from the entire cast, particularly from Brie Larson of 21 Jump Street fame. There are no major names here. It's not trying to win tons of awards, but I'll be damned if this movie doesn't get any recognition other than amazing reviews, because right now, it's not. And that's a damn shame. These are the kind of movies that I want to make. It's movies like Short Term 12 that make movies worth watching.

HER - Review

Her

Sci-Fi/Romantic Comedy/Drama, 2013
2 hours, 5 minutes
Written and Directed by Spike Jonze
Rated R for "language, sexual content and brief graphic nudity"

Starring
Joaquin Phoenix
Scarlett Johansson
Amy Adams
Rooney Mara

"I've never loved anyone the way I love you."

Let's be real, most romantic movies are marketed towards women. Always a hot girl falling for a nerdy guy, or a hot guy falling for a nerdy girl, or two stupidly attractive people having stupid first world problems and they're all mostly dumb. When looking at romance movies, there are only three that come to mind as being perfect. Lost In Translation, a funny, quiet, and simple romance, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, a bizarre, bittersweet, and unusually clever look at an ordinary couple's relationship. The third would be Her. 

Okay, now the premise is really weird. A lonely guy falls in love with his AI operating system... yeah, it's pretty strange. That being said, it's actually rather sweet. The film stars Joaquin Phoenix as a lonely, recently divorced man named Theodore. Theodore is a writer, a man of simple taste. One day, Theodore picks up a new operating system for his computer, simply named OS 1. The OS is an artificial intelligence that grows and learns over time after getting to know the user. Theodore's OS (voiced by Johansson) names herself Samantha. Theodore is a little uncomfortable at first, but quickly warms up to the idea. Soon, Samantha starts asking questions because she is learning how to "feel" emotions. So... they start dating. Each other. And it goes without saying that it's strange and a little uncomfortable at times, but you get used to it. And crazier still, you start to believe that what they have is, well, real. And like most relationship dramas, things get out of hand, which gets into some pretty strange territory.

It's strange premise aside, Her is very impressive visually. The world is made up of a sleek, yet warm and muted color palette. The year is never defined, but one can assume that it's in the near future. Everything has a futuristic vibe to it, even the fashion. And I suppose a lot of the technology in the film exists already. For example, Theodore's first OS before Samantha is the equivalent of Apple's Siri. He has a tiny, wireless earpiece, a phone, and a computer, but it's all connected to one another.

The performances are equally impressive. Phoenix is a very sympathetic character. He's just an ordinary guy with some problems, and his ability to act without another person in the room is very natural. Johansson's voice work is very impressive as well. She doesn't feel like just a voice, she feels like a real character. You can pick up on the smallest of nuances in her voice. It's one of her best performances to date.

As unusual as it may seem, Her is probably one of my favorite movies of the year. It's a different kind of sci-fi, the kind of sci-fi that doesn't need an incredibly high concept. It's a low concept character drama that uses a high concept world to tell it's story and it pays off in spades. And on top of that, it's truthful especially in today's age. It will make you think a lot more than you'll expect.

I think if there's just one movie that I remember from this year, it's going to be this one.

9.8/10

THE WOLF OF WALL STREET - Review

The Wolf of Wall Street

Biographical Black Comedy, 2013
3 hours
Screenplay by Terence Winter
Based on the book The Wolf of Wall Street by Jordan Belfort
Directed by Martin Scorsese

Starring
Leonardo DiCaprio
Jonah Hill
Margot Robbie
PJ Byrne
Kenneth Choi
Jon Bernthal
Kyle Chandler
Rob Reiner
Matthew McConaughey
Jean Dujardin
Brian Sacca
Henry Zebrowski

"You have my money taped to your tits. Technically you do work for me."

I've been so excited about The Wolf of Wall Street since the trailer premiered a few months back. The trailer is funny, exciting, and insane. It's so perfect, I've watched it probably 100 times. Thank God it lived up to the hype.

I can't remember the last time I sat in a movie theater for 3 hours. Sadly, the one real criticism I hear is that it's too long. And it might be. A few minutes of fat could've been trimmed down. But whatever. Haters gonna hate, taters gonna tate... whatever the fuck that means.

The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, a stock broker who starts his own company and makes a ton of money... I can't really say a ton about the plot mostly because the main plot stuff is all about the stock market and I'm not about to explain how that shit works. Mostly because I only understand a little bit of how it works. I'm not a damned economist, get off my back. In a nutshell, Belfort gets his first job on Wall Street, but after a short time there, the company closes down, and he sells penny stocks out of a tiny building in a strip mall. Turns out, his experience with the big leagues helps out quite a bit, and he manages to make a killing off of selling practically nothing. So he takes the next natural step and starts his own company. And they're pretty successful. And then he and his insane buddies do a shit-ton of coke and fuck a ton of hookers. It's part drug addiction, part sex addiction, and all money addiction.

The movie plays out similarly to Goodfellas, in more ways than one. There are tons of structural parallels. For example, the film starts out with a flash-forward, and then after about 5 minutes, the movie jumps into a flashback where we're taken through the events of how Belfort got to where he is in the first scene of the film. And it catches up maybe 40 minutes or so into the movie, and it all feels very natural. Sound like Goodfellas yet? There are a lot more parallels, and if you pregame with Goodfellas before you see this, you'll know exactly what I'm talking about. Even at three hours, this structure works to it's advantage. There are a few moments that were stretched a bit thin, but for the most part, it works very very well. The movie also reeks of Scorsese. His definitive style is so remarkable and vibrant, he's the perfect man for this script.

But it's the characters that steal the show. A lot of people complained that nobody in the movie is likable, but I disagree. The character's decisions are unlikable. They're all self absorbed coke addicts that make awful decisions. And yet, they're all so charismatic that you just have to keep watching. Some films might tiptoe around their characters, but with Wolf, you're right there the whole time. You know everything about these guys that you feel like you're best friends with them. And all of this goes the same for Goodfellas. See? Parallels!

And it's no doubt that the performances are all excellent. DiCaprio is at his finest, probably his most memorable role since Django Unchained. He's fucking insane in this, from start to finish. So is Jonah Hill, who plays something totally unlike Jonah Hill. Even in Moneyball, you look at him and think "Oh, Jonah Hill," but in this, he's something completely different. I think it's his best role to date. And he's still hilarious. Even Rob Reiner, who doesn't do a lot of acting, his hilarious in his brief time on screen. And everyone is so damned charismatic and hilarious that it's impossible to dislike anyone. And I should definitely mention Matt McConaughey's brief, yet scene stealing performance.

I don't know if The Wolf of Wall Street is the best movie of the year, but it's most likely clinched a top 10 spot on the list. It is, without question, the best stock market movie you'll ever see. Watch Wall Street or Margin Call? Nah. Skip those. Wolf is the best damned movie in the genre.

Also, quaaludes. If you don't know what a quaalude is, don't bother looking it up, just wait to see it in the movie. Oh my good gracious, this movie would be nothing without quaaludes. Quaaludes make up a couple of the funniest scenes in the entire movie. Hell, one of the funniest scenes in 2013.

9.5/10

AMERICAN HUSTLE - Review

American Hustle

Drama/Comedy, 2013
2 hours, 9 minutes
Written by Eric Warren Singer and David O. Russell
Directed by David O. Russell
Rated R for "pervasive language, some sexual content and brief violence"

Starring
Christian Bale
Amy Adams
Bradley Cooper
Jeremy Renner
Jennifer Lawrence
Louis CK
Jack Huston
Michael Peña
Robert DeNiro

"We were so successful for so long because we kept it just small enough."

I love David O. Russell. He doesn't go for spectacle or anything explosive. He just makes good, straight-shooting movies. He makes great romance movies. He made a great boxing movie. I've never seen anything bad from him, even his earlier work is pretty solid. Russell really knows how to work with actors, and he's great at choosing actors with natural talent.

This time around for American Hustle, he took the best parts of his last 2 movies, Silver Lining's Playbook and The Fighter, these parts being actors from these films. Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence from Silver Linings Playbook, and Amy Adams and Christian Bale from The Fighter. The performances in this movie are all around stellar. STELLAR. Each and every character is so vibrant and distinct and watching them all interact with each other is great. Everyone has fantastic chemistry, impressive for something with a good-sized cast of very talented A-listers. It also has Louis CK as an FBI director, who pretty much just acts like Louis CK. But that's ok, because it's fuckin' Louis CK.
The movie is definitely a lot funnier than you'd expect. I don't think I would exactly call it a comedy, but it does have a few fantastic moments of subtle hilarity. Even Christian Bale's hair is fucking hysterical.

Strangely enough, the story is the weakest link. It's not that it's even a bad story. It just moves at such an incredibly breakneck ADHD speed that you might get lost at a couple of key points in the film. It's a little complex and could be clearer, but it's still good for the most part. The overall plot is easy to track, but the subtleties are easy to overlook.

Russell definitely has another hit with American Hustle. For its missteps in it's plot, it's characters and performances more than make up for what will most likely be called one of the best movies of the year.

9.3/10

OLDBOY (2013) - Review

Oldboy (2013)

Action/Mystery, 2013
1 hour, 45 minutes
Based on the Korean film Oldboy, directed by Chan-wook Park
Screenplay adapted by Mark Protosevich
Directed by Spike Lee
Rated R for "strong brutal violence, disturbing images, some graphic sexuality and nudity, and language"

Starring
Josh Brolin
Elizabeth Olsen
Sharlto Copley
Samuel L. Jackson
Michael Imperioli


"I've been thinking about it for twenty years."


Well I don't know what I was expecting.

The original Oldboy, a gritty Korean revenge film, is nothing short of spectacular. I could go on for hours about it. Unfortunately, I'm not here to talk about Chan-wook Park's movie. I'm here to talk about Spike Lee's American remake.

I think I was right about assuming that American audiences weren't ready for an adaptation of Oldboy. For those who have seen the original, you know what I'm talking about, don't pretend you don't. I mean, it's a pretty fucked up movie. Like, really, beyond fucked up. But in a totally awesome and entertaining way. While Lee's adaptation follows closely in it's footsteps, it often missteps and falls flat on its face.

The story is pretty much identical to the original: A man is captured and imprisoned in a hotel room for 20 (15 in the original) years without an explanation. He kind of loses his mind. His only company is a television set. One day he is released from captivity without explanation, and is given some money and a cellphone. He sets out to find who imprisoned him. So he goes and does stuff. I don't want to give anything away.

So, what's wrong with this remake? Lots of shit. The only redeemable quality is Josh Brolin as the lead character. Also, Samuel L. Jackson is in it and he does say "motherfucker" a few times. He's basically Jackson in every Jackson movie ever. So that's fun. But otherwise, it's just all wrong. The writing is really weird. Characters do shit that makes literally no sense at all just to advance the story. There are a few moments that build drama that are then just completely ignored, and the story moves forward. The editing is sloppy. There are a few cuts that just take you from one scene to the next without any kind of tension, it just happens and it's weird and I don't like it. They also re-created the hallway fight scene. I shit you not. If you've seen the Korean version, you know what I'm talking about. I mean, they actually did a decent job, but for the most part, I'm just a little peeved that they had the balls to go through with it. Sharlito Copley's performance is way too overdone to the point where it's just annoying as fuck. Some of the twists are a little different, and not in a good way. Finally, the remake's ending is far too Hollywood for my taste. Korea did it better.

From what I understand, the producers took a few liberties with the cut of the movie, taking out a significant amount of footage that apparently made it better. I doubt it. Although I would certainly like to see this director's cut, I doubt it will even compare to the original.

But seriously, there's no reason for this movie to exist. I can only hope that this will turn people to watch the Korean Oldboy. Because it's really, really good.

4/10

FROZEN - Review

Frozen

Animated Musical, 2013
1 hour, 25 minutes
Written by Jennifer Lee
Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee
Rated PG for "some action and mild rude humor"

Starring
Kristen Bell
Idina Menzel
Jonathan Groff
Josh Gad
Santino Fontana
Alan Tudyk
Chris Williams
Maurice LaMarche

"You want to talk about a problem? I sell ice for a living."

Frozen is the latest in Disney's princess/musical lineup, and for the most part, it's good. It didn't blow my mind or anything, but it's still enjoyable. The animation is pretty much identical to Tangled, with solid character design and vibrant colors. The songs are pretty good, but only a couple really stand out. The movie kicks off feeling very much like an old school Renaissance era movie, which made me pretty excited. Unfortunately, the feeling disappeared quickly. There are maybe two or three musical numbers that really made me feel like I was watching a classic Disney movie.

However, Frozen does a lot of new stuff that I wasn't expecting. The movie, in a nutshell, is about two sisters named Anna and Elsa. Anna is a carefree, but lonely princess. Her older sister, Elsa, has powers that let her freeze stuff. Why does she have these powers? Don't bother looking for an explanation. There isn't any, but it's kind of hard to look past simply because of how important it is to the film. So basically, some shit happens and Elsa runs off and kinda sorta causes an eternal winter in the kingdom. So Anna goes off to find her. She teams up with a little comic-relief snowman named Olaf and a guy named Kristoff and Kristoff's moose named Sven. So they go on adventures and they sing and stuff.

The best thing about Frozen is the characters. Excellent voice work gives the characters a tremendous amount of depth. This isn't just Anna and Kristoff, the main characters. This also applies greatly to Elsa, who is probably the most sympathetic villain in Disney history. She's more of a victim than anything else. Anna and Kristoff have great chemistry and a surprisingly believable relationship. Olaf, the little snowman dude, is really just there for comic relief, which isn't really needed. Some of his stuff falls flat, but when he's funny, he's funny.

There are a few story beats that felt really rushed, mostly in the beginning and end of the movie. There's a lot of exposition that is mostly effective, even if it is short. Once the movie hits its main story beats, then it really takes off and gets good. And yet, the ending, while not entirely predictable, still felt like it was tying up its loose ends at a breakneck pace.

I definitely don't think that Frozen is the best Disney musical out there, but it's probably the one we need right now. It's not amazing, but I'm happy that Disney is trying out some new stuff with its storytelling. Some of it pays off, some of it doesn't. I don't think it even compares to the Disney Renaissance films, but some may argue otherwise. I personally prefer hand-drawn animation instead of 3D animation, but hey, that's just my opinion.

7.4/10