Snitch

   

        Every time I see that a movie is inspired by true events, I start to wonder about that inspiration.  Is it just a small part, or does the story have a lot of truth to it. These stories always seem to pull at the heart strings a little more, because they are easier to relate to. It is hard to be James Bond, but it is easy to be a regular guy doing something spectacular. One of those stories is what “Snitch” is all about.

       John Matthews (Dwayne “not the Rock” Johnson) is a successful business man. Matthews has a son named Jason Collins (Rafi Gavron), who lives with his ex wife. Jason reluctantly helps a friend and signs for a package containing drugs. Little did Jason know, but the feds were tipped off and arrested Jason. Even though Jason has never been in trouble before, he is facing a minimum mandatory sentence of at least ten years, unless he snitches on someone. Not wanting to be a snitch he refuses, and is willing to take his chances in prison. Jason’s father refuses to let that happen and offers to help the District Attorney Joanne Keegahn (Susan Sarandon). His offer is to bring someone in, in exchange for his son’s freedom. Keegahn agrees and with the help of a D.E.A agent named Cooper (Berry Pepper). Matthews sets out to free his son.

      The story is based on a Frontline story and is written by Justin Haythe and directed by Ric Roman Waugh. What is unique about Waugh’s approach to this movie is his attention to realism. For his last film “Felon”, Waugh actually worked two years as a parole officer to see how the system actually worked. That dedication shows in “Snitch” as everything feels authentic. With that working in its favor and a nice cast it would seem to point to a very good movie, but unfortunately it doesn’t. It’s not a bad movie; it just doesn’t become the movie you think it could have been. Not every movie has to be a masterpiece; the only thing you can really ask for is for it to entertain you.  “Snitch” in that aspect succeeds and keeps your attention most of the time. The trailer leads you to believe there is a lot more action in the movie than there really is. Instead the movie relies on suspense to build and try and keep you on the edge of your seat. “Snitch” is a movie most people will enjoy, I just wish I had liked it a little more, but then again you can’t like them all.

Brian Taylor

                                                                                             

Batman The Dark Knight Returns Part 2

“Stop laughing.”

 

          With the resurgence and somewhat over-saturation of superhero related media, it’s easy for some things to slip through the cracks.  One thing that hasn’t been talked up enough is the direct-to-video animated film “The Dark Knight Returns” Part 2.  Released in January as the second and final installment to the adaptation of Frank Miller’s masterpiece of a graphic novel of the same name.  It finds an aging Bruce Wayne returning to the streets of Gotham as Batman after a ten year absence.

 

In this second part it covers the final two issues with Batman’s confrontation to an even more crazed version of the Joker and an epic battle with his once friend Superman.   As with part one of the “Dark Knight Returns” there is no voice-over and this part is basically the big action set pieces that are so kinetic and really bring what falls between the panels to life.  The voice-over work is decent, not as dramatic as I was hoping for.   But the visuals more than make up for it and the music by Christopher Drake is a booming and grand-tastic as a Hans Zimmer score.

The scene with the Joker and Batman at the amusement park which leads to the hall of mirrors that rivals “Enter the Dragon” and the haunting moments in the Tunnel of Love where the Joker lays waste to dozens of couples is eerie and fantastic all at the same time.  The final moments with Superman and Batman is what geeks and even regular fans of the characters have talked about for years: what would happen if Batman and Superman fought?  In the comic it’s a couple of pages but for the film version we get an almost ten minute brawl that has images that are awesome and unbelievable.  You get the feeling that these are two true titans at battle.

If you haven’t seen either part of “The Dark Knight Returns” you are seriously missing out.  As a whole this film is grand in scale and rivals any live action film.  The action is solid, the beats are rapid and as I said the music totally immerses you in the world that was created for the page and explodes on the small screen.  If you are a fan of the Christopher Nolan Bat-verse, you need to do yourself a favor and get this film into your home and witness this unbelievable version of Batman that you will never see on the big screen.

 

--Robert L. Castillo

A Good Day to Die Hard

   

         I remember back in 1988 when I saw one of my favorite action movies of all time. It was a simple story of a cop, who just happens to be caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The movie took place in a building and featured some great one-liners and plenty of action. “Die Hard” changed action movies and added a new action hero to the world, and movies have not been the same since.

    John McClane (Bruce Willis) has to be the most unlucky guy on the planet. It seems everywhere he goes he has to stop some terrorist group from stealing or destroying something. This time he finds out his son Jack (Jai Courtney) has been arrested in Moscow.  John being who he is decides to travel there and see what he can do. Well things are not what they seem and Jack is actually a C.I.A. agent there on a mission. It doesn’t take long for John to find Jack and to find himself in another situation he has been in already four other times. No reason to say anymore, because it is just a lot of shooting and explosions, and no story whatsoever.

     I know what the “Die Hard” franchise is. They are just mindless movies that are enjoyable and fun to watch. Well for the most part they have been. The peak was definitely “Die Hard” and since then it has been all downhill. Sure the second one was ok, and the third one, I mean hey it had Samuel L Jackson in it. I could even say the forth one was watchable, but let’s just say that they should have stopped while they were even slightly ahead. “A Good Day to Die Hard” should not be included in the “Die Hard” series. There is nothing there that reminds you of any of the previous films except Bruce Willis and the McClane name. No great one liners, well except if you love McClane yelling how he is on vacation every fifteen minutes, and no story on top of that. Written by Skip Woods and Directed by John Moore, who I wonder how can they can sleep at night after killing this franchise. I have enjoyed the “Die Hard” films, but they went one movie too far. There is an old saying that all good things must end. Well “Die Hard” should have ended with “Live Free or Die Hard”, I mean all I have learned after all these films, is that it sucks to be related to John McClane. Save your money and stay home and watch any of the first three “Die Hard’s”. I wish I had, because after watching this movie I actually did want him to die hard this time.

  Brian Taylor

                                                           

Flashback Corner--The Warriors

 “CAN YOU DIG IT!”

 

          When I was a kid in the late seventies, I saw very little inspiration of film on the American youth, but one thing I will never forget is seeing the neighborhood dressing up like characters from the Walter Hill classic “The Warriors”.

The Warriors are one of one-hundred gangs that roam the streets of New York all in different portions of the city each protecting and running their own turf.  When a meeting is called by Cyrus, the herald of the unification of the gangs of New York to propose a truce and eventual domination by all the gangs to running the entire city.  While speaking like a cross between Malcom X, and Dr. Doom to the gangs Cyrus is assassinated, and the Warriors are blamed, even when one of them saw that it was the leader of The Rouges that did the shooting.  It doesn’t matter because when the word gets out that the Warriors are responsible for the killing of Cyrus all the other gangs are out to get them and this makes their way back to their turf on Coney Island next to impossible to get to as the night goes on, where not all of them will make it home.

I have to say I don’t remember much about the movie before watching it again, I mainly remember the fight with the baseball jersey wearing “Furies”, the fight with the “Punks” in the station, and the final confrontation with Luther and his gang the Rouges.  Everyone remembers the iconic “Waaaarriors come out to plaaaay…”

Watching it now, it seems I remembered the best part which ends up being the last half of the film.  The fight scenes while old school, still worked for me, while the first half with the Warriors on the run not knowing that they’ve been framed kinda slogs along.  The dialogue is atrocious, even for 1979 and parts of it play like an independent film, director Walter Hill didn’t hit his stride until the 80’s with “48 Hrs.”, “Streets of Fire”, “Red Heat” and of course “Another 48 Hrs.”.  So while I still consider it half a good movie, I think something like this is ripe for a remake, hell, if they’re remaking classics like “The Evil Dead” and “Carrie” might as well improve on a dated concept with classic story.

--Robert L. Castillo  

Identity Thief

             

                Everyone’s worst nightmare is someone stealing their identity and doing who knows what in your name. In a world were electronics have made it easier to do such a thing, what we really needed was a comedy about this very subject. I am one who thinks we need to laugh more, and sometimes take the serious subjects more lightly. Which brings us to “Identity Thief” a comedy about what happens when you give your personal info out to the wrong person?

     Sandy Patterson (Jason Bateman) is you typical average Joe. He is in a job that he is unappreciated in, and is happy with a non eventful life. Diana (Melissa McCarthy) is the total opposite. She loves life and lives it to full extreme. The problem is that she lives that life with other people’s identities, and Sandy Patterson is her next victim. Diana treats herself to anything she wants, and tells whatever stories it takes for her to be liked. Sandy starts to figure out something is not right when his credit card is declined. Next he is arrested for something he did not do, and Sandy finds out the depth of his problem. Sandy decides the only thing he can do is to go after his impersonator himself. What follows is part road trip movie and part discovery movie.

       I really wanted to enjoy this movie, and the reason why is because of Jason Bateman. I think Jason is so fun to watch, but it seems he never gets the right role. For every “Extract” there seems to be two “The Change-Up”. Teaming Bateman up with Melissa McCarthy, who couldn't be more sought after, after her role in “Bridesmaids” in 2011, sounds like the perfect match.  Well we all know that not everything goes well together, and in the case of our two stars, I think it’s the story that doesn't work more than them. Just like most comedies, the studio feels like it should give away all the funny in the trailer. There are a couple of surprise funny parts still, but most of the good parts were already shown in the trailer. I found it hard to laugh at something I had seen over and over again. I also think that McCarthy’s type of comedy will get old fast, something we will find out soon, with all the movies she has coming out soon. The screenplay written by Craig Mazin, starts off playing hard for the laughs, but by the end starts to abandon them for some heart. This movie could have been good and fun to watch; instead you get average and only finding few moments that are enjoyable. You could do a lot worse than “Identity Thief” and you do get to see Bateman playing what he plays best.  You will just leave thinking about what this movie could have been and not what it was.

Brian Taylor