Big Screen Blurb: Hugo

It's like clockwork. Every Thanksgiving brings a feel-good flick that pulls at the ole heartstrings and preps me for my favorite holiday of the year. This year that clockwork came to life...literally with Hugo.

Hugo (Asa Butterfield) is the son of a clockmaker. Unfortunately, Hugo's father passed away, leaving him in the care of his drunken and very absent uncle, who maintains the clocks at the train station in Paris. Since his uncle is typically out of the picture. That job falls on lil Hugo, who is essentially raising himself. He'll swipe some food to survive and avoid the local authorities to stay as low profile as possible. Hugo's plan is simple. Since he's learned much from his father's teaching, if Hugo just maintains the station clocks he'll avoid any unwanted attention. All the while, he's trying to fix a man-like machine that he believes will deliver a special message from his dad. It's an adventure that his friend Isabelle joins (Chloe Moretz), as she saves Hugo's day on a few occasions. Enter Georgies Melles (Ben Kingeley). He's a thorn in Hugo's side. Georgies is also Isabelle's caregiver and a rather bitter ole dude with an interesting past. Unveiling that past becomes the real adventure. Yadayadayada Hugo and Isabelle learn a few valuable lessons and are able to teach a few on the way to helping Georgies get his mojo back.

It's okay. I'll go with 3.0 Stars on this one--barely on the sunny side of so-so. Honestly, I was a little disappointed with this one. It's a little tough to put a finger on exactly why. After all, it's a good story and the acting is fine. The tale is designed to deliver a few valuable lessons and does. Those valuable lessons are the movie's saving grace. They include: When something valuable is broke--you fix it. The story reaches a crescendo with the kid's realization of who Georgies is, or was, and go about trying to rekindle that flame. After all, the past is not truly the past if you can keep those memories alive and truly appreciate them.

Yeah, those are great lessons in a seemingly great story. Unfortunately, that story is told in a way that does little to pull at the ole heartstrings. At least not in the way that I felt it would, could and should. I didn't find myself connecting with the characters the way I needed to in order to truly connect with those lessons...not even Hugo. Bottom line: It's just not very compelling.

No, need to go BIG on this one. There are enough strong points here to prompt you to add it to your queue and give it a view in April when it hits Blu-Ray/DVD.

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: Breaking Dawn (Part 1)

Breaking News...Breaking Dawn (Part 1) --well, actually there's good news and bad news. This is the fourth of a five-part series. Twilight was okay and certainly good enough to give the sequel a shot. New Moon was good and shaped the rest of the series. Eclipse was great. Therefore, everything points to the last flick, which is broken into two parts and promises to deliver big. That, is the good news. The bad news is that it's really up to Part 2 to deliver because, quite frankly, Breaking Dawn (Part 1) doesn't.

Sequels are created in one of two ways: 1) The studio saw enough of a response from an original production to invest in a follow-up--these are quite often busts because they can't possibly match the original's uniqueness, but promises to do so. Therefore, high expectations are created that simply aren't delivered; and 2) The sequel is one piece of a larger puzzle. We've seen this a lot in the last 15 years with Star Wars, Harry Potter and the Twilight series. With the latter, a movie may not stand on its own as a blockbuster, but because it's part of a greater story, it is still going to smash the box office due to a rabid fan base. Honestly, every series has its "bomb" that performs well in the box office. With Star Wars, it was the fourth installment (Episode I). With Harry Potter it was number six, the Half-Blood Prince. With Twilight, it most definitely is Breaking Dawn (Part 1).

When we last left Bella and company, Victoria had just bit it. Now, it's on to personal matters for Ms. Swan, who has decided to become Mrs. Edward Cullen. The two are married much to the chagrin of one ticked off werewolf, Jacob. Sure, he eventually comes around, but ends up merely stirring the drama pot a bit before the happy couple venture to a remote island for the honeymoon. There, the two consummate their love, much to the distress of the ole bedroom (to say Edward is an animal in bed is putting it mildly, but I digress...). At any rate, Bella gets knocked up much to the surprise of all (How could that have happened? Did they use the same toothbrush?). Yeah, so no one knew that Edward's boys could swim. They were wrong and all of a sudden Bella has a fetus attacking her. Yeah, I know...kids are hell. With this in mind, however, the rest of the wolves begin plotting to take out the baby. This, of course, tests Jacob's loyalties and he immediately joins with the Cullen coven, at least to protect Bella. Yadayadayada a few bloody Mary's--check that...Milkshakes later, Jacob and company battle the wolves in an effort to save the day and baby Cullen.

I'm going to go with 2.0 Stars here. I know that studios have taken criticism for breaking the finale of these blockbusters into two parts. With Harry Potter, it was completely justified. That story needed the detail that only two full movies could relay. With Breaking Dawn--not so much. This portion of the two-part flick could have been told in 20-30 minutes. We did not need two flicks here.

They attempt to move the story along with a lot of tongue in cheek humor, etc., which is cute but eventually you need a story that compels and entertains. This does neither. In fact, the most entertaining bit from Breaking Dawn (Part 1) never actually appeared in the film. It was the two-minute segment that Ellen Degeneres produced, which plopped herself humorously into a tub while Bella revealed her pregnancy to Edward. That bit was far more entertaining than anything in the movie.

Sure, this film will be a smashing success based on box office stats. We can clearly credit that on the genius of the previous books and movies. Sure, Breaking Dawn (Part 1) is  certainly a flick that I had to see as a fan of the previous movies, but it is not good.

If you're a fan of the books or movies--yeah, you gotta go BIG on this one just to be true to the franchise. But, what if you're just out to see a good movie and have no real opinion of the series? Well, if you fall into that category, and we might find two or three people who have been stuck in a math vault since 2008 who do; for those few, skip it altogether. Just check out Ellen's tub scene online and you'll have all the entertainment value that you'd find otherwise.

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: Tower Heist

I typically pick movies based on two criteria--1) Concept (is it an interesting storyline); and 2) Cast (can the actors deliver the story in an entertaining and believable way). With that in mind, something about Tower Heist just didn't jive with me. That's why I put off seeing it for three weeks. Maybe it was because when I think of Ben Stiller, I think There's Something About Mary or Tropic Thunder or Heartbreak Kid or even the Focker series. While I loved all of those movies, I didn't have great confidence that he could pull off this combination action, drama, comedy, suspense piece. Okay...and this is big for me...I was wrrr...I was wrrro...okay...it was good.

Josh Kovac (Stiller) manages the Tower, an extremely high-end apartment building for the exceptionally fiscally fit. One such resident is Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda). He's an investment manager, who is accused of a Ponzi scheme of Bernie Madoff proportions. That's trouble for Kovac and company, because Josh had decided to entrust the company's employees pensions to Shaw's slippery hands. Feeling responsible, Josh quickly hatches a scheme to get the money back and right his wrong. He enlists the help of broke residents (Matthew Broderick), fellow employees (Ben Affleck and Michael Pena, Gabourey Sidibe) and even a former pre-school pal and current criminal (Eddie Murphy). Yadayadayada the group attempts to skirt FBI attention while taking on Shaw to retrieve the dough.

It's good. I'll go with 3.5 Stars here...I liked it. Tower Heist delivers a fast-paced and interesting story with a great cast. Sure, some of the schemes, and their results, are implausible at best, but it's a fun story and is bottom line entertaining. Murphy is great as the wannabe criminal mastermind, reminiscent of Jamie Fox in Horrible Bosses as the poser crime lord who really wasn't. Stiller is great as the boss man looking to make good on his employee's trust. Alda was superb as the always sharp shark; and the rest of the cast certainly carried their weight as well. Overall, it's an 1:44 well spent.

Tower Heist is worth a view and it's one that you can definitely go BIG on with slim chances of being disappointed. It's fun stuff and worth a trip to the Big Screen. Well, everyone...enjoy your Thanksgiving. For me, the countdown is on until El Grande Thanksgiving Delecto...my favorite holiday of the year!!!

True...OUT!

BIg Screen Blurb: J. Edgar

It's a love story that seemingly never was, about the man who has touched more events of American history than any other individual born in the U.S.A. It's J. Edgar from a guy named Eastwood, who might just know his way around a Hollywood studio.

He revolutionized criminal forensics. He dug for (and found) more dirt than any archaeologist that ever walked the earth. And, he had a few skeletons of his own in the ole closet for good measure. He's John Edgar Hoover, better known as J. Edgar. Criminology prior to his days in law enforcement was, well, basically a joke. Not only did J. Edgar bring science to his 48 year tenure at the FBI, he brought the bugs. No, not the kind the creepy, crawly kind, rather bugs of the 'wire tap' variety. Actually, it was one of the reasons that he was able to stay the main man in charge for nearly five decades. Whether it was Eleanor Roosevelt or JFK, J. Edgar had enough dirt to keep all off his back.

The story picks up in the 20's with John Hoover (Leonardo DiCaprio). He's a young man of 24 whose career is set to take off. He's quickly named head of the bureau, that he essentially forms and, in time, turns into a beacon of law enforcement. Of course, it's often said that behind every great man is a great...mom. Enter Anna Marie Hoover (Judi Dench). She molds her son into the fierce FBI man that he became, but she was merely one influence. Enter Clyde Tolson (Armi Hammer). He's an Ivy League guy turned G-Man--actually, Clyde emerges as J. Edgar's right-hand man...in more ways than one. There's an apparent attraction between the two, which most often is swept under the rug. Actually, we don't really get a clear picture from the flick as to whether or not the two actually consummated their mutual attraction. The attraction is at least apparent. However, as the sign of the times looms, according at least to this account, the two might never have shared more than a frustrated kiss and an admission of love. Yadayadayada we cover five decades of history, learning much along the way in a movie that is headed to the forefront of Oscar consideration come January.

It's good...very good actually. I'll go with 4.0 Stars here with Leo jumping out as a clear fave for Best Actor. It's a story that jumps around among several points in history, but is easily followed. Actually one of the reasons it's so easily followed is the obvious age of the characters from one point to another. The aged J. Edgar and Clyde are easy indicators of where the story has gone. This brings me to my only real criticism of J. Edgar, the make-up. The aged version of J. Edgar is fine. I didn't really have an issue there. However, the same version of Clyde and Helen Gandy (Noami Watts) were both a farce--and by 'farce', I mean OH MY GOSH, THAT'S SO DAMN FAKE IT'S DISTRACTING! Never fear, a fairly fast-paced and certainly fascinating story told in an equally interesting way more than makes up for the lousy make-up.

Cudos and thanks to Clint, who is proving to be as talented as a director as he was an an actor, which is exceptionally high praise. And cudos to Leo--great role for a truly talented actor. As for Armi. Wow--he certainly goes big or not at all, doesn't he? Last year it was Oscar staple The Social Network now it's J. Edgar. I think we'll continue to see good stuff from this guy for awhile.

To me, J. Edgar is a must see on the BIG screen. If you're not a history buff, there's probably no reason to even rent it unless you're a fan of one of the cast members. You will miss out, however, on a true piece of history about one of the most iconic men in history: J. Edgar Hoover.

True...OUT!

Big Screen Blurb: In Time

If ever there has been a movie set up for a run of sequels...it's In Time. Let's see...there's the sequel, Next Time. Followed by More Time, with the grand finale being Time in a Bottle. Okay, so there's a little tongue-in-cheek there, but honestly, we may see all of those follow-ups because this flick is pretty good.

Picture it: the future. When? We don't know, but we're presumably on earth although there are no real signs of where or when the story takes place. We do know two things: First, there are no cell phones (yeah...I know, right--what's up with that?!?); and, second, no one ages past 25. At a certain point, your clock starts and when all numbers hit '0', you're done. Dead. Further, time is currency. There are no dollars or financing. You need a drink after work, that'll be five minutes. Need a new car? That'll be a cool decade. People are paid in time, all of which is logged digitally on your arm. With that in mind, the class system is glaringly obvious. You've got bad zones where people live with just enough time on their arm to get through the day; and, you've got areas where people have centuries in the bank.

Meet Will Salas (Justin Timberlake). He's one of the have-not's living day-to-day, as is his mom. However, through a fortunate happenstance, Will is given centuries by a guy who's got tons of time, but is just plain tired of living. Will is set. Of course, in a bad zone, this is deadly as your time can be taken from you easily and violently. Therefore, Will moves to a better area where he meets Sylvia (Amanda Seyfried) and her family, including her father (Vincent Kartheiser). They've got centuries built up. Enter the cops, or TimeKeepers. They're suspicious of Will, who they suspect has killed the individual who has given him all his time. Yadayadayada Will and Sylvia play combination Bonnie and Clyde/Robin Hood as they strive to balance the social pendulum.

It's good. I'll go with 4.0 Stars hands down. It's thought-provoking for certain. If ever there was a movie making a political statement--hitting you squarely in the jaw with a message before you know what hit you,  it's In Time. This  flick will have the folks protesting on Wall Street foaming at the mouth. After all, the world is controlled by an elite few. Actually, life and death are controlled by an elite crowd. To ensure that balance is maintained, the elite set the prices--and prices change all the time. A bus ride that costs an hour this morning, could cost two in the afternoon. That's tough for someone living day-to-day...hour-to-hour.

The world created by Director and Writer, Andrew Niccol was fascinating, indeed. In his futuristic landscape, you see the glaring class structure and a world clearly divided. You see certain technologies--electric cars, for example, are the norm. You see the glaring absence of other technology--cell phones, for instance, are no more. Was this obvious tech-boom of our time intentionally left out to help make the story more dramatic? After all, someone facing extinction with a mere few ticks left, could easily get an extension through a technology that would help them power up from a cell device. Maybe it was left out as a control measure. Perhaps the elite powers have eliminated such possibilities for control purposes. I don't know, but the entire concept is interesting, though provoking and makes for great conversation.

Performances were solid throughout. Justin continues his solid run. Amanda Seyfried might finally get her due--she's been solid in some lesser publicized flicks in the past and never really got the attention she deserves. Plus, it was good to see Vincent Kartheiser again. Yeah, I know he's done the Mad Men (nope, I've never seen it) thing for awhile, but it's good that he's hit the big screen once again. Should you? Hit the big screen for this one, I mean? Well, in a word: YES! It surprised me very pleasantly. Expect a mixture of Logan's Run and Robin Hood with interesting storylines, good acting and a flick worth a trip to the big screen.

True...OUT!