The Grand Budapest Hotel

"Why do you want to be a lobby boy?"

"Well, who wouldn't - at the Grand Budapest, sir. It's an institution."

A Young Writer (Law) travels to the Grand Budapest Hotel in 1968 and meets the owner Mr. Moustafa (Abraham) who tells the story of how he came to own the hotel.

In 1932, Zero (Revolori) is hired as the lobby boy at the Grand Budapest Hotel.  The hotel is frequented by wealthy clients who expect to hotel to cater to their every whim.  Overseeing every aspect of the hotel is concierge M. Gustave (Fiennes) who takes Zero under his wing.  The death of their oldest and wealthiest client, Madame Celine Villeneuve Desgoffe und Taxis (Tilda Swinton), sets a target on Gustave as the world around him changes.


Director Wes Anderson has a distinct style: it is easy to pick out his films.  This film falls into his usual wheelhouse, but takes it up a notch.  He is joined by many of his regular actors, while giving new faces a chance to shine.

You need to pay attention from the beginning to catch all of the little details of the story.  The story / screenplay, written by Wes Anderson, is inspired by Austrian writer Stefan Zweig.  Zweig was a popular author in the 1920s and 1930s, which is the time period for the main part of the story.

The film is very colorful.  Every aspect is bright and pops and is very well-thought out.  Every character has a distinctive personality and style.  And the characters are entertaining, they keep you guessing.  Ralph Fiennes owns the film as Gustave.  He is charismatic and draws your attention.  He has excellent chemistry with Tony Revolori.  Revolori holds his own on screen with his talented co-stars.  There are so many funny and memorable characters in the film, without feeling like it's bloated.

This is Anderson's first film to be nominated for an Academy Award for Best Film.  The film is nominated for 8 other Oscars, along with numerous other awards.

The Grand Budapest Hotel (2014) 100 minutes
Rating: R for language, some sexual content and violence
Director: Wes Anderson
Starring: Ralph Fiennes as M. Gustave
Tony Revolori as Zero
Adrien Brody as Dmitri Desgoffe und Taxis
Willem Dafoe as J.G. Jopling
Jeff Goldblum as Deputy Vilmos Kovacs
Saoirse Ronan as Agatha
Edward Norton as Inspector Henckels
F. Murray Abraham as Mr. Moustafa
Mathieu Amalric as Serge X.
Jude Law as Young Writer

Virunga

The Virunga National Park in the Democratic Republic of Congo is home to the last of the mountain gorillas.  The gorillas are considered protect species  It is also the home to many natural resources, including oil, bringing it to the attention of many different parties.  British oil company Soco International is looking to drill for oil, and the militia group M23 want to control the area for their own financial benefit.  Poachers regularly invade the park to hunt gorillas.  The park also serves as a sanctuary for locals who have no where else to go.

The park is run by Emmanuel de Merode, Belgian royalty turned chief warden who serves as the voice of the park.  He is assisted by head park ranger Rodrigue Mugaruka Katembo, a former child soldier, and a staff of park rangers.  The park rangers put their lives on the line every day to defend the park, and over the past 15 years over 130 have lost their lives.  The rangers also care for injured gorillas and help nurse them back to health.  Andre Bauma is the main gorilla carer, who views the gorillas as part of his family.  French journalist Melanie Gouby fearlessly goes undercover to investigate Soco's actions towards the park.  As civil war breaks out, can these individuals protect Virunga?

I discovered this film because it was nominated for an Oscar (Best Documentary Feature), and since it was available on Netflix's Instant Streaming I decided to give it a try.  It is a powerful documentary / film.  Director Orlando von Einsiedel shows the beauty of the park with sweeping cinematography that takes your breath away, while also showing the harsh realities that surround the park.

Before the credits roll there are a few notes about events that took place after filming, but before the release of the film.  The biggest event happened in April 2014: Emmanuel de Merode took evidence against Soco to the Congolese authorities and was shot several times.  He survived and returned to his post in May.

Like 2013's Blackfish, this documentary has already had a tremendous impact on the situation depicted within the film.  Hopefully this renewed interest will help the park and the gorillas survive.

Virunga (2014) 90 minutes
Director: Orlando von Einsiedel

The Interview

"Haters gonna hate, and ain'ters gonna ain't!"

Dave Skylark (Franco) is the popular host of the show Skylark Tonight where he interviews celebrities to uncover personal information and gossip.  The show's producer is Aaron Rapaport (Rogen), who longs to be involved in serious news, and is also Dave's best friend.  After celebrating 1,000 episodes they learn that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un (Park) is a big fan of the show and they decide to setup an interview.

Aaron is contacted by Sook Yung Park (Bang), a North Korean propagandist, with the terms of the interview.  Aaron and Dave are also contacted by FBI agents Lacey (Caplan) and Botwin (Alexander), who propose that they assassinate Kim Jong Un.  In North Korea, Dave bonds with Kim Jong Un and has second thoughts about the plan, while Aaron falls for Sook.  Can they get the perfect interview (and prove that they can do serious journalism) and get out of North Korea with their lives?


I was not planning to watch this film.  Even after all of the controversy and Sony pulling it from theaters, I was mildly curious but didn't make plans to see the film.  Seth Rogen is funny, and I enjoy some of his work, but everything he writes is crass and littered with profanity.  And while James Franco is a decent actor, I have absolutely no respect for the man.  But when Netflix added it to Instant Streaming, my curiosity won out and gave the film a chance.

The film has an interesting premise: what happens if a journalist is forced to kill an interview subject?  Rogen and Evan Goldberg are a good writing team, and have had success on previous films; this is their second directorial project (after 2013's This Is the End).  They are funny, but I don't tend to enjoy their films because they take scenes to an extreme (usually gross humor and excessive language).  This film fits squarely in their wheelhouse.  It is funny and has a talented cast, but takes things too far.  It is a controversial subject, but doesn't do enough what they had.  Franco and Rogen have great chemistry (and have worked together numerous times due to that chemistry) and play off each other well.  Lizzy Caplan is good, as usual.  Diana Bang was funny as well, and I look forward to seeing her in future films.

An ok film, that doesn't fit the hype it received.

The Interview (2014) 112 minutes
Rating: R for pervasive language, crude and sexual humor, nudity, some drug use and bloody violence
Director: Evan Goldberg & Seth Rogen
Starring: James Franco as Dave Skylark
Seth Rogen as Aaron Rapaport
Lizzy Caplan as Agent Lacey
Randall Park as Kim Jong Un
Diana Bang as Sook Yung Park
Timothy Simons as Malcolm
Reese Alexander as Agent Botwin
James Yi as Officer Koh
Paul Bae as Officer Yu

Fantasia 2000

As a follow-up to Walt Disney's Fantasia, Disney animators teamed with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra to introduce a new generation to classical music.  The Chicago Symphony Orchesta was under the direction of James Levine.  Every segment is introduced by a celebrity.

•  Symphony No. 5 in C minor-I. Allegro con brio by Ludwig van Beethoven. (Directed by Pixote Hunt)
  Paper butterflies dancing.
• Pines of Rome by Ottorino Respighi. (Directed by Hendel Butoy)
  The story of a family of humpback whales, with a curious baby, that can fly.
• Rhapsody in Blue by George Gershwin. (Directed by Eric Goldberg)
  The day in life of four very different people in 1930s New York City.  Animation in the style of Al Hirschfield.
• Piano Concerto No. 2 in F Major-I. Allegro by Dmitri Shostakovich. (Directed by Hendel Butoy)
  Based on the "The Steadfast Tin Soldier" by Hans Christina Anderson, this is the story of a one-legged toy soldier who falls in love with a toy ballerina and protects her from an evil jack-in-the-box.
• The Carnival of the Animals, Finale by Camille Saint-Saens. (Directed by Eric Goldberg)
  Answers the question: what would happen if you gave a yo-yo to a flamingo?
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas (Directed by James Algar)
  The scene from the original 1940's Fantasia.
• Pomp and Circumstance - Marches 1, 2, 3 and 4 by Edward Elgar. (Directed by Francis Glebas)
  Donald Duck is the assistant to Noah, and needs to get all the animals on the Ark, without losing Daisy.
• Firebird Suite - 1919 Version by Igor Stravinsky. (Directed by Paul and Gaetan Brizzi)
  A Spring Sprite and her elk friend, accidentally awaken a Firebird that leaves destruction in it's wake.

Walt Disney originally planned for Fantasia to have new sequences every few years.  But that vision was unrealized for decades.  In 1974, Disney's nephew Roy Disney had the idea to make a sequel to Fantasia.  He pitched the idea in the 1980s, with production beginning in 1990.  The animation used a combination of computer-generated images on top of hand-drawn animation.  I appreciate that they wanted to honor Walt's vision and update the formula... but some aspects just don't work.

This time, they decided to have celebrities introduce each segment, but the introductions are mostly jokes, instead of introductions of the piece of music and the animation you are going to see.  The most successful introduction is Quincy Jones, the rest are painful.  It also felt like a mistake to include The Sorcerer's Apprentice.  Yes, it is a beloved classic, but it doesn't fit with the new shorts.

The new shorts and music are a mixed bag.  Rhapsody in Blue is brilliant.  The animation is unique and tells a compelling story while complimenting the music.

I enjoyed Pomp and Circumstances, but it felt like a strange combination: the graduation song paired with Donald Duck in Noah's Ark.  I enjoyed the animation, but I think a different song would work better.  The ending Firebird Suite is great as well.  Visually stunning and the the music is great as well.  The Carnival of Animals sequence is short and slapstick, but cute.  The Steadfast Soldier is a good idea, but the animation is terrible.  The same problem plagues the Pines of Rome sequence.  And the opening is ok, but never really lives up to it's potential.

It was a nice attempt, but inconsistent.  Better song choices and consistent quality in the animation would help.  Again, I appreciate that they are trying to introduce children to classic songs in a way that they will enjoy, but the original is better.

Fantasia 2000 (1999) 74 minutes

Fantasia

"What you will see are the different things that might pass through your mind if you sat in a concert hall listening to this music. At first, you are more or less conscious of the orchestra. So our picture opens with a series of impressions of the conductor and the players. Then the music begins to suggest other things to your imagination."

The animators at Walt Disney Studios illustrate well-known classical music, as performed by the Philadelphia Symphony Orchestra.  The orchestra is under the direction of Leopold Stokowski, and each piece is introduced by composer and music critic Deems Taylor.

• Toccata and Fugue in D Minor by Johann Sebastian Bach. (Directed by Samuel Armstrong)
  Live-action shots of the orchestra that fade into abstract images.
• Nutrcracker Suite by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky. (Directed by Samuel Armstrong)
  Fairies, mushrooms, and flowers dance to selections from Tchaikovsky's famous ballet.
• The Sorcerer's Apprentice by Paul Dukas.  (Directed by James Algar)
  Mickey Mouse is the young apprentice of sorcerer Yen Sid and decides to try some magic on his own.
• Rite of Spring by Igor Stravinsky. (Directed by Bill Roberts and Paul Satterfield)
  The history of Earth, as explained by scientists, from formation to the extinction of the dinosaurs.
• The Pastoral Symphony by Ludwig van Beethoven. (Directed by Hamilton Luske, Jim Handley, and Ford Beebe)
  A day in the life of the creatures of Greco-Roman mythology, as they fall in love and gather for a festival for the god of wine.
• Dance of the Hours by Amilcare Ponchielli. (Directed by T. Hee and Norman Ferguson)
  A ballet based on the four times of day: morning, afternoon, evening, and night.
• Night on Bald Mountain by Modest Mussorgsky and Ave Maria by Franz Schubert. (Directed by Wilfred Jackson)
  At night the devil Chernabog summons demons and evil spirits from the dead.  As morning breaks a chorus sings Ava Maria on their way through the woods.

This film was a major risk for Walt Disney.  Originally he wanted feature The Sorcerer's Apprentice in his successful Silly Symphonies series, but wanted to take the concept further.  He talked with composer Leopold Stokowski about the idea, and the two decided to work together.  After filming The Sorcerer's Apprentice they talked about making a feature film similar to a concert, which was a new and risky move.

In 1938 Stokowski's contract was extended so that they could bring the idea to fruition.  Stokowski and composer / music critic Deems Taylor worked together to present a selection of music to Disney and the animators.  Disney brought in his best animators to create works that evoke the movement of each piece.  And he set about finding a way to give audiences the feeling that they were at a concert, by creating Fantasound.

The film set the tone for future Disney films that took inspiration from music and told short stories within a single film (Make Mine Music, Fun and Fancy Free, Melody Time, Saludos Amigos, and Three Caballeros all come to mind).  Ultimately it was a success and is still considered an excellent film decades after it's release.

My grandparents had this film on VHS and I remember watching it as a child.  I hated the Rite of Spring / dinosaurs section and refused to be in the room when it was on until I was in middle school.  I loved the Sorcerer's Apprentice, Pastoral Symphony, Dance of the Hours, and the Nutcracker Suite the most, and still enjoy those pieces of music.  I wasn't a huge fan of the Night on Bald Mountain / Ava Maria section until I was older and appreciated the juxtaposition between the pieces.  We performed Night on Bald Mountain in our marching band show during my senior year, and I even had part of the song as my ringtone for a bit.  I still have fond memories of these pieces and appreciate that as a child I was exposed to these classical pieces in  a way that I could understand and enjoy, as I still enjoy classical and orchestral music as an adult.

Of all of the pieces from this film, The Sorcerer's Apprentice is clearly the biggest hit.  Mickey in the sorcerer hat is an iconic image, and is used in the Disney parks.  Disney saw Fantasia as a film that could remade every so many years with a new series of classical pieces with original artwork.  That vision was realized in 1999 when Disney studios released Fantasia 2000, a sequel of sorts.  And in 2010 Disney made a live-action Sorcerer's Apprentice film.

Fantasia (1940) 125 minutes
Starring: Deems Taylor - The Narrator
Leopold Stokowski - The Conductor

Ida (2013)

In 1962 Poland, Anna (Trzebuchowska) is a young novice nun just weeks away from taking her vows.  She has never known life outside of the abbey and never met anyone in her family.  Prior to taking her vows, the Mother Superior (Halina Skodzynska) forces her to meet her aunt.  Her aunt is Wanda Gruz (Kulesza) a well-known Polish prosecutor, now judge, who works with the Stalinist regime.  Anna soon learns that her life is a lie, her real name is Ida Lebenstein and she is Jewish.  Her parents were killed during World War II, but somehow she survived and ended up at the abbey.

Ida wants to visit her parents grave, but no one knows where they are buried.  Wanda and Ida begin a road trip to her hometown to find answers.  Wanda is an alcoholic and smoker, and Ida has lived a sheltered life.  Can they find the answers about her past, so she can decide her future path?


This is a striking film.  Director Pawel Pawlikowski chose to film in black and white, and that decision is aided by the beautiful cinematography by Ryszard Lencewski and Lukasz Zal.  Every scene is meticulously placed to emphasize different aspects of the film.  That often means that the characters are only partially seen or are out of focus, to help illustrate the feeling of the scene.  The close-ups are very moving, and the characters are very expressive with minimal dialog.

Agata Kulesza is a star in Poland, and is excellent here.  According to IMDb, Pawlikowski was having trouble finding the right actress to play Ida, and asked his friends to photograph anyone that seemed like a fit for the character.  This is Agata Trzebuchowska's first film and first time acting, previously she was a student.  She is a natural, and hopefully will continue to act.

This film has already won many awards in Europe.  It received three awards from the Polish Film Academy, including Best Film of 2013.  It also won five awards from the European Film Academy.  All of this prestige helped it earn Poland's entry into the Best Foreign Language Film category of the 2015 Academy Awards.  The film is in Polish with English subtitles.

Ida (2013) 82 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements, some sexuality and smoking
Director: Pawel Pawlikowski
Starring: Agata Trzebuchowska as Ida Lebenstein
Agata Kulesza as Wanda Gruz
Dawid Ogrodnik as Lis
Adam Szyszkowski as Feliks Skiba
Jerzy Trela as Szymon Skiba
Joanna Kulig as Singer

Million Dollar Arm

"How fast do they pitch in cricket? [pause] Fine, bowl. How fast do they bowl in cricket?"

In 2008, J.B. Bernstein (Hamm) and his business partner Ash Vasudevan (Mandvi) are struggling.  They are successful sports agents, but most of their clients have retired and young new players are being snatched by larger companies.  After losing their last hope to a big company, they are scrambling for another solution.  J.B. gets the idea to go to India and turn a cricket player into the next baseball player.  They team with Mr. Chang (Ma), a wealthy business man, to create a competition called the Million Dollar Arm.  J.B. takes retired scout Ray (Arkin) and goes to India to start the search.

At the end of the competition, Rinku (Sharma) and Dinesh (Mittal) are named the winners, and travel back to Los Angeles.  Amit Rohan (Pitobash), a huge baseball fan, comes along to serve as the translator and to learn about coaching.  J.B. and his team have a short amount of time to turn Rinku and Dinesh into baseball players in time for their MLB tryouts.


This film is based on the real story of MLB players Rinku Singh and Dinesh Patel.  They were the winners of the Million Dollar Arm competition and were brought to the University of Southern California (USC).  In 2008, while they were training at USC they were filmed by Neil and Michael Mandt.  That footage was used to help garner interest in the film.  Sony Pictures purchased the screen rights to their life story.

This film succeeds because they made excellent casting decisions.  Jon Hamm is charismatic on screen.  He is good, even when you don't like the character, you still want to root for him.  Suraj Sharma and Madhur Mittal are adorable.  They are endearing actors and easy to empathize with them.  Pitobash is funny and entertaining as Amit.  They are great together.  Lake Bell is not my favorite actress, but I like her here.

It is a typical sports movie, but still a powerful story.

Million Dollar Arm (2014) 124 minutes
Director: Craig Gillespie
Starring: Jon Hamm as J.B. Bernstein
Aasif Mandvi as Ash Vasudevan
Suraj Sharma as Rinku Singh
Madhur Mittal as Dinesh Patel
Bill Paxton as Tom House
Lake Bell as Brenda Fenwick
Alan Arkin as Ray Poitevint
Pitobash as Amit Rohan
Allyn Rachel as Theresa
Darshan Jariwala as Vivek
Tzi Ma as Will Chang

Grown Ups 2

"Confidence. K-O-B-R-Q-V-Y. Confidence."

"Well, we're not gonna have to pay for college. That's for sure."

The Feder family has relocated from Hollywood to Lenny's (Sandler) hometown of Stanton, Connecticut.  His best friends also live in town with their families.  It is the last day of school for the kids, so Lenny, Kurt (Rock), Eric (James), and Marcus (Spade) decide to spend the day reminiscing about their teen years.  Kurt is disappointed that his wife Deanne (Rudolph) forgot their anniversary, and decides to avoid work for the day.  Eric and his wife Sally (Bello) are disagreeing about how to raise their children, so he is avoiding her and spending extra time with his doting mother (Georgia Engel).  And Marcus is avoiding his teenage son Braden (Ludwig), who he just met.  Lenny is trying to convince his wife Roxanne (Hayek) that they don't need any more children.

Their plans are interrupted by a group of cocky fraternity boys, who laid claim to their old swimming hole.  As Lenny tries to teach his kids about dealing with people, he is confronted by his childhood bully Tommy Cavanaugh (Steve Austin).  And the whole town is coming over for a big impromptu party at the Feder home.


Three years after Grown Ups premiered, they decided to make a sequel, making this star / writer / producer Adam Sandler's first sequel.  Dennis Dugan returned as the director, and the majority of the cast returned as well.  Rob Schneider was unable to return, due to scheduling conflicts.  This is Dugan's 8th film collaboration with Sandler.

Like the original, this film capitalizes on the easy chemistry between the leads: Sandler, Kevin James, Chris Rock, and David Spade.  All four are talented comedians and together they seem to have a great time.  The kids are all back, and giving Higgins a son was a smart idea.  Once again there are entertaining cameos for former (and current) SNL cast members.  There are too many to discuss, but each one is memorably weird.

The film won't appeal to everyone... and actually most of the reviews I read were condemning the movie.  But like it's predecessor, I enjoyed it.  It is funny and doesn't try to hard to be something that it isn't.  Sure, it's not great art, but at the end of the day, it's funny and sometimes that's all you need a movie to be.

Grown Ups 2 (2013) 101 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for crude and suggestive content, language and some male rear nudity
Director: Dennis Dugan
Starring: Adam Sandler as Lenny Feder
Kevin James as Eric Lamonsoff
Chris Rock as Kurt McKenzie
David Spade as Marcus Higgins
Salma Hayek as Roxanne Chase-Feder
Maya Rudolph as Deanne McKenzie
Maria Bello as Sally Lamonsoff
Nick Swardson as Nick
Colin Quinn as Dickie Bailey
Tim Meadows as Malcolm Fluzoo
Shaquille O'Neal Officer Fluzoo
Alexander Ludwig as Braden Higgins

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return

Dorothy Gale's (Michele) home town is hit with another devastating tornado.  Their farm will need serious repairs, along with most of the town.  Before she can do anything, Dorothy and Toto are whisked back to Oz, via a rainbow.  Along the way, she talks to her friends Scarecrow (Aykroyd), Tin Man (Grammer) and Lion (Belushi) and learns that Oz is in trouble.  The Jester (Short) has stolen the Wicked Witch of the West's broomstick.  With that power, and the muscle of the flying monkeys, he is trying to rule all of Oz.

The transmission is cut short when the flying monkeys capture her friends, but Dorothy and Toto arrive safely.  They want to reach the Emerald City to meet up with their friends and stop the Jester, but can't find the way.  They team up with Wiser (Platt) a talkative owl that can't fly, Marshal Mallow (Dancy) a duty-bound soldier, and China Princess (Hilty), the delicate ruler of the China kingdom.  Can Dorothy and her new friends save Oz?


In the 1980's The International Wizard of Oz Club approached Roger S. Baum, the great-grandson of original Oz author L. Frank Baum, to write original Oz stories.  Since then he has written several Oz books and other children's books.  In 1989, he wrote "Dorothy of Oz", which became popular enough for Summertime Entertainment to adapt it to film.

I have never read the original Oz series, or Roger Baum's source novels.  The film bears very little resemblance to it's source (which I believe is also the case with The Wizard of Oz).  The film is a disaster.  The animation is ok.  The new characters are ok, but not overly interesting.  The songs are eh... not memorable or good, but not terrible.  I was underwhelmed.  The voice talents are good, but they are wasted here.  It's not a terrible movie, but it isn't a good movie either.

Legends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2013) 92 minutes
Director: Will Finn & Daniel St. Pierre
Starring: Lea Michele as Dorothy Gale
Dan Aykroyd as Scarecrow
Jim Belushi as Lion
Kelsey Grammer as Tin Man
Hugh Dancy as Marshal Mallow
Oliver Platt as Wiser
Megan Hilty as China Princess
Martin Short as Jester
Patrick Stewart as Tugg

This Is Where I Leave You

"It's hard to see people from your past when your present is so cataclysmically screwed up."

After their father dies, the Altman siblings agree to sit Shiva at their childhood home.  None of them are happy about the arrangement, especially when they learn that they all have to stay in the house for a week, but give in when their mother (Fonda) says it was their father's final wish.  Oldest son Paul (Stoll) still lives in their hometown and runs the family sporting goods store, and his wife Annie (Hahn) is trying to get pregnant.  Daughter Wendy (Fey) is married and has two young children.  Middle son Judd (Bateman) is getting a divorce, after catching his wife Quinn (Spencer) having an affair with his boss Wade (Shephard), but does not tell the family about the situation.  Youngest son Phillip (Driver) is reckless, trying to become an entrepreneur and dating his much older therapist Tracy (Britton).  The siblings have not been together for years and are barely civil to each other.

While home, Judd reconnects with Penny (Bryne), an old friend who had a crush on him.  Wendy is still in love with her high school sweetheart Horry (Olyphant), who suffered a brain injury when they were younger.  He still lives with his mother Linda (Monk),  Hilary's best friend, across the street from the Altman home.  All of the time together causes old wounds and arguments to resurface.  Can they survive the seven days of Shiva?


Apparently the film is based on the novel "This Is Where I Leave You" by Jonathan Trooper, who also wrote the screenplay for the film.  I have never read the book, but I intend to.  Based on several reviews and message boards, the book is significantly better than the film (as is usually the case) and is tonally different.

The film is interesting, but it was definitely aided by the excellent cast.  Jason Bateman is a strong lead, and it was nice to see him in a serious role.  He has good chemistry with the other leads and seems game for whatever the script throws his way.  I enjoy Tina Fey in everything, and it was nice to see her in a different role.  Adam Driver is interesting, and I can see why he is so popular right now.  Corey Stoll seems to be in everything lately, but that isn't a complaint.  He is good here.  The cast as a whole is impressive, and work well together.  Rose Bryne's character is the least interesting, but she has good chemistry with Bateman, so it's easy to overlook some of the flaws.  And Timothy Olyphant is heartbreaking.

I mostly enjoyed the film, and look forward to reading the novel to see how that shapes my opinion of the film.

This Is Where I Leave You (2014) 103 minutes
Rating: R for language, sexual content and some drug use
Director: Shawn Levy
Starring: Jason Bateman as Judd Altman
Tina Fey as Wendy Altman
Jane Fonda as Hillary Altman
Adam Driver as Phillip Altman
Rose Bryne as Penny Moore
Corey Stoll as Paul Altman
Kathryn Hahn as Annie Altman
Connie Britton as Tracy Sullivan
Timothy Olyphant as Horry Callen
Dax Shephard as Wade Beaufort
Debra Monk as Linda Callen
Abigail Spencer as Quinn Altman
Ben Schwartz as Rabbi Charles Grodner

The Maze Runner

"Great, we're all bloody inspired."

Thomas (O'Brien) wakes up with no memories.  He soon learns that he is in the Glades, a community of teenage guys.  Their home is surrounded by a giant maze, which they cannot escape.  Every night the gate to the maze closes, trapping them inside, while the maze changes.  The Gladers have survived for 3 years by looking out for each other and working as a group.  Every month they receive supplies and a new recruit, who has no memories.  They have a set of rules, the main one is that no goes into the maze, unless they are a Runner.  Runner's travel through the maze every day and document what they find, to see if they can find some way out.  They are led by Ably (Ameen) the charismatic first boy to enter the Glades.  Thomas is befriended by Alby, his second-in-command Newt (Brodie-Sangster), the lead Runner Minho (Lee), and Chuck (Cooper) the youngest of the group.

Thomas' arrival changes everything.  The next day a runner is attacked, and the boys are spooked.  And then another new arrival appears, this time it is an unconscious girl, Teresa (Scodelario), with an ominous warning in her hand.  As things get worse, can Thomas and his new friends figure out how to escape the maze and get some answers?


A friend introduced me to "The Maze Runner" novel by James Dashner a few years ago.  I loved the book and quickly read the other books in the series (including the prequel).  I was overjoyed that they were going to adapt the series, and couldn't wait to see the film.

I loved the film.  I thought they explained things well, and I loved how they brought the world of the book to life.  However, reading comments and the message board at IMDb, it seems like most people were confused by the film.  You really need to pay attention to pick up some of the important details, things that fans of the book would already know.  Some of the main questions / issues / plot holes that people have with the film are covered in later books, and hopefully will be explained in the sequel(s).

The casting choices were excellent.  Dylan O'Brien, best known for his role on MTV's Teen Wolf, is an excellent Thomas.  He is the audience surrogate and carries the film well.  Aml Ameen has a strong presence in the film, and is incredibly charismatic.  Ki Hong Lee is excellent as Minho, and I look forward to seeing him more in the sequel.  The rest of the boys are spot on, and deliver strong performances as their characters.

The film differs slightly from the books, but most of the changes are minor.  Due to the success of the film, the sequel Maze Runner: The Scorch Trials will premiere in September 2015.  The series will conclude with Maze Runner: The Death Cure will premiere in 2017.

I suggest reading the book, actually read the whole series, before watching the film.  You will understand more and will appreciate how well the film was adapted from the book.  I look forward to seeing the sequel, and hopefully it will do well enough for a film version of the final book and potentially the prequel (Dashner is currently writing another prequel, set to be released in 2016).

The Maze Runner (2014) 113 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for thematic elements and intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action, including some disturbing images
Director: Wes Ball
Starring: Dylan O'Brien as Thomas
Aml Ameen as Alby
Ki Hong Lee as Minho
Blake Cooper as Chuck
Thomas Brodie-Sangster as Newt
Will Poulter as Gally
Kaya Scodelario as Teresa
Dexter Darden as Frypan

Anything Goes (1956)

Bill Benson (Crosby) is a well-known Broadway star.  He is preparing for his next show, but just needs to find the rest of the cast.  His agent, Victor (Kurt Kasznar) hires popular TV star Ted Adams (O'Connor) to be the other lead.  Thankfully the two men get along, but each have distinct ideas about who is the star and what to do with the other.  The female lead still needs to be cast, so the two men head to Europe to find the perfect girl before rehearsals begin.

Bill goes to see a musical and is impressed with Patsy Blair (Gaynor).  After the show he meets Patsy and offers her the job.  With a little prodding from her father Steve (Harris), she accepts the job and they make plans to meet in a few days to sail back to America.  Meanwhile, in Paris Ted meets nightclub headliner Gaby Duval (Jeanmarie) and offers her an iron-clad contract for the lead role.  The night before they return to America, the men realize that they now have 2 leading ladies, and each feels they made the right choice.  On the ship as they try to sort out the mess, Ted falls for Patsy and Bill falls for Gaby.  Can they find a solution before the girls find out the truth?


In 1934, Guy Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse (with revisions to the book by Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse) and Cole Porter collaborated to create Broadway musical Anything Goes.  The original show starred Ethel Merman and was a success.  In 1936 Paramount Pictures turned the show into a movie musical with Merman and Bing Crosby in the lead roles.  In 1954 the show became a TV movie for the Colgate Comedy Hour, again starring Merman with Frank Sinatra.  Since then the show returned to Broadway in 1987 with Patty LuPone in the lead, and again in 2011 starring Sutton Foster.

This film adaptation bears little resemblance to the show or the other film / TV versions.  The film retains Porter's famous songs, and adds 3 new ones: "Ya Gotta Give the People Hoke," "You Can Bounce Right Back," and "A Second Hand Turban And a Crystal Ball", all written by Jimmy Van Heusen and Sammy Cahn.  Porter's tunes are given new arrangements, while the plot is brand new.

Bing Crosby and Donald O'Connor work well together.  Their opening duet "Ya Gotta Give the People Hoke" proves their chemistry.  Crosby gets to sing a few ballads, and does most of the heavy lifting in "Blow, Gabriel, Blow".  O'Connor gets another memorable dance routine "You Can Bounce Right Back" which is charming.  Here is the video... there is dialog at the beginning which is then translated... but the dance is cute.

O'Connor has excellent chemistry with Mitzi Gaynor.  Gaynor gets the big powerhouse song "Anything Goes", but done in a new way.  Changing the song was a smart choice, as Gaynor does not have the big voice required to really sell the song as it is normally written.  Her version is good and fits her voice and dancing abilities.  I was not familiar with Jeanmarie, but she is good here.  She is a wonderful dancer and gets her own dream ballet sequence.  Together all four are great.

The film is decent, but never achieved the kind of love and fandom of other musicals of the other musicals by the stars.  I enjoyed it, but I do not plan to add this musical to my collection or list of favorite musicals (even though I enjoy the stage show).

Anything Goes (1956) 106 minutes
Director: Robert Lewis
Starring: Bing Crosby as Bill Benson
Donald O'Connor as Ted Adams
Jeanmarie as Gaby Duval
Mitzi Gaynor as Patsy Blair
Phil Harris as Steve Blair

TV: My Boys

"Wine tasting is really just a classy way for people to get day-drunk."

P.J. Franklin (Spiro) is a sports writer for the Chicao Sun Times.  She loves sports and drinking beer with her closest friends at their favorite bar.  She also hosts a weekly poker game with the guys.  The guys are her DJ roommate Brendan (Scott), sports memorabilia seller Kenny (Bunin), commitment-phobe Mike (Kaler) who works for the Chicago Cubs, her grumpy brother Andy (Gaffigan) who is a lawyer and has a wife and daughter, and Chicago Tribune sports writer Bobby (Howard).

Having so many men in her life, makes dating difficult for P.J.  Her best friend Stephanie (Stewart) is around to help her navigate the dating scene and bring a little femininity to her life.  Can P.J. keep her close friends and find a decent guy?


I discovered this show during it's final season on TBS and fell in love with it and the group of friends.  Despite P.J. and Bobby's jobs, and the friends interest in sports, the show isn't really a sports show.  It is a show about a group of friends, where the female lead happens to enjoy watching sports and drinking a beer.

The cast are funny and have great chemistry.  Some characters take longer to get used to and to care about, but by the series finale you are sorry to see them go.  The characters change and grow over time.  Jordana Spiro was a solid choice for P.J.  She anchors the show, while still letting the others shine.  Unfortunately she hasn't had the opportunity to find another great show.  Reid Scott is entertaining and endearing as slacker Brendan, Jamie Kaler keeps Mike from being overly irritating, Michael Bunin and Kellee Steward have great chemistry, you enjoy watching them fight, and Kyle Howard is great as the newest addition to the group.  Jim Gaffigan is funny as Andy, and his wife Jeannie Gaffigan plays his wife Meredith on the show.  An enjoyable show.

My Boys (2006-2010)
Creator: Betsy Thomas
Starring: Jordana Spiro as P.J. Franklin
Kyle Howard as Bobby Newman
Reid Scott as Brendan Dorff
Jamie Kaler as Mike Callahan
Michael Bunin as Kenny Morittori
Kellee Stewart as Stephanie Layne
Jim Gaffigan as Andy Franklin

Mr. Peabody & Sherman

"Where are we going today, Mr. Peabody?"

"Not *where*, Sherman... *When*."

Mr. Peabody (Burrell) is an accomplished scientist, inventor, genius dog.  He adopted a boy named Sherman (Charles), who inspired his greatest invention: a time machine called WABAC (Wavelength Acceleration Bidirectional Asynchronous Controller).  He created the WABAC so that Sherman could learn about history.

When Sherman starts school he accidentally gets on the wrong side of Penny Peterson (Winter).  They get into a fight, and the result is Mr. Peabody is called to the principal's office.  While there he meets Mrs. Grunion (Janney), a child and family services agent, who intends to have Sherman removed from Mr. Peabody's custody.  The situation leads Sherman and Penny to take the WABAC on an adventure that gets out of control quickly.  Can Sherman and Mr. Peabody save the present and the future?


In the 1950s and 1960s, Mr. Peabody & Sherman were characters was an animated segment on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show.  The segment was called Peabody's Improbable History.  The segments were created by Jay Ward. Decades later, Ward's daughter Tiffany Ward served as the Executive Producer on the film.

The filmmakers wisely chose to keep the basic ideas of the show, while making it feel original.  Ty Burrell is an inspired choice to be Mr. Peabody.  He is funny on his own (as evidenced by his role on Modern Family), and effortlessly slides into the role of Peabody.  The historical figures are entertaining and voiced by great voice actors.

Overall it is an entertaining film, that works better than any other Rocky and Bullwinkle films.

Mr. Peabody & Sherman (2014) 92 minutes
Director: Rob Minkoff
Starring: Ty Burrell as Mr. Peabody
Max Charles as Sherman
Ariel Winter as Penny Peterson
Allison Janney as Mrs. Grunion
Stephen Colbert as Paul Peterson
Leslie Mann as Patty Peterson

The Road to El Dorado

"Any last words?"

"I will cut you to ribbons!"

"Fool! Such mediocrity! Let your *sword* do the talking!"

"I will, it will be loquacious to a fault!"

Tulio (Kline) and Miguel (Branagh) are best friends and con men.  They win a map that is supposed to lead to El Dorado: The City of Gold, in a game of craps.  When the other players discover that they cheated, they hide out on a ship headed to the New World.  The ship belongs to explorer Cortes (Cummings), who throws them into the brig.  The escape with the help of war horse Altivo (Welker), and follow the map to El Dorado.

In El Dorado, they are mistaken for gods.  Only Chel (Perez) knows the truth and strikes a bargain: she will help them pass as gods if they take her when they leave.  The people, led by their Chief (Olmos) and the blood thirsty high priest Tzekel-Kan (Assante), shower them with gold and parties.  But the longer they stay in the city, the more they deviate from the plan.  Can they (and their friendship) survive El Dorado?



I know I saw this film when it was released in 2000... but I didn't remember much about the film, so when I saw it was Netflix Instant Streaming, I decided to revisit the film.

I love the chemistry between Kevin Kline and Kenneth Branagh.  Apparently they recorded dialog together, which adds so much to the performance.  I love the little snarky comments and absurdity of the situations.  I love their interactions, especially their fight at the beginning of the film (partially quoted above).  But they are endlessly quotable.  When you add Chel, voiced by Rosie Perez, into the mix, things get really interesting.

The songs, written and performed by Hans Zimmer and Elton John, are entertaining in the moment, but are not overly memorable.  This is not a kids movie, but it is enjoyable as an animated film.  Apparently the film was meant as a homage to the "Road to" films from the 1940s and 1950s that starred Bing Crosby and Bob Hope.  In the song "It's Hard to be a God", Tulio and Miguel's faces morph into Crosby and Hope.

This film was one of the only Dreamworks Animation films that did not turn a profit.  Originally it was planned to be the start of a franchise, but plans were scrapped after it bombed.  Watching the film now, I wish it had done better to see what the filmmakers would do with future films.

The Road to El Dorado (2000) 89 minutes
Director: Eric "Bibo" Bergeron, Will Finn, Don Paul, David Silverman, Jeffrey Katzenberg
Starring: Kevin Kline as Tulio
Kenneth Branagh as Miguel
Rosie Perez as Chel
Armand Assante as Tzekel-Kan
Edward James Olmos as Chief
Jim Cummings as Cortes
Frank Welker as Altivo

How to Train Your Dragon 2

"I'll bloody his fist with my face if he tries to take my dragon!"

Five years after the Vikings of Berk accepted dragons, they are caught up in dragon racing.  Hiccup (Baruchel) and his Night Fury Toothless are training and exploring, creating a map of the surrounding areas.  One day they encounter a group of dragon trappers, led by Eret (Harington), who blame Hiccup and his friends for the destruction of their camp.  Eret works for Drago Bludvist (Hounsou), a dangerous man who wields a powerful dragon army.

When Hiccup's father Stoic (Butler) learns that Drago is near, he orders the village to ground the dragons and everyone to stay within the city.  Hiccup and Toothless escape and encounter a mysterious dragon rider.  The rider is Valka (Blanchett), Hiccup's mother, who has spent the last 20 years studying and protecting dragons.  As Stoick and Gobber (Ferguson) search for Hiccup, his friends: Astrid (Ferrera), Snotlout (Hill), Fishlegs (Mitz-Plasse), Tuffnut (Miller) and Ruffnut (Wiig), capture Eret and force him to take them to Drago.  Can Hiccup protect the people and dragons of Berk?


How to Train Your Dragon was an endearing film, that was a surprise hit.  Apparently the concept is loosely based on the children's book series "How to Train Your Dragon" by Cressida Cowell.  The first film deviated quite a bit from the first book in the series.  Director Dean DeBlois (who also wrote the screenplay), returned to direct the sequel, and negotiated a deal to make a trilogy.  All of the principle voice cast returned to their respective roles and are all signed for the third film.

DeBlois wisely chose to set this film 5 years after the original, allowing for significant changes in the characters.  The animators created realistic aging for the main cast, while still keep the characteristics that audience loved from the first film.  They also had the opportunity to create new dragons and new characters that move the story forward, beyond repeating the sequence of the first film.  Cate Blanchett was an inspired choice as Valka, she brings passion and depth to the character.  Djimon Hounsou is the perfect villain, love his voice.

It was a joy to return to these characters and to see what happens next with Hiccup and Toothless, who have their own surprises.  The film stands well on it's own, and gives plenty of material / growth for the third film.

How to Train Your Dragon 2 (2014) 102 minutes
Director: Dean DeBlois
Starring: Jay Baruchel as Hiccup
Cate Blanchett as Valka
Gerard Butler as Stoick
Craig Ferguson as Gobber
America Ferrera as Astrid
Jonah Hill as Snotlout
Christopher Mintz-Plasse as Fishlegs
T. J. Miller as Tuffnut
Kristen Wiig as Ruffnut
Djimon Hounsou as Drago
Kit Harington as Eret

Into the Woods (2014)

And here is the 700th post!

 To celebrate, let's talk about Hollywood's latest musical

If you're feeling nostalgic, here's 100 ... 200 ... 300 ... 400 ... 500 ... 600 .

"I was raised to be charming, not sincere."

Once upon a time, a childless Baker (Corden) and his Wife (Blunt) long to have a baby.  They learn that the Witch (Streep) that lives next door placed a curse on the family.  She gives them 3 days to find 4 items to break the curse: the cow as white as milk, the cape as red as blood, the hair as yellow as corn, and the slipper as pure as gold.  So they set off into the woods to start the journey.

In the woods, their path crosses with a slew of people on their own journeys.  Jack (Huttlestone) is supposed to sell the cow so he and his Mother (Ullman) have money for food.  Little Red Riding Hood (Crawford) is going to visit her sick granny.  Cinderella (Kendrick) is running away from the Prince (Pine), and Rapunzel (Mauzy) sings in her tower.  Can they all find and keep their happy endings?

I was cautiously optimistic about this film.  As I mentioned before, I enjoy this show, and hoped that it would still be story I love.  Rob Marshall proved that he could deliver a solid, crowd-pleasing musical with Chicago, but then he crashed with Nine.  I planned to the see the film in theaters regardless, but was excited by the positive reviews and the recommendations of friends.

The film retains most of the songs and characters from Stephen Sondheim's show.  The songs that are not performed, are heard as instrumentals.  Apparently new songs were written and recorded for the film, but they did not make the final cut.  Marshall and the screenwriters cut back on the violence and darker themes of the story, without compromising the overarching story.  I was disappointed that they changed Rapunzel's outcome and characteristics, but I understand the decision.  I missed the big Act I finale "Ever After" and cut portions of some songs.  I also missed the traditional Narrator character, who brings so much to the stage show.

The casting is excellent.  Most of the praise seems to go to Meryl Streep, and deservedly so.  She is great int he role of the Witch.  However, I was most impressed with Emily Blunt.  She has a great voice and is the showiest role, besides the Witch.  James Corden was delightful as the Baker.  Anna Kendrick delivered as Cinderella.  Lilla Crawford and Daniel Huttlestone were perfect as Red and Jack.

I was nervous about Chris Pine and Billy Magnussen (who I was unfamiliar with) as the Princes... but any fears disappeared when they sang "Agony," which had my theater roaring with laughter.  They are great, and I wish they had the opportunity to sing the reprise, and get the same ending as their theater versions... but it was still enjoyable.  The only character I didn't like was MacKenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel.  She just didn't have the excitement of the rest of the cast.

The sets were fantastic, and the costumes by Colleen Atwood are impressive.  A well-made movie musical, based on a beloved Broadway musical.  Definitely worth checking out! 

Into the Woods (2014) 125 minutes
Director: Rob Marshall
Starring: Meryl Streep as The Witch
Emily Blunt as The Baker's Wife
James Corden as The Baker
Anna Kendrick as Cinderella
Chris Pine as Cinderella's Prince
Johnny Depp as The Wolf
Lilla Crawford as Little Red Riding Hood
Daniel Huttlestone as Jack
Tracey Ullman as Jack's Mother
MacKenzie Mauzy as Rapunzel
Billy Magnussen as Rapunzel's Prince
Christine Baranski as Cinderella's Stepmother
Tammy Blanchard as Florinda
Lucy Punch as Lucinda

22 Jump Street

"Say something cool when you throw it!"
"One, two, three! [throws the grenade] Something cool!"

Schmidt (Hill) and Jenko (Tatum) are chasing a narcotics deal.  When they fail to catch the notorious Ghost (Stormare), they are once again assigned to Jump Street.  Captain Dickinson (Cube) sends them undercover as college students where they are supposed to find the supplier of new drug WHYPHY (Work Hard Yes Play Hard Yes) that killed a student.

On campus Jenkko connects with the football team.  He becomes fast friends with the quarterback, Zook (Russell), who invites him to join their fraternity.  Schmidt doesn't fit with the group and starts a relationship with art major Maya (Stevens), who has ties to the girl who died.  They are pulled in opposite directions and have different ideas about how to approach the case.  Can they find the supplier and keep their partnership in tact?


After the success of 21 Jump Street, directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were approached about directing a sequel.  The film has a great time mocking sequels "Do the same thing as last time. Everyone's happy."  There are well-placed shots at sequels, while acknowledging that they were doing the exact same thing.  They further mock sequels during the end credits when they show ideas for future Jump Street Films, including "Traffic School", "Medical School," etc.

Once again they were able to get cast members from the original show to cameo in the film.  Richard Grieco returns as Booker during the fake sequels and in a deleted scene, and Dustin Nguyen (Harry Truman Ioki on the show) is Vietnamese Jesus in a deleted scene and his Jump Street character in the fake sequels.  Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill continue to work well together.  They dive into every situation with gusto, and even experience character growth.  Dave Franco and Rob Riggle, standouts from the previous film, come back for a scene.  Ice Cube gets to do more, and is funnier than before.  Jillian Bell has great delivery and kills it every time she takes shots at Hill's Schmidt.  The Lucas twins are hilarious as Keith & Kenny Yang.

An entertaining sequel, and apparently a third film (23 Jump Street) is in development.

22 Jump Street (2014) 112 minutes
Rating: R for language throughout, sexual content, drug material, brief nudity and some violence
Director: Phil Lord & Christopher Miller
Starring: Jonah Hill as Schmidt
Channing Tatum as Jenko
Peter Stormare as The Ghost
Wyatt Russell as Zook
Amber Stevens as Maya
Jillian Bell as Mercedes
Ice Cube as Captain Dickinson
Keith Lucas as Keith Yang
Kenny Lucas as Kenny Yang
Nick Offerman as Deputy Chief Hardy
Jimmy Tatro as Rooser

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters

"Revenge doesn't change the past. It won't bring our parents back. But it sure as hell feels good."

As children Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) are captured by a witch, who they manage to kill.  Their parents are gone, so they begin hunting and destroying witches.  Fifteen years later they are well-known witch hunters.  They are called to the town of Augsburg to deal with a witch problem.

Several children have been taken from the town by witches.  Sheriff Berringer (Stormare) wants to whip the town into a frenzy and dispense his own brand of justice, but he is stopped by the siblings.  As they begin hunting the witches they are helped by super fan Ben (Mann) and accused witch Mina (Vitala).  They learn that the witches, led by Muriel (Janssen), are planning something big for the approaching Blood Moon.  Can they defeat the witches and learn the truth about their past?


Another attempt to give childhood characters a new, grittier story.  The story of Hansel and Gretel is a well-known fairy tale, made popular by the Grimm Brothers in the 1800s, but it was around long before then.  The story is still well-known, and has been featured in countless films, plays, books, and TV shows since then.  I starred as Gretel in a musical version of the story, while I was in elementary school.

The writers started with a good idea: that Hansel and Gretel's experience with the witch effected their future and turned them into famous witch hunters.  I can get behind that idea.  They imagined further consequences, like Hansel having long-term health consequences from eating the sweets, in this case diabetes (although the film never calls it that).  I wish they had stuck with the original idea regarding Gretel, that she developed an eating disorder, bulimia, from the time.  It makes sense that both would be scarred from the experience, and those make the most sense.

However, the movie as a whole was a bit of a disaster.  There is a large amount of gore and unnecessary plot developments.  Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton were good choices, and infuse the characters with a strong amount of intensity.  They do well with the action sequences.  Peter Stormare is always a good choice for a smarmy character.  Famke Janssen is also good in her role.

Apparently the film was popular enough for Paramount to greenlight a sequel.  I don't plan to see the sequel, and was not impressed with the film.  It is ok, and clearly there is an audience for this film, but it isn't for me.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters (2013) 88 minutes
Rating: R for strong fantasy horror violence and gore, brief sexuality/nudity and language
Director: Tommy Wirkola
Starring: Jeremy Renner as Hansel
Gemma Arterton as Gretel
Famke Janssen as Muriel
Pihla Viitala as Mina
Thomas Mann as Ben
Derek Mears as Edward
Robin Atkin Downes as Edward (voice)
Peter Stormare as Sheriff Berringer

I, Frankenstein

"I'm a dozen different parts of eight different corpses. I'm a monster."

"You're only a monster if you behave like one."

Dr. Victor Frankenstein (Aden Young) reanimates a corpse and spends the rest of his life trying to destroy his creation.  After he freezes to death, he is buried by his creation (Eckhart), who is then attacked by demons.  He manages to destroy the demons with a little help from two gargoyles, who then take him to their home.  The queen of the gargoyles, Leonore (Otto) calls him Adam.  She explains that the gargoyles were placed on earth to protect humanity from the demons.  Despite protests from her second in command, Gideon (Courtney), she allows Adam to choose his own path.

The demons spend the next 200 years trying to find and capture Adam, but he consistently defeats them.  He returns to the gargoyles home to take the fight to the demons.  The gargoyle army  Meanwhile, billionaire Charles Wessex (Nighy) is employing Dr. Terra Wade (Strahovski) to discover the secret to reanimating dead tissue.  When the battle lines are drawn, what path will Adam choose?


The story is based on the Darkstorm Studios "I, Frankenstein" graphic novel, by Kevin Grevioux (of the Underworld film series).  Grevioux and director Stuart Beattie wrote the screenplay.  The film (and probably the graphic novel) attempt to reimagine / update the Frankenstein story and give the creature a name and new purpose.  In theory this should work.  Frankenstein is a compelling story, but that doesn't always translate to film adaptations.

The cast is good, but not good enough to elevate the material.  Aaron Eckhart brings an intensity (and good looks) to the role of Adam, and makes him a compelling lead.  Bill Nighy is an excellent villain (see also Underworld and Underworld: The Rise of the Lycans) and this film is no exception.  Yvonne Strahovski and Miranda Otto are fine.  Jai Courtney and Socratis Otto are intense.  But it still doesn't work.

The plot is ridiculous.  Gargoyles, really?  I appreciate that they didn't try to go the easy route and make vampires or werewolves the villains (like Van Helsing), but I'm not sure gargoyles were the way to go.  It's unique, but hard to fully understand.

I didn't dislike the film, but I don't intend to watch it again.  Approach with caution.

I, Frankenstein (2014) 92 minutes
Rating: PG-13 for sequences of intense fantasy action and violence throughout
Director: Stuart Beattie
Starring: Aaron Eckhart as Adam
Yvonne Strahovski as Terra Wade
Miranda Otto as Leonore
Bill Nighy as Charles Wessex / Prince Naberius
Jai Courtney as Gideon
Socratis Otto as Zuriel