Maleficent (2014)

3/5

Disney's Maleficent stars Angelina Jolie as the titular character, and her casting is the best decision the filmmakers' could have made. She gives a spectacularly complex performance as the kind-hearted Maleficent, a fairy who places a curse on Sleeping Beauty as revenge for being stripped of her wings and the power of flight. She brings depth and gravitas that has felt absent in most Disney characters and she alone is the reason to see this movie.

Although the story is full of surprising twists, it is laid out and presented with such unoriginal style as to make it feel old and overused. We start with a voice-over explaining that there are two worlds: the world of fairies and the world of humans. We are introduced to Maleficent's childhood and the magical world she inhabits. She swirls and swoops in extravagant 3D as if to show off the prowess of Disney's CGI programmers. Then she meets a human, falls in love, and gets her heart broken. And on and on it goes in such an unsurprising and familiar progression as to make the whole movie feel like something we've seen a hundred times before, except this time they've recycled familiar names and placed them on opposite sides of the moral compass from the first time they were in a Disney movie.

Now, to be fair, I am far from an expert on Disney and far from an expert on Maleficent. I haven't seen Sleeping Beauty and I've barely seen Maleficent (I was extremely tired and found myself nodding off several times during the movie)! So I suppose it is a little unfair that I am reviewing this movie. But looking at this movie from a purely cinematic perspective, I see a lot of missed potential. Although the art direction and costuming are fantastic, Maleficent feels like even more of a money-making operation than most of Disney's products. They are cashing in on the Wicked train by turning a bad guy into a misunderstood good guy and passing the bad guy buck onto some other poor schmuck. Whereas Wicked felt fresh, original, and textured, Maleficent just feels like a copycat. I wanted this movie to be as phenomenal as Wicked was, but I didn't get that. A good movie that disappoints you is worse than a mediocre movie that meets all your expectations.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1587310/

Kung Fu Panda 2 (2011)

4/5

Kung Fu Panda 2 tells the backstory of Po (Black), the obese bumbling panda warrior that was raised by a goose (Hong). Po rejoins his team of kung fu masters to protect a village from a pack of wolves. Those wolves are henchmen for the evil peacock Shen (Oldman), who is building weapons of mass destruction to take over China. As Po gets closer and closer to Shen, he also gets closer and closer to the shocking truth of his past. Honestly, the plot is ludicrous. I'm embarrassed just typing it out. You don't need me to tell you that it is the weakest aspect of the movie. Fortunately, however, the directing, the animation, and the acting are all amazing. They integrate seamlessly to fashion this wonderfully endearing film.

Just like in the first one, the filmmakers use the animation to free themselves from the limitations of live action instead of trying to mimic it like in WALL-E. For example, the first battle against the wolves in the musician's village. Each attack, block, and fall is perfectly synchronized with musical instruments to turn the violence into a delightful melody. Another example, the scene in which the kung fu masters are hiding inside a dragon costume (by far the best scene of the movie). It almost plays like a video game and rekindles viewers' fond memories to elevate this movie off the screen and into our collective experiences. That, and it was just plain hilarious. This movie is not perfect by any means, but it's a lot of fun and it's a breath of fresh air for the world of animated films.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1302011/

Salt (2010)

3/5

Salt is a preposterous action movie starring Angelina Jolie as the titular character. When a Russian defector (Olbrychski) accuses CIA agent Evelyn Salt (Jolie) of being a Russian spy, she goes on the run from fellow agents Winter (Schreiber) and Peabody (Ejiofor) to prove her innocence and protect her husband (Diehl). As countless twists and turns pile up, we go back and forth between her possible motivations. Yes, all is technically explained (or at least left open for you to come up with your own explanations) in hindsight, but it never really made any sense while you were watching it. And that is the most frustrating part about this movie: you never know how to feel or whom to root for. This kind of uncertainty might work in a psychological thriller, but an action movie where someone's life is on the line all the time requires you to love and trust the main character. You must always fear for their life so that with every near miss you can breathe a sigh of relief. That tension is lost in this movie for most of the second half.

The action was above average for the most part, but nowhere near memorable (except maybe the final kill). The dialogue was bland and cliched. If this movie starred anybody besides Angelina Jolie, then it would have fallen by the wayside of our collective memory. But it does star Angelina Jolie, and she carries the entire film. She is mesmerizing. She makes a satisfactory film enjoyable, despite its slew of unimpressive features. Should you see it? Only if you're a fan of Angelina and/or senseless action. It seems like a lot of guys are.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0944835/

Mr. And Mrs. Smith (2005)

3/5

Mr. And Mrs. Smith is an entertaining action flick that began the Hollywood couple known as Brangelina. Looking over the IMDb trivia, it seems as if five or six different actresses were considered before Jolie; it's hard to imagine our celebrity world if they had never met. But enough asides, it's time to discuss the movie. The plot follows married couple John (Pitt) and Jane (Jolie) Smith. They seem like a normal suburban couple with dysfunctional problems after the initial lust has faded. Except they're also assassins, and their alternate lifestyles may be adding undue strain on their marriage by constantly keeping secrets from each other. On their latest job, they are both tasked to kill the other; can they follow through or is their love stronger than that? The answer may surprise you (but probably won't, because the movie is very predictable).

The plot in this movie is barebones. When it does attempt to explain itself, it fails pretty spectacularly. To put it simply, no part of this movie makes any sense whatsoever. The dialogue is amazing though. It is sharp, quick, and efficient. It says so much with so few words. It relies on the actors' chemistry and body language to tell their history and their behavior. The directing allows the actors space to act without forcing rapid-fire dialog or editing. And it's funny. As an action movie, Mr. And Mrs. Smith is somewhat middle of the line. I didn't find it particularly compelling, or particularly nauseating, so that's a good sign. All in all, it's a fairly average action flick that has some strong elements along with some weak elements. If the trailers looked interesting to you, I'm sure you'll enjoy checking it out.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0356910/

Changeling (2008)

4/5

Clint Eastwood's Changeling tells the emotional true story of LA mother Christine Collins (Angelina Jolie) whose missing son Walter is claimed to be returned by police captain J. J. Jones (Jeffrey Donovan). Except the boy is not her son, and the police deny their mistake. She finds an ally in Reverend Briegleb (John Malkovich), who encourages her to fight the corrupt LAPD. After she publicly announces the police's error, they lock her up in a mental asylum, force-feed her medication, and threaten electric shock therapy. I will leave the rest of the story's twists and turns open for you to discover yourselves.

While the drama was a bit overwrought and overbearing in the beginning, it works. We feel her pain and sympathize with her quest for truth, hanging on every new piece of evidence in the hopes of discovering what happened. Jolie does an exemplary job here; we are not watching an actress, but a distressed mother at her wit's end, with every imaginable injustice cast upon her and no end in sight. The abuses of power, by both the police and the psychiatrists, are horrifying, ugly, and almost unbearable.

Eastwood directs the film with intensity and brilliance. He has imbued Changeling with astute set design, painterly lighting, and evocative cinematography. The editing and pacing are spot-on as well, thanks in no small part to the story and its writing. Most movies sag in the middle half, but Changeling shifts into an exciting suspense thriller halfway through to help us get through its 2 hour 22 minute running time while still remaining true to its dramatic roots.

The ending, which is as inconclusive as all historical mysteries, is still extremely satisfying. Changeling exposes fears that I'm sure any parent can relate to, and it does so without simplifying or sugar-coating them. But it is not just for parents. It is for anyone who has ever loved a family member or friend to the point where they cannot stop loving them. And so I wholeheartedly recommend this movie to anyone who fits that description.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0824747/

Kung Fu Panda (2008)

4/5

Kung Fu Panda is a delightful animated comedy about a panda (Jack Black) in ancient China who dreams about kung fu but is stuck making noodles for his father. When happenstance names him the Dragon Warrior, he must train with his idols, the Furious Five, under the tutelage of Master Shifu (Dustin Hoffman) in order to save the town from the recently escaped Tai Lung (Ian McShane). He must fight against his comrades' prejudices and his own insecurity to fulfill his destiny as the Dragon Warrior. Yes, the plot is pretty simple, but it had a very good "believe in yourself, be an individual" message that suburban parents love having their kids hear.

The acting and music were adequate. The real joy of watching this movie was in the wonderfully comic moments and the exquisitely choreographed fights. The animators understood that they were unrestrained by a physical camera and took advantage of that fact to do impossible angles, slow motion, and long takes that enhanced the humor and fun. The compositions and movement within each frame flowed seamlessly with the tight editing. While WALL-E tried to make itself seem filmed, Kung Fu Panda made sure you knew it was animated. For that reason alone, I think I prefer Kung Fu Panda to WALL-E. It may not be as memorable or timeless, but it's certainly a step in the right direction as far as CGI is concerned. If you want solid entertainment, consistent laughs, and a chance to see animation exploring its limits, make sure you check this movie out.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0441773/

Wanted (2008)

3/5

Wanted will probably be the most over-the-top, visually exciting action movie to come to America this year. Directed by Timur Bekmambetov (of Night Watch and Day Watch fame), the movie goes heavy on the special effects. But unlike his previous Russian sensations, this one has a solid plot to hinge the smart-ass humor and slick action on. Even though it was a bit simplistic and trite, the story had a believable twist that kept you thinking. It starts off much like the Matrix, where a boring guy (James McAvoy) with a boring desk job gets a shot of adrenaline when a sexy assassin (Angelina Jolie) tells him things aren't what they seem, right before a dramatic grocery store shootout and thrilling car chase convince us that she's telling the truth. After accepting his fate, he trains to be an assassin with special powers (except in this movie it's bending bullets instead of dodging them). Unlike the Matrix, there isn't even an attempt at an explanation for how ludicrously they ignore scientific laws.

Suffice it to say, I enjoyed myself a lot in the theater. The action was consistently exhilarating and the dialogue was edgy and hilarious. I loved the look and feel of the film, though the cinematography itself wasn't that impressive, and I thought the pacing was near-perfect. The acting was surprisingly good and definitely better than I expected. I find myself liking James McAvoy more and more. After seeing the awesome trailer (the red band one is best), I was worried this movie wouldn't live up to my expectations. But they did. If you thought the trailer was cool, definitely check out this movie. It'll be worth it.

IMDb link: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0493464/

The Good Shepherd (2006)

4/5

It's been awhile since I saw a movie where I didn't think about how I was going to write the review while I was still watching it. Or look at the time. This movie is engaging from the start, entrancing in every aspect. Loosely based on real events and real people during the 50's and 60's as the CIA was being formed, the plot sucks in the attentive viewer and keeps them breathless the entire time. It's been advertised as a spy thriller, but in reality it's a thinking man's drama. It is meditative. It asks questions and pretends no answers.

I was impressed by the acting (especially Matt Damon's morally ambiguous protagonist), although some characters seemed extraordinarily flat and poorly cast. (I was particularly disappointed at Robert De Niro's and Angelina Jolie's relatively limited screen time.) I found the pacing nearly flawless, although ironically it also felt like some scenes were pointless or shoddily constructed. Most of the dialogue was unnecessarily convoluted and deceptive, to the point where the audience loses track of what people say and mean or pretend to say and mean. Also, I thought there were a couple unexplained events and/or plot holes, whichever you want to call them. All these negative aspects seem to point towards it having a lower score, but the movie is more than the sum of its parts. It's truly an experience, and one not to be missed.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0343737/

A Mighty Heart (2007)

4/5

A Mighty Heart tells the true story of five-month pregnant Mariane Pearl's attempts to locate and save her husband, a journalist who was kidnapped by terrorists in Pakistan. It shares many qualities with United 93, which was about the September 11 attacks, with the most obvious one being that it takes a national tragedy and fictionalizes it in the hopes of making it more powerful and engaging to audiences. They both use very documentary-style camerawork and editing, although I think both elements were much more fluid in A Mighty Heart. In attempting to avoid melodrama by keeping it unbiased and factual, both movies merely present the information and leave the viewer to take what he will out of it. I found no overarching purpose, theme, or message. Even so, both movies were made tastefully (it never felt like they were taking advantage of the tragedy for commercial gain) and both movies succeed on the emotional front, which may be in no small part to the innate power of the true events.

To separate the movies now and talk about the qualities of A Mighty Heart on its own--the most outstanding part of the movie was Angelina Jolie. Her acting was realistic, moving, and emotionally draining. My favorite part of the movie was during her first public interview. "If there was one thing you could say to your husband now, what would it be?" Almost cutting the interviewer off, her instant and touchingly candid "I love you" had a powerful effect on me. The music, acting by other characters, and technical qualities were also quite good, but nothing stood out as much as Jolie. And she carries the entire movie, pretty much. I sometimes felt uninterested when it followed the investigation for too long without going back to Jolie's character and how she was responding to the situation.

And as a simple, emotional story, it works. But as more than that, I feel that it doesn't. Like Breach, an excellent character study on Russian spy Robert Hanssen, it leaves you unfulfilled. Why did they make a movie that doesn't explain the underlying reasons for the characters' actions and merely presents events? We see a strong woman put in very trying circumstances who stays dedicated to her husband and then it ends. Was there some character growth or just exposition? It irks me, and almost feels like laziness on the part of the filmmakers for not making a point. But it would almost be demeaning to think that one person's life or death can be summed up as simply a take-home message and nothing more. So I am at an impasse about how I feel about this movie. Still, a very good movie, although I doubt it would be thought of as such if it were not based on true events and were made the same way. Highly recommended if you are interested in the subject matter, or if you like emotional stories.

IMDb link: http://imdb.com/title/tt0829459/