Author: Travis Keune

Hopeless film enthusiast; reborn comic book geek; artist; collector; cookie connoisseur; curious to no end

‘Avengers’ … The Legend Cometh

DVD Cover of Animated Avengers

Oh, my God!!! Alright, I apologize for that momentary lapse into my child-like geekdom, but come on … it’s the freakin’ Avengers. Hmm … Let me digress for a moment, just as a courtesy for those of you who likely are not privy to what I am speaking of. I grew up not just reading comic books, but more-or-less living on them. They were like oxygen. I honestly didn’t think I could survive without them. Then, I grew up… sort of. I went to college, got a job, got married, then unmarried, then realized we are in the middle of a comic book renaissance return. Of course, we are seeing many comic book movies being made with many more to come, but we are also seeing a revival of the medium itself in some very new ways. I think these occurences  are clearly symbiotic, which will surely result in a long and fruitful run of movies. And believe me, there is a lot of great source material out there.

Iron Man

The Avengershas consisted of a fluctuating potpourri of very diverse superheroes throughout its long and glorious comic book lifespan. However, a single movie cannot possibly do justice to the true nature of The Avengers, but can certainly start us off with a bang. By now, I’m sure you have witnessed a rising  onslaught of media attention to Iron Man, which already looks promising beyond our wildest dreams. A major factor behind this, I believe, is the talented filmmaker Jon Favreau, making his superhero movie debut. His devotion to his craft translates well to this new and growing genre of movies.

  Incredible Hulk

However, what’s really exciting is that in recent interviews with Favreau, he has made some very intriguing statements. The biggest of which is that he has a very strong interest in directing The Avengers. In addition, he also said that he agrees with others involved in the Marvel family that the Avengers movie should carry its characters’ actors from their solo films into the Avengers film. This would mean Robert Downey, Jr. would reprise Tony Stark/Iron Man and Edward Norton would also return as Dr. Banner/Hulk. Wow… we already have a very talented (and expensive) cast and we haven’t even determined who is going to portray the other likely heroes from the most traditional Avengers lineup, including Thor, Captain America and possibly Ant-Man.

Now, there is also a DC Comics movie in the works calls Justice League of America  which is similar, but I was always more of a Marvel fan. But hold on!!! JLA still promises to be good, assuming it gets made. My biggest complaint however, is that the filmmakers are approaching the film with a different mindset. They intend to cast entirely different actors, mostly unknowns and young ones at that. Only time will tell. Thus far, DC has Batman and Superman to play with. The likely characters of The Flash, Aquaman and Green Lantern haven’t ever had a big screen treatment yet.  In addition,  we have yet to see which side of  director George Miller will show up, the Mad Max director or the Happy Feet and Babe director.

Review: ‘Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street’

Sweeney’s Arm is Complete

Zac:

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp re-team for their 6th film together, and is my favorite Burton film since Big Fish, and is probably right there with Big Fish for his second best film behind Ed Wood.
The film is an adaptation of the Broadway show of the same name and is a full blown musical, so you idiots that won’t give a movie a shot just because there is singing, just go ahead and save yourself the time of reading any further. (I find it funny that a lot of people that grew up on and loved Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory with Gene Wilder, say they can’t even watch musicals or grown at the mention of one.)
The story goes like this, Sweeney Todd(Depp) roles into London some years after being arrested and thrown out by a conniving Judge who wants to steal Todd’s, then Benjamin Barker, wife. He returns brooding on revenge and seeks to hunt down the man who took his life away. He returns to his past barber shop and home above Mrs. Lovett’s Meat Pie Shop where Lovett(the always great Helena Bonham Carter) is still cooking “The Worst Pies in London’ and tells him that his wife is gone.
One of Todd’s shipmates is a teenage boy named Anthony Hope (Jamie Bower) and he has the anti-emotions to Todd about returning to London. He stumbles upon the rich district to find a beautiful girl perched in a window, Johanna (Jayne Wisener), singing about being trapped. We quickly find she is on lock down under the control of, Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman), who put Barker/Todd away, and his accomplice Beadle (Timothy Spall). The two kids sing a love song to each other and Hope gets a warning from Turpin to stay away from Johanna.
The movie sets up the main players with the first few songs and is a slow build up, but isn’t at all boring, and really gets going with the appearance of Sacha Baron Cohen as Pirelli a competitor Barber. Soon after Pirelli’s arrival Todd’s blood lust begins to boil over beyond containment and boy does the blood flow. I won’t go any further into the plot, but be warned; there will be buckets of blood by the end of the film.
As for the songs, singing, and acting Depp is great as usual and makes the most out of a pretty one dimensional character and is a fairly good singer as well. Carter is fantastic as Mrs. Lovett and steals a lot of the scenes she is in. She is also the best singer of the bunch and has the best, or is at least involved in, of the songs. All of the young actors have great voices with Wisener and Bower showing off their skill. I will give special mention to Ed Sanders who is the youngest of all the actors and is great as the assistant to Pirelli and has a wonderful singing voice. Cohen is hilarious as usual as the Italian barber, and does a good job singing as well.
The movie looks great, the CGI London backdrops might rub some people the wrong way, but I think the look is of Burton’s intention. I’ve already mentioned the grisliness and the gore and the movie is not for the squeamish, but you should still bare it if you are at all interested in the movie. There isn’t really any dance numbers like many Broadway shows but that doesn’t take away from this being one of the better musicals to be released since the revival of the genre with Moulin Rouge!. Now this movie isn’t as good as the fore mentioned Rouge, or Chicago, but I think it fits in as my third favorite of this new era for musicals.
If you are a fan of Burton and Depp this is a must see same for any fans of Broadway or musicals. The movie works most of the time and is never boring, just slows down once or twice. The darker fare might keep some away but they would be missing out on one the most entertaining films of the year.

(4.5 out of 5)

Travis:

Sweeney Todd succeeds as the best film adaptation of the macabre Sondheim musical, but not without the trademark visual style of Tim Burton making its mark. Burton has a knack for taking any story and making it his own, for better or worse. Batman and Batman Returns were great Burton-esque films, but not overly great Batman films. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was definitely an entertainingly Burton-style joyride, but not a good remake by any means. This trend of so-called Burton adaptations, however, ends with Sweeney Todd as he’s really nailed a masterful combination of his own style and the integrity of the film’s source material. Surprisingly, Depp and the entire cast pull off the songs from this notoriously difficult musical, despite none of them being classically trained singers. The acting, directing, cinematography, music and of course, the coveted best picture award are all potentially up for grabs with this rare gem.

(4.5 out of 5)

[rating: 4.5/5]

Review: ‘Juno’

Paulie asks to feel Juno's belly.

Zac:

Talk about breaking a stereotype. Who would have thought that such a great film like Juno was written by an ex-advertiser/stripper/phone sex operator named Diablo Cody. But that is in fact what she has done and paired with one of the more capable young directors around, Jason Reitman, Juno might end up being the funniest film of the year.
Juno gets pregnant and what follows is the adventure to seeing this baby out of the womb and into the arms of a family. Mixed in we have some becoming adult issues, high school shenanigans, and cross country running and all of this gels into a fantastic movie. Cody has created a fun universe that is similar to our world but just a bit askew; ala Wes Anderson. Anyways the language that the high school kids use is so unique, and maybe kids talk like this now; I don’t know, but I don’t think I am that far removed from High School to remember that kids don’t talk like this. That isn’t to say it’s bad though, it’s just weird, and cool, but most importantly funny. The language of Juno will be quoted plenty after this is seen by the masses; let’s just hope it doesn’t go so over blown by the youth of America (i.e. Napoleon Dynamite, which is a good movie, but pails to this one). That PG-13 rating is going to let a lot of people see this, but it is a very adult movie as is it’s sense of humor(in fact i don’t even see how this got a pg-13).
Cody and Reitman’s world is populated by some great characters played by some great actors. Michael Cera who is always fantastic, and one of my favorite comedy actors working right now, is great but his work is far from being the best in this film. Olivia Thirlby is great as, Leah, Juno’s friend who sporadically is around for support. Jason Bateman is great as usual with Jenifer Garner playing the desperately wanting part to a T. J.K. Simmons and Allison Janney are fantastic as the Father and Step-Mother, just great with some great one liners and every scene with them is a guaranteed laugh.
Real credit needs to go to Ellen Page though. She throws this movie on her back and carries it with ease. She makes the fore-mentioned “language” believable and is just a joy to watch and we are right with her through all of her emotions. She keeps the potentially risky material light and funny, while being constantly funny and cute. The character is great to begin with from just her words, but Page sells the package as a whole and is just so damn good and would honestly love to see her get nominated for this movie; cause she deserves it as one of the best female characters in a movie this year.
Overall the movie is constantly funny, a story that matters, doesn’t really have any cheap laughs, and is just a joy to watch in general. Some people might have issue with the plausibility of the acceptance of all this, and one might say they glossed over some potentially big issues of teenage pregnancy, and one characters potential motivations walk a very fine line, but the movie does what it is supposed to, entertain. Don’t miss this one as it will not disappoint and will probably go down as the funniest movie of the year.

(4.5 out of 5)

Travis:

Juno (2007) is a thoughtful and intelligent, yet darkly humorous comedy from Thank You for Smoking’s director Jason Reitman. Ellen Page (Hard Candy) seamlessly matches wit with emotion, evoking a teenager beyond her years. The dialogue of Juno is razor-sharp and quick as a silver bullet, but never feels forced or contrived. The supporting cast is able to keep with the pace, creating a sort of surreal utopian suburban world, but maintains all the societal flaws that make our world uniquely ours.

The story follows Juno (Page) as she “deals with things way beyond her maturity level,† which she clearly points out to her father. Her best friend, with optional benefits, Paulie Bleeker (Michael Cera, Superbad) is the hopelessly romantic, smart, cross-country running high school outcast who has an on-again-off-again sort of relationship with Juno†¦ oh yeah, and a baby.

The plot is pretty straight forward; girl meets boy, spends night with boy, realizes she’s pregnant and must determine how to deal with these sudden life-changing events. This character driven movie contains plenty of laughs, surprises and candid moments, creating what I am going to peg as one of the most enjoyable and complete cinematic experiences of the year.

(4.5 out of 5)

[rating: 4.5/5]

‘Hellboy 2’ … How Big Could it Be?

Hellboy... not too happy

“How big could it be?† The big red guy asked at the climax of Hellboy, but little did he know at the time just how big it would get. Hellboy II: The Golden Army, the much anticipated but little talked about sequel, is due to hit theatres in July of 2008. Man o’ man, does this gem look friggin’ awesome! Guillermo del Toro has, to the utter giddy delight of fans, returned to continue the epic saga of the big red guy. Toro has created a surprisingly underrated cult following with his masterful combining of sci-fi, horror, action and, of course†¦ sly, tongue-in-cheek comedy. Along with Toro directing, Ron Pearlman returns as Hellboy himself. This is a given, because if they had made a sequel without him the producers would surely have been subjected to a fate so gruesome to rival even the imagination of Lovecraft himself.

If you are a fan of Hellboy, and you haven’t Googled the sequel yet, you’ll find some decent pictures and some articles here  and there, but to get the true concept of how badass this movie promises to be, you really must see the trailer being touted as a teaser. However, be forewarned that this is the most exciting, revealing and informative “teaser† trailer I have ever seen. A link to the trailer follows:

Hellboy 2 Teaser Trailer

Review: ‘Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead’

Devil’s Leading Men

Zac:

Sidney Lumet’s new film is an interesting take on the crime drama, by taking a small simple crime and examining the consequences of what can happen if everything went wrong. The movie is a very intimate look into the lives of everyone involved and can be even more intimate than most crime films due to the interconnections between all the characters we focus on.
The movie opens with Andy, Phillip Seymor Hoffman, having some raw powerful sex with his wife Gina, the very naked most of the time Marisa Tomei, and while seemingly a bit gratuitous at first, by the end of everything it is the reason that everything that happens in the film happens in the first place.
Also involved is Hank, Ethan Hawke, who is a divorced supporting dad who is a little short on cash all the time, as well as Charles, Albert Finney, the owner of a “ma and pa” jewelry store.
The second scene we see is the robbery itself, and when it goes south, Hank has to flee the scene, as he escapes we flash back 3 days using a cool little transition and this is how the story is told through out the film. Once Hank’s story catches back up to where it went back, we might see a bit more or we flashback to see one of the other three leads perspectives over roughly the same time frame. A few scenes overlap and based on what we learn from the flashback those scenes have a bit more weight and we see them from other angles the second time around.
The acting is top notch most of the time and there are some twists and turns as you go. Hoffman is the best here, because he is awesome, and he gets to work with a broad range of emotions and has the most going on as a character. His scenes/story is full of long takes and sadness compared to the others, and while good, can be hard to swallow sometimes. Hawke’s performance is the most frantic and plot driven, as he was directly a part of the robbery, and he does work as usual. Tomei is pretty much a naked sex craved woman the first half, but does a great job telling a lot about her relationship with Andy in the opening scene. We don’t divulge into her character that much and I think we missed out on some good material, especially with the relationship situation she is in and getting to see what she thought about everything could have been really interesting; we only get to see a touch of that in a really great scene towards the end. Finney is good as well most of the time, but he has some really awkward moments, and is sadly just getting to old I think. His mouth does some weird things and took me out of the movie a couple times. I know this sounds mean, but it was very visually distracting a couple times, especially in the climax, it looked like he was having a stroke or something.
In the end, the movie drags a bit occasionally but never long enough to disinterest and the story is compelling, engaging, and well thought out. The acting is good and there are occasional bits of laughter through out which help lighten the mood. But a bit of an open ending might upset some, but it works for me. In another year this movie might have faired better, but with so many good movies out right now it pales in comparison; definitely at least worth renting, and seek it out in theaters if your a crime fan, as its a interesting take on the genre.

(4 out of 5)

Travis:

Director Sydney Lumet returns to form with Before the Devil Knows You’re Dead, after what I consider to be one of the longest directorial droughts in movie history. It’s no surprise, however, that his return evokes movies like Dog Day Afternoon and Serpico, which made him an icon of 70’s cinema.

The story follows Andy (Philip Seymour Hoffman), a washed up banker, as he drags his brother Hank (Ethan Hawke) into a personally disasterous criminal belly flop, which they hope will set them both free of their miserably unsatisfying lives. Hoffman is both frighteningly numb and pathetically desperate as a drug-addicted, financially drained bank employee who plots *spoiler* a robbery of his own parents’ jewelry store as a way to free himself and his wife (Marisa Tomei) from their empty suburban, middle-class lives.

The slightly non-linear story unfolds in a way that intrigues us with a slowly revealed trail of mishaps and consequences, which eventually lead to the ironicly poetic and disturbing climax. Everyone becomes a victom to Andy’s greed and self-loathing. Scenes are played with such emotional mastery, they are difficult to watch yet we cannot break ourselves from our attachment to these characters. We truly want to feel sympathy for Andy, but we are left at every turn hating him more. Certainly we will see Oscar nods for Hoffman, possibly for Hawke and maybe even for the screenplay.

(4.5 out of 5)

[rating: 4.25/5]