Stone, Cast Powers Bush Bio-Pic

You hear the name Oliver Stone and you think of one thing...controversy. Yet, Stone has surprised us over the past couple years. When he was set to direct World Trade Center, a lot of people were dreading his vision of it. Surprisingly though, it turned out rather brilliant and magnificent. So, here we are again. Only this time, it's not a tragic event. It's someone's life. Stone is no stranger to doing a movie about a President (he directed JFK in 1991 and Nixon in 1995), but this is the first film to made about a current sitting President! We know from articles that Stone was never a real big supporter of George W. Bush, so we were all a bit skeptical of how he would portay "Dubya's" life. Well, once again, we're surprised.

It seems George (Josh Brolin) himself has never had it easy. Always living in the shadow of his successful father, George Sr. (James Cromwell). George doesn't try to hard neither. He's constantly getting drunk and arrested at frat parties while attending Yale. He can never hold a single job his father gets for him, which includes working on an oil rig. Of course, George thinks he can get away with it. After becoming a born again Christian, G.W. wises up and decides he'd like to follow in his father's footsteps and run for public office. His belief in religious destiny helps him as he climbs the political ladder, from being Governor of Texas to our current President of the United States. The movie flashes back and forth from Bush's past to his time as President, not long after 9/11, when he's stuck with the decision of sending troops overseas to fight.

Stone does a wise job avoiding just about everything Bush has been criticized for over the years (such as his response to the 9/11 attacks). Stone's direction and the A-list cast's support are what really hold this movie up, though. Brolin does a terrific job as Bush, Jr. We also get Elizabeth Banks as the future First Lady, Laura; Richard Dreyfuss as VeeP Dick Cheney; Scott Glenn as Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld; Ioan Gruffudd as British PM Tony Blair; Toby Jones as G.W.'s aide and (to an extent) right-hand man Karl Rove; and Jeffrey Wright as Gen. Colin Powell. They all play their roles magnificently and each one holding up there own. Cromwell does a superb job in a non-parodic version of Bush, Sr. The only cast member that I felt was a problem was Thandie Newton as Condoleeza Rice. I felt the performance was a little too phoned in, like she was doing an "SNL" skit or something. It didn't really work too well. For the others, it more or less came natural to them. This movie is interesting to watch because you view points of a man who's been criticized constantly since he took office and see what it was really like for him growing up. Even Bush-haters I bet would be curious enough to watch this film. It just further proves that you can't judge a book by its cover.

3 1/2 stars

"The Express" Is Typical But Still Inspirational

Yes, by now it seems cliche. Just about every sports film in the history of man has been made...showing us tales of devotion and inspiration. The underdog that finally gets its glory in the end, or a player who was told he never had a chance and then proves everybody wrong. Well, this story fits among the others like a puzzle piece. The only thing different about this one is that it just may be the most inspirational one out there.

The story is one that will truly touch your heart and tug at your emotions. For those that have followed football closely for years, the name Ernie Davis rings well in your ears. Davis (Rob Brown) was a highly talented football star, who got a big break when he got a scholarship to play for the Syracuse Orangemen. Under the guidance of Ben Schwartzwalder (Dennis Quaid), Davis becomes one of the greatest running backs in the history of college football and the first African American player to win the Heisman Trophy. Unfortunately, Davis was cut down in his prime when he was diagnosed with leukemia, shortly after being traded to the Cleveland Browns (he was drafted to the Washington Redskins, but they traded him to the Browns). Davis never got a chance to play a professional game.

The storyline is fairly basic. We see Davis as a kid, as he struggles with racism and poverty. The movie follows Ernie through into college, a time where racism is at its strongest. On and off the field, Ernie and his other African American teammates are constantly tormented...even in the games. Ben is more or less Ernie's surrogate father, he kinda looks out for Ernie, but is also obsessed with winning a national championship.

I'm going to side-step the usual sports movie cliches, because they are evident here, and it's basically come to realization that there isn't going to be a single sports movie in the future that doesn't have at least some of them in there. The tough-as-nails coach, the big game pep talk, etc. The film does have a few too many close-ups and there does seem to be an abudance of slo-mo shots during the games. Still, the games can be entertaining to watch. What this movie has a lot of though, is heart. It's powered by its immensely likable cast and the story its driven on. It's overwhelmingly inspirational. Ernie wanted nothing more than to play football, but what he ended up was becoming an icon in civil rights, Ernie tackled one obstacle after another, and that's something to cheer about.

3 stars

22nd Bond Feature Has Confusing Name, But Great Action

James Bond has been, and always will be, quintessential to action films. Even if you don't like the Bond movies, you've at least heard of him. His movies are legendary and a permanent mark in the history of film. The film's have been going strong since 1963. Here it is, now 2008, and we've hit our 22nd Bond film. By now, Bond fans know that every Bond film should have a great opening song, a good story, awesome cars, lots of action, sexy women, and cool gadgets. Well, the cool gadgets were abandoned in 2006 with the entry of Casino Royale, but it worked. Us Bond fans liked this different Bond. Daniel Craig also brought to the role a grittier, tougher Bond. One that none of Craig's predecessor's could've done (although they were still great when covering the role). Craig enters his second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, which is the first direct sequel in a Bond film.

The story takes place just minutes after Casino Royale, with a thrilling chase through narrow streets in Italy, where Bond's Aston Martin DBS takes a serious licking, but keeps on ticking. Shortly thereafter, Bond (Craig) and M (Judi Dench) are interrogating Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) about a secret organization that was involved with the death of Vesper. Bond is hellbent on finding out who set her up and will stop at nothing to do it. His exploits lead him to an environmentalist named Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), leader of an organization called QUANTUM. Along the way, he gets help from Dominic's ex-girlfriend Camille (Olga Kurylenko), fellow Agent Fields (Gemma Arterton), and CIA buddy Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). They all set out to wage war against Dominic, whom they find out is planning to take control of a third world country's water supply.

Well, for starters, the title is a bit confusing. Not for me so much because when I first found out about the title, I scrambled to look through my Webster's dictionary to figure out what it meant. I won't spoil the surprise for ya. The second thing wrong with this is the opening song. It's performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White (frontman for The White Stripes). This is the first time the Bond theme has been a duet and for some reason, it doesn't work. It seems a strange combination, having Alicia and Jack sing together. Personally, I think the song would've sounded much better had it just been Jack White, but that's just me. Apart from that, the rest of the film is fine.

This movie also serves a good example of the movie term "McGuffin." McGuffin means that there's a plot device in the movie that advances the story, but the details about it are of little or no importance. Thus is Dominic Greene's quest for controlling a country's water supply. We hear about it, Dominic talks about it a little, and then that's it. The primary plot is Bond going after Vesper's saboteurs. This film has more action than Casino Royale did, which is fine. I've read too many people comparing this film to Casino, mainly because it is a sequel. This is a bit different. We get aerial dogfights, car chases on top of car chases, rooftop chases, nasty fights, etc. It's everything you could want in a Bond film. Bond's actions are a little crazy, bordering pyschosis, but he is after someone that got the woman he loved killed. That's enough to drive any man like Bond over the edge. Craig gets wonderful support, especially Dench, Kurylenko, Arterton, and Wright. Kurylenko, while not the best of the Bond girls, does her part well. This certainly isn't among the best Bond films and isn't quite as good as Casino Royale storywise, but it keeps you highly entertained and knee-deep into action. That's Bond.

3 1/2 stars

Keep Your Panties On, This Wonder Woman Revealing Is a Fake

Are you a Wonder Woman fan that's been itching for a big screen adaptation to come out? Well, you're certainly not alone. I, myself, aren't really a fan of Wonder Woman, but have always been interested in seeing her make her own big screen debut, what with just about every other superhero from the DC Universe getting one, why not the sexiest superhero of them all?

Well, a website known as wonder-who.com claims to have been slowly revealing the identity of who would be playing the Amazonian princess with the magic lasso and the invisible plane. Each day, a different section of an American Flag with the Wonder Woman logo on it would get torn off, revealing who this mystery woman is. On the final day, it was revealed as....Megan Fox.

Fox has garnered a huge fanbase online ever since her break-through role in Transformers, so, naturally, seeing the 22-year-old brunette in full Wonder Woman garb would make anyone jump...especially a huge fan of either Fox and/or Wonder Woman.

But hold on to your panties, shortstuff. This is all a hoax. Yep, that's right. None of it is true. Fox has no ties with a Wonder Woman movie, nor does Warner Bros. or DC Pictures have anything lined up. Speculation has circled for quite a while now, with producer Joel Silver attached at one point, and then another when Buffy the Vampire Slayer creator Joss Whedon was set to write and direct, but pulled out due to "creative differences."

There's been no leads as to who is behind this enormous farce, but JoBlo.com was able to contact a representative from Warner Bros. who stated that the site was "complete B.S."

You can access the site via the provided link:

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8vd3d3LndvbmRlci13aG8uY29tL2luZGV4Lmh0bWw=

More of the Same But with a Duller Story in Fifth "Saw" Outing

There's only so much audiences can take. After reaching it's umpteenth entry, a horror film franchise becomes harder and harder to keep audiences interested. Plot lines become repetitive and the stories become dull and boring. Such is the case with Saw V.

It's been a couple years since Jigsaw (Tobin Bell) died (he did so in Saw III), but for some reason, he work goes on. It's revealed that the person who's been named as Jigsaw's successor (would he be called Jigsaw II?) is none other than Det. Hoffman (Costas Mandylor). As he continues Jigsaw's work, FBI Agent Strahm (Scott Patterson) gets closer and closer to uncovering Jigsaw. Meanwhile, four strangers (but all with ties to each other) get trapped in a room and engage in a series of traps to find their way out.

If it weren't for the constant clever traps and puzzles that the filmmakers come up with, this franchise would be completely dead in the water. It is heading there, as the story is stale. It's a standard cop investigation story with nothing really to go on. There is a clever scene where Agent Strohm is trapped with his head in a glass box of water. He takes his pen, stabs himself in the throat, and then uses his pen to perform an emergency trachyotomy so he can breath. Whether that can really work or not, it's still the most clever thing about this movie. Going into it, you know what to expect. A cop story with people attempting to get out of live-threatening moral traps in order to survive. However, this franchise has run its course. The saw's blade is now rather dull.

1 1/2 stars

Coen Bros. Return to Familiar Territory with Hilarious "Burn After Reading"

The Coen Brothers, Ethan and Joel, have definitely made their mark in Hollywood. They've done a wide array of films, from noir to dark comedy, from drama to standard comedy. Last year, they once again got honored for their work, bringing home Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay Oscars for their drama No Country For Old Men (it also earned Javier Bardem a Best Supporting Actor Oscar). Their latest film, Burn After Reading, is far from their Oscar winning film, but provides all the entertainment you can get while watching a film from the Coen Bros.

The story involves multiple lives, as a lot of the Coen Bros. films do. One is Osbourne Cox (John Malkovich), a CIA agent who gets unjustly fired and decides to write a book about his time in the agency. His wife, Katie (Tilda Swinton) wants to divorce him and start a real relationship with the man she's been cheating on, Treasury agent Harry Pfarrer (George Clooney), who's also married. At the advice of her lawyer, she makes a copy of all of Osbourne's personal documents and top secret files and puts them on a disc. One day, that disc is discovered at a local fitness center by the not-so-bright Chad Feldheimer (Brad Pitt), who, along with his friend and co-worker, Linda Litzke (Frances McDormand) decide to return it to whomever it belongs to, in hopes of getting a reward. Linda is mainly in on it because she wants to get some money so she can get liposuction. What turns out to be hopes for a reward turns to blackmail when Osbourne gets ornery with them over the phone. Meanwhile, Linda tries this online dating service and ends up meeting Harry, who begins seeing her as well. Linda takes the information to the Russians in hoping that Osbourne will give them the money they feel they rightly deserve. This ends up intersecting all the lives as Chad and Linda scramble to uncover more information from Osbourne's personal files, Osbourne tries to get the information back from them by any means necessary, and Harry begins to think that the U.S. Government is spying on him.

In all it's madcap glory, this is one hilarious movie. The comedic timing is great and there are serious moments of pure laughter. The cast does a terrific job. It's especially funny seeing Pitt in a nutball role. It's Malkovich though that steals the show. The story is dark, but funny and the Coen Bros. show that they still have what it takes. This is truly one of the funniest movies of the year.

3 1/2 stars

Mark Wahlberg Is Good, but ’Max Payne’ Isn’t

Well, here we go again. Another vast attempt to transform a popular video game into a feature-length, live-action movie. They've already failed miserably with such classic games like Street Fighter, Double Dragon, Wing Commander, and especially Super Mario Bros. Max Payne is the latest in line and we're still waiting.

Mark Wahlberg stars as the title character, a New York City cop working in the Cold Case Division. His office is dingy with poor lighting. It looks similar to Joe's (Tom Hanks) office in Joe vs. the Volcano. Max is still searching for whoever killed his wife and daughter. Reluctantly, he teams up with an assassin named Mona (Mila Kunis) who's out to avenge her sister's death. As Max digs deeper and deeper, he confronts certain demons, all the while an Internal Affairs agent (Chris "Ludacris" Bridges) is hot on his trail. At the moment, the only people he can turn to is an old friend (Beau Bridges). The conspiracy behind his wife's death has something to do with a mysterious pharmaceutical drug called Valkyrie. It has the ability to give whoever takes it superhuman strength. It falls somewhere between steroids and The Incredible Hulk's gamma radiaton.

There are so many problems with this movie. One of them that isn't is Mark Wahlberg. He's fantastic. This film feels so unrealistic. It feels...like a videogame. Yeah, that's it. It's as if the filmmakers just took the script from the game and used it for the movie. There's these brooding voice-overs, constant flashbacks of Max with his family (you gotta have those in a revenge film), and even New York City looks fake. Another problem is the character's job description, one that I'm sure fans of the series won't like. In the game, Max is a DEA agent. Here's a NYC detective. Why the change? There are a few nice, stylized shots, but these are just to tease us. We're teased into thinking the film is getting better, but it doesn't. Kunis is entirely miscast as she seems to young for the part. At this rate, they'll have reached 100 videogame-turned-movies before they get it right.

1 1/2 stars