Tag: jk simmons

RED ONE – Review

Take those jack o’lanterns to the dumpster, it’s Christmas time, at least according to the multiplex (and Thanksgiving gets very little screen time other than PLANES, TRAINS, AND AUTOMOBILES). One such flick is already getting moviegoers in the “spirit” with the modestly budgeted THE BEST CHRISTMAS PAGEANT EVER packing them in after only a week. Well, it’s time for the big studios to load up your stocking with lots of action and firepower. Hey, we get plenty of holiday comedies and romances, so how about a butt-kickin” Kringle? That’s the formula for this, an expansion of the movie within a movie “The Day the Reindeer Died” from the opening of 1988’s SCROOGED, along with lotsa’ laughs in between explosions and a heartful message snuck in. Hopefully, it comes together like a warm fruitcake (and probably tastier) in RED ONE.

Unlike many holiday tales (especially variants of “A Christmas Carol”), this one begins with a flashback as little Jack O’Malley sours the eggnog by debunking the Santa mythos at a big family gathering. Jump cut to now as Santa Claus AKA Nick (J.K. Simmons) is listening to the gift lists from a long line of kids in a busy mall. Luckily a very big, buffy helper/elf named Callum (Dwayne Johnson) is there to make things go smoothly. When the line ends, the two are whisked through a secret exit because this Nick is the “real deal”. He likes to speak with the kiddos to get in the proper mood before he’s on his rounds the next day. And thanks to the secret government agency M.O.R.A. (Mythological Oversight and Restoration Authority) headed by Zoe Harlow (Lucy Liu), they head to the North Pole, through the invisible force field that hides Santa’s workshop where Mrs. Claus (Bonnie Hunt) is working with various creatures (including a talking polar bear) on making all the presents. Meanwhile, the now adult Jack (Chris Evans) is using his criminal skills to nab a top-secret piece of tech for an unknown client. Oh, it turns out that Callum is indeed an E.L.F. (Enforcement Logistics and Fortification), who is planning on retiring after centuries on the job. But something is off, as he sees several lights go out on the big tower. Oh no, they’ve been breached and a heavily equipped band of raiders has grabbed Nick. They’ve got to find him in order to save Christmas. Zoe points him to Jack, and after picking up his pre-teen son from school (things are strained after the divorce), he’s “detained” by the ELF squad. Callum and Jack must team up to find the tech buyer. The squabbling duo embarks on a worldwide trail that leads them to Santa’s half-brother Krampus (Kristofer Hivju) who has a connection to a powerful witch named Gryla (Kernan Shipka) who will stop at nothing to turn all those yuletide dreams into unending nightmares if Callum and Jack don’t thwart her plans in time.

The big “draw” in this bombastic holiday havoc is probably Johnson, though there’s not much to Callum. He’s there to look intimidating and cool (usually with some rockin’ shades) and to try and convince us that this is his last “big show”. Sure, his action “moves” are quite impressive, but he’s mainly a “straight man” counterpoint to Evans (attempting to tarnish his “shield”) as the cynical wise guy Jack. It’s admirable that he’s veering into “bad guy” (maybe a rascally rogue) territory, but he’s saddled with a trite character arc that we can see coming down Candy Cane Lane. Simmons seems to be having the most fun as the “jacked” St. Nick (lots of time in the weight room), and his scenes with the kids delight, but unfortunately, he’s “out of the picture” for the bulk of action (a nice special effects heavy stunt sequence in the finale almost makes up for that). The forever fierce Liu is always welcome on the big screen, though here she mainly barks orders into monitors and is a version of “the guy at the desk”, until her time to show off her fighting skills in the finale. As for the terrific comic actors involved, the wonderful Hunt is there to chide Santa and wring her hands in worry, while Nick Kroll mugs up a storm as an underworld kingpin who’s afraid of Shipka’s Gryla. Perhaps this is a big promotion from teen witch Sabrina, but not nearly as wicked as Sally Draper in “Mad Men”, as she vamps it up in several slinky black Halloween cast-off costumes. A much more engaging villain is Hivju, delivering the snark and menace as the towering Krampus who deserves a spin-off sequel.

Calling the shots on this holiday hybrid flick is Jake Kasdan, who had guided Johnson in the two recent JUMANJI reboots. And there is a sense of satiric fun in the big set-ups in the first act. This is particularly true in the new spins on the Kringle legend dreamt up by screenwriters Chris Morgan and Hiram Garcia as Santa’s village becomes an artic Wakanda (why not do a bit of Marvel “borrowing” since two MCU vets are in the cast), full of cool gizmos to streamline the “delivery day” and answer those kid queries (thinking ANT-MAN style antics). But by the time the “Nick-napping” occurs, we’re weary of the often stilted CGI effects, from the small minion-like workers to that lumbering polar bear (in his own E.L.F. vest) to a trio of snowmen assassins who wandered out of a video game. I’ll toss a few kudos to those who decided to forgo motion-capture for Krampus and instead out Hivju in an “old school” prosthetic full body makeup and kin (reminding me of Tim Curry in 1985’s LEGEND). But then the story gets bogged down with long chases, silly bits of business that fall flat (especially in the “contest” at Krampus castle), and the hamfisted heartstring ‘tugging in changing Jack’s deadbeat dad ways. This all contributes to its over two-hour runtime (a hundred minutes would help loads), which could make the lil’ ones squirm, though there are some horrific scenes that could scare and a leering shot of bikini babes on the beach. Maybe those are aimed at the teenagers, but they probably won’t care for the sentimentality and the bits of myth whimsy. This isn’t the big lump of coal that the trailers promised, but it’s doubtful that Buddy the Elf, Jack Skellington, Ralphie, or even THE SANTA CLAUSE will be displaced as a year-end classic by RED ONE.


2 Out of 4

RED ONE is now playing in theatres everywhere

CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS – Review

(L-R): Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) and Chip (voiced by John Mulaney) in Disney’s live-action CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS, exclusively on Disney+. Photo courtesy of Disney Enterprises, Inc. © 2022 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

School’s almost out for the Summer! Who’s up for a trip? Or at least one through one of your favorite streaming services? Yes, the suitcase can remain in the back of the closet for a bit. But what’s the destination for this virtual excursion.? Well, for many of us, this new film is a nostalgic journey back in time, though it is set in the modern-day. A little over 30 years ago, before most kids’ cartoons were shuttled off to basic cable channels and eventually streaming apps, broadcast TV animation was in the midst of a creative (and ratings) explosion. Yes, Saturday mornings were still hanging on, but the place to be was the late afternoon, from around 3 PM (Central) to 5, as first-run syndicated television entertained kids just home from a hard day at school. And things got really interesting when the biggest of the studios, Disney, arrived on the scene in 1988 to build the “cartoon block” that would eventually be known as the “Disney Afternoon”, Following the smash “Duck Tales” another duo, who had debuted on the big screen in 1943, made the TV plunge with stories of adventure and friendship. And now this new feature tells us of the current exploits of CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS. And if you want to break out the post-school snacks, well go right ahead…


So it’s 2022, but we’re not in their TV show world. It’s the real world now, though animated actors co-exist with flesh-and-blood human beings. Dale (voiced by Andy Samberg) takes us down memory lane, to his first grade-school exchange with future show-biz partner Chip (John Mulaney), through bit parts until they became huge stars in the early 1990s with their hit TV show. But it couldn’t last. When Dale gets an offer for his own action spy show, the two split. Chip is now a top seller at an insurance company that trudges home to his regular-sized dog in their suburban ranch-style home. Ah but Dale is still reaching for the “brass ring”, having gotten “CGI surgery”, so he looks more “3-D textured”, he goes on auditions, sets up at “autograph shows” and even joins the Chippendale dancers for “side gigs”, Then a desperate call from their former co-star Monterey Jack (Eric Bana) brings them back together. Turns out MJ is hooked on the “hard stuff”, really “stinky” cheese, and he’s in over his head. When henchmen from “Sweet Pete” grab him, Chip ‘N Dale joins the police to find their ole pal. The ‘toon in charge, Captain Putty (J.K. Simmons) offers little hope (seems a lot of “second-string’ cartoons have vanished), but an eager new policewoman, Ellie (played by human KiKi Lyne) wants to help the boys. Can she really protect Chip ‘N Dale when their search for clues sends them to the seedier sidestreets of the animated underground of “Tinsel-town”, or could the re-united Rescue Rangers get “erased”?

Well, as you may have surmised so far, the highest recommendation I can give to animation fans is that this is the closest we’ll probably (never say never) come to the WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT sequel we’ve been clamoring for over the last five decades. The story seems to be set in that same universe (maybe a cameo), but things have changed as the ‘toons are no longer “second class citizens” regulated to living in “Toon Town” when not working at the movie studio or in nightclubs. In the opening scenes, we see them with the human students, though with chairs that match their “scale” (love that Chip lives in a shoe-box-sized “ranch house in between two regular-sized suburban homes, while MJ’s condo complex is about five feet tall). Oh, and it’s not just classic (2D)characters along with CGI critters. As you might guess Captain Putty is a clay stop-motion creation (many think of the Raisins or Wallace & Gromit, while I think his roots are in Gumby), plus there are “superhero” style folks, video game avatars, and even some puppets. It’s a wondrous world you’ll be sad to leave thanks in part to the great voice actors enlisted to inhabit these roles. Mulaney conveys just the right amount of wiseguy snark as Chip that plays well against the eager but dimwitted Dale perfectly voiced by Samberg. A special mention should be made of the bad guys, namely a CGI polar bear rockin’ a holiday sweater vest (hmm) and Seth Rogen who’s a hoot as a badly rendered motion-capture Viking dwarf from a twenty-year-old or so video game (“Yes, I’m looking right at you!”). He’s perhaps the best “insider joke” in a setting full of intentionally “off” computer creations (complete with a nod to a holiday classic). Oh, and like WFRR you’ll want to hover over the pause button to catch all the wonderful cameos and the “knock-offs”. Ah, that’s another great joke as the story explains the cheapo “rip-offs” (called “bootlegs here) that populated the bargain bins at “dollar only” shops (“The Un-aging Pixie-Boy”, etc.).


Now, it’s high time that I lavish some praise on the very clever screenwriting team of Dan Gregor and Doug Hand for somehow delivering a warm nostalgic homage to a beloved show and its fans that’s also a skewering of Hollywood story cliches and the animation industry itself. Like much of the best cartoons, adults may be laughing harder and longer at the satiric barbs than the kids who may only want to see the cute critters. Of course, all this wit wouldn’t work without the top-notch direction of Akiva Schaffer (one of Sandberg’s “Lonely Island” pals), who keeps the story rolling on while knowing went to slow things a tad for the two leads to mend their tattered friendship. And it truly soars thanks to the army of craftspeople who make us believe in this modern fable, from the puppeteers who allow the ‘toons to move real items to those who build the sets to many different scales, to those animators at the computer and those at the “desk/lightbox” who “sweated” every detail (the airbrush-style shadows of WFRR aren’t here, but they even recreate the scratchy early 60s “copy-machine” outline for some of the extras). Though I wasn’t a fan of the original series (I dug the later shows, “The Shnookums & Meat Funny Cartoon Show” and Disney’s only action/adventure offering, “Gargoyles”), I found this “comeback” (as the poster says, “Not a reboot”) surprisingly entertaining and even a tad touching. If you’re in need of someone to save you from the family flick doldrums, then call on (or download) CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS. Sorry (um, not sorry) Alvin, Simon, and Theodore!

3.5 out of 4

CHIP ‘N DALE: RESCUE RANGERS streams exclusively on Disney+ beginning on Friday, May 20, 2022

THE TOMORROW WAR – Review

CHRIS PRATT stars in THE TOMORROW WAR. Courtesy of Amazon Studios

OK, folks. Strap yourselves in for another time-travel opus, with all the brain-warping snags that entails. Soldiers from 30 years in the future dramatically appear in 2022, warning of imminent extinction by a horde of alien invaders, requiring the initiation of a draft. Lots of cannon fodder from our now are needed in their then because Humanity is going down in flames. They’ve made this portal that only allows weekly trips between their present and ours for shuttling personnel. That’s supposed to minimize audience speculation about why they’re not using the technology in more sensible ways. Like going back to the initial encounter with enough weapons to prevent the whole disaster. Or fill in your own solutions. That’s what my brain keeps churning during moments of quiet dialog between the massive CGI clashes.

This may be my own nit to pick but time travel as a premise works best in comedy, when the logical quagmires don’t particularly matter. Let Bill and Ted, or Marty and Doc calendar-hop all they wish to give us some grins. But when we’re supposed to take this stuff seriously, it’s hard to suspend and maintain enough disbelief. Accepting a regular ol’ alien invasion or zombie apocalypse is easily doable. Just don’t complicate it with yet another mindless temporal leap into someone else’s fantasy.

As to the action that we’re salivating over, they truly deliver the goods while animating and battling the conquering hordes on an epic scale. The product displayed seems a mashup among STARSHIP TROOPERS, WORLD WAR Z, six SHARKNADOs and the TERMINATOR series. The aliens are huge, bug-like and hard to kill; they breed like crazy and swarm impressively; the measures used to resist them will trigger associations with the aforementioned and other genre films you’ve seen. That includes the trope of one family destined to play a much larger role in saving our species than logic would dictate. Oh. And a bit of messaging about how this all happened.

Watch it for the adrenaline. Turn off your brains, so any mental activity, intended or on autopilot, doesn’t interfere with the visceral. THE TOMORROW WAR releasing exclusively on Amazon Prime Video on Friday, July 2nd.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

Win Passes To The Advance Screening of TERMINATOR GENISYS In St. Louis

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Arnold is back and WAMG has your passes to the film of the summer – TERMINATOR GENISYS!

When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline.

Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…

From director Alan Taylor, TERMINATOR GENISYS also stars  Matt Smith, Byung-Hun Lee and JK Simmons.

WAMG invites you to enter for a chance to win passes (Good for 2) to the advance screening of TERMINATOR GENISYS on Monday, June 29th at 7PM in the St. Louis area.

We will contact the winners by email.

How well do you know the TERMINATOR films? Answer the following:

  • What is the date of the fictional Judgment Day?
  • What club was Sarah Connor hiding out at the beginning of THE TERMINATOR (1984)?
  • In THE TERMINATOR, when Sarah and Kyle go to the Tiki Motel, what kind of room does she specifically ask for?
  • What is the name of the Mall that John Connor and his friend go to at the beginning of TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY (1991)?
  • What is the name of John Connor’s dog in TERMINATOR 2?

TO ENTER, ADD YOUR NAME, ANSWERS AND EMAIL IN OUR COMMENTS SECTION BELOW.

OFFICIAL RULES:

1. YOU MUST BE IN THE ST. LOUIS AREA THE DAY OF THE SCREENING.

2. A pass does not guarantee a seat at a screening. Seating is on a first-come, first served basis. The theater is overbooked to assure a full house. The theater is not responsible for overbooking.

3. No purchase necessary.

TERMINATOR GENISYS

The film is rated PG 13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and gunplay throughout, partial nudity and brief strong language.

Experience TERMINATOR GENISYS in RealD 3D & IMAX 3D on July 1st

http://www.terminatormovie.com/

TERMINATOR GENISYS

TERMINATOR Watch Party Gets Fans Ready For TERMINATOR GENISYS; James Cameron Talks New Chapter

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The machines took over Saturday night in St. Louis. Car machines, that is.

To get fans ready for the upcoming release of the TERMINATOR GENISYS, Clean Cut Creations Vintage Auto Works hosted a watch party of the original 1984 film, THE TERMINATOR, with a drive-in movie night.

Saturday evening’s event was open to everyone and St. Louis area vintage car owners arrived in style to watch James Cameron’s sci-fi classic.

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In 1984, a cyborg arrived from the future. He was called the Terminator.

Jump 30 plus years into the future to 2015 and a brand chapter of the Terminator franchise. Opening on July 1st with new cyborgs and bigger action sequences is TERMINATOR GENISYS.

Check out Clean Cut Creations Vintage Auto Works on Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/CCCSTL
https://www.facebook.com/STLSnowCone

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When John Connor (Jason Clarke), leader of the human resistance, sends Sgt. Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back to 1984 to protect Sarah Connor (Emilia Clarke) and safeguard the future, an unexpected turn of events creates a fractured timeline.

Now, Sgt. Reese finds himself in a new and unfamiliar version of the past, where he is faced with unlikely allies, including a new T-­800 terminator, the Guardian (Arnold Schwarzenegger), dangerous new enemies, and an unexpected new mission: To reset the future…

Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions present TERMINATOR GENISYS starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jason Clarke, Emilia Clarke (HBO’s Game of Thrones), Jai Courtney, J.K. Simmons Matthew Smith, and Byung-hun Lee.

TERMINATOR GENISYS is directed by Alan Taylor. It is written by Laeta Kalogridis & Patrick Lussier. It is produced by David Ellison and Dana Goldberg. The executive producers are Bill Carraro, Laeta Kalogridis, Patrick Lussier, Megan Ellison and Robert Cort.

The director of photography is Kramer Morgenthau, ASC, and the production designer is Neil Spisak. The film is edited by Roger Barton. The costume designer is Susan Matheson. The music is by Lorne Balfe and Hans Zimmer is Executive Music Producer.

TERMINATOR GENISYS hits theaters on July 1, 2015.

http://www.terminatormovie.com/

 

Series T-800 Robot in TERMINATOR GENISYS from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.
Series T-800 Robot in TERMINATOR GENISYS from Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions.

Watch The TERMINATOR GENISYS Trailer And Join Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Facebook Q&A

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Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions have released the first trailer for TERMINATOR GENISYS.

Set in a new timeline, the film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, Matt Smith, Byung-Hun Lee, and JK Simmons. TERMINATOR GENISYS is directed by Alan Taylor.

The movie hits theaters July 1, 2015.

The TERMINATOR GENISYS trailer is available NOW on Facebook via Arnold Schwarzenegger’s official Facebook Page – he ended his post with “I’m back.”

Also – Arnold will be hosting a Facebook Q&A on his Facebook Page at 1pm PST today, and just posted a fun teaser video via Facebook mentions for that!

Post by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

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TERMINATOR GENISYS Motion Poster Is Here – First Trailer Due Thursday

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Paramount Pictures has released a motion poster for TERMINATOR GENISYS.

The wait is almost over – prepare yourself for the first trailer premiering online this Thursday. Watch the trailer for director James Cameron’s and producer Gale Anne Hurd’s 1984 sci-fi classic HERE.

The film stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Emilia Clarke, Jai Courtney, Jason Clarke, Matt Smith, Byung-Hun Lee, JK Simmons and is directed by Alan Taylor.

Terminator Genisys in theaters July 1, 2015

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TerminatorGenisys

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Terminator

Instagram: http://instagram.com/TerminatorGenisys

#HeIsBack

THE WORDS – The Review

When film makers are looking at a profession for serious subject matter ( super spies, reckless cops, and costumed crusaders are for the lightweight Summer action blockbusters ), they often turn to the literary. Namely, the lonely, unglamorous writer can make for a somber hero ( of course this might be a bit of navel-gazing since somebody’s got to whip up a script ). Movies from THE LOST WEEKEND through last year’s THE HELP have shown the authors pounding away at the typewriter keys well into the wee hours of the morning ( of course modern-time movies have substituted a laptop computer for the noisy old Underwoods and Coronas ). Instead of battling monsters and beasties these knights of the pen fight with another formidable foe : the blank page AKA writers’ block. This can often have the hero facing a moral quandary of fabrication ( THE HOAX ) or outright thievery ( YOU WILL MEET A TALL DARK STRANGER ). The later is the main theme of the new drama THE WORDS, which takes a cue from THE HOURS and interweaves one book about another book about, etc. Is this cinematic nesting doll worth the time and effort of keeping track of who’s writing what?

In the opening scene we’re introduced to celebrated author Clay Hammond ( Dennis Quaid ) as he reads a passage from his latest best-seller to an enthusiastic audience that includes graduate student Daniella ( Olivia Wilde ). The novel begins with The Old Man  ( Jeremy Irons ) watching celebrated author Rory Jansen ( Bradley Cooper ) and his wife Dora ( Zoe Saldana ) climb into a limo that will whisk them to a fancy literary event. Cut to several years ago as Rory and Dora, fresh out of college, move into their Brooklyn loft. Rory struggles to establish himself as a writer, and has to ask his blue-collar father ( JK Simmons ) for a loan. When Rory and Dora travel to Paris on their honeymoon he buys a beat-up old leather briefcase at a shop. Once they return to the states, Rory takes a job in the mailroom of a publishing house. Filing away his old stories and rejection letters, Rory discovers a weathered, hand-typed manuscript hidden in one of the old briefcase’s compartments. He’s so moved by the story that he begins to re-type it, word for word, on his laptop. Dora stumbles across the file and insists that Rory submit it for publication. Rory slaps together a title page ( with himself as author) and gives it to one of the agents ( Zelijko Ivanek ). Before you know it he’s on the best seller lists. All’s going well for this rising literary star until The Old Man plops down on the park bench next to him. The Old Man tells him of the years spent in Paris at the end of World War II as a Young Man ( Ben Barnes ) and his love affair with a beautiful Frenchwoman, Celia ( Nora Arnezeder ) that inspired his lost novel. Rory’s been found out. What will he do to put things right? And what will happen with Clay and Daniella after the public reading and the after party?

There’s a compelling story of plaugerism buried somewhere in this overly complicated, much-too-heavy drama. The sudden scenes shifts don’t help quicken the pace one bit ( this is a very long 95 minutes ). Most of the confrontations seem to fizzle out, particularly a murky confessional between Quaid and Wilde near the conclusion. The actors strain mightily to make this material work. Cooper seems to be repeating his LIMITLESS role here minus that super pill. His take on the flawed golden boy was essayed much better by Robert Redford decades ago. Saldana has little to do in the loyal, supportive wife part even as she is torn by his deceptions. Quaid makes for a believable veteran writer, but he remains an enigma by the film’s end. Wilde’s always a welcome addition, but her book groupie turned inquisitor never really gels. The short supporting work from Simmons, Ivanek, and John Hannah ( as a writing rival ) do create a few brief sparks. Luckily there’s Mr. Irons, who commands the screen as the true literary master. Every emotion is etched on that ravaged face ( nice makeup work). At first he’s sad and pathetic, but soon becomes a rage-filled lion as he exposes the young fraud. If they rest of the film were up to his level, THE WORDS would be a strong awards season contender. Unfortunately the movie sputters and stumbles when Irons is off stage. A muddled, over-wrought, morality melodrama, THE WORDS never really leaps off the page…or screen.

2 Out of 5 Stars

CONTRABAND (2012) – The Review

It’s been over twenty years since Al Pacino as Michael Corleone uttered, “Just when I thought I was out… they pull me back in! “in THE GODFATHER PART III, but this bit of plot motivation is still a major device in most action/crime thrillers for the lead character. In the new film CONTRABAND, the guy who thinks he’s out of the life is Chris Faraday played by an actor who had a few run-ins with the law during his teen years, Mark Wahlberg. Chris had a reputation as an expert smuggler many years ago (he brags about being able to bring in a pricey sports car), but now he’s legit with a home security business, a beautiful wife, Kate (Kate Beckinsale) and two adorable young sons down in New Orleans. Uh-oh, it seems that Kate’s nere’do well kid brother Andy (Caleb Landry Jones) has decided to enter the smuggling game.

Unfortunately, he’s not as good as his brother-in-law. He’s part of the crew on a ship that’s boarded by custom authorities (they even lower down drug-sniffing dogs from a helicopter) and Andy tosses his backpack filled with cocaine over the railing into the sea. The violent, lowlife drug dealer Briggs (Giovanni Ribisi) who hired him is not so understanding once Andy and his partner are on dry land. He rams their car with his truck. Andy survives the attack and tells Chris what happened. Chris tries to cut a deal with Briggs, who insists that he be reimbursed for his lost revenue (700 grand!) otherwise the debt falls to Chris and his family.

Chris has no choice, but to go for one last big score. He contacts another runner who’s gone legit, his old pal Sebastian (Ben Foster) who suggests making a drug run to Panama. But like the Corleones, Chris wants nothing to do with that “dirty business” and hatches a plan to bring in several loads of counterfeit cash. Thanks to Sebastian’s connections Chris becomes a crew member on a cargo ship headed south (several pals are already planted on board to help along with Andy). Once they reach Panama, Andy and a couple of guys will dash over in a van, collect the funny money, and be back in an hour when the ship’s ready to leave the dock. In and out! No problems, right?! If you think that’s the case then you don’t know your movie crime capers! And of course, that mad dog Briggs and his thugs are bearing down on Sebastian and the Faraday family back in the states. Talk about getting pulled back in (and pulled in several directions)!

The world of smuggling makes an interesting new venue for the crime thriller. It’s a nice change from the bank vault or museum break-in. Unfortunately the film makes too many side trips and cuts back and forth from the Big Easy to the big ship, so the forward momentum can’t gain any speed. It’s fun to see Chris stay one step ahead of the ship’s captain (JK Simmons in full surly, grumpy J. Jonah Jamieson-mode), but quickly we’re back watching Briggs hovering near a kids soccer game. In Panama Chris and his pal are recruited by a wild-eyed crime kingpin (an under-used Diego Luna) in an armored car hit (how long before the ship leaves?). The actors do their best with this disjointed thriller.

Wahlberg commands the screen as a good man forced to do bad things (but no drug running!) who tries to survive using his skills and street smarts. You can almost hear the gears in his head grinding as he has to come up with a new escape idea. Beckinsale’s always a lovely screen presence, but she spends way too much time here being bounced around like a rag doll by the different lowlifes. Speaking of lowlifes,  Ribisi seems to be doing a riff on the growly, grizzled  creep he just played in RUM DIARY. I hope in his next role he gets to clear his throat and clean up a bit. Foster’s Sebastian may be the most complex of the bunch. He’s given up booze and crime, but seems to miss the old thrills. Ben Foster really show us this guy’s inner conflict. It’s another interesting performance by an actor who’s compiling an impressive resume. It’s just a shame they aren’t all involving ain a better thought thriller. The film’s final action climax (there’s at least two or three) is right from THE PERILS OF PAULINE. As a cinema crime caper CONTRABAND doesn’t quite deliver (or smuggle) all the goods

Overall Rating: 3 out of 5 stars

YOUNG ADULT – The Review

Why is it that some people never grow up? Unfortunately, I do not have the answer to this question, but it does serve to explain the premise of YOUNG ADULT. This most recent screenplay written by Diablo Cody (JUNO, JENNIFER’S BODY) is directed by Jason Reitman, the man who brought us films including JUNO, THANK YOU FOR SMOKING and UP IN THE AIR.

Mavis Gary (Charlize Theron) is a struggling author of a once popular series of young adult fiction. Think something along the lines of the “Wimpy Kid” series, but for high school girls, rather than Harry Potter or the Twilight series. Mavis is currently writing the last book in her discontinued series, but is experiencing writers block. As an adventure, or more accurately as she sees it, as a calling of fate, Mavis returns home to her small hometown to win back Buddy Slade, played by Patrick Wilson (INSIDIOUS). Buddy was Mavis’ high school sweetheart, but he’s now married with a new born child.

One thing we learn about Mavis early on is that she’s not exactly a role model of being a responsible, well adjusted adult. YOUNG ADULT as a title refers both to the genre of fiction she writes, as well as the state of mind within which Mavis is perpetually stuck. However, when it comes to winning Buddy back, Mavis proves as unstoppable as a Juggernaut. The first person Mavis runs into upon returning home is Matt Freehauf, played by comedian and actor Patton Oswalt (BIG FAN). Matt is what you might easily define as a grown up nerd. He lives with his sister, reassembles and paints action figures as a hobby along side running his own home whiskey distillery. Matt also has an unfortunate handicap, the story of which plays a crucial role in defining his relationship to Mavis.

YOUNG ADULT has Mavis and Matt become the unlikeliest of friends. Matt serves as Mavis’ unwanted and questionably successful conscience, while Mavis serves as the closest Matt will ever get to having something special with the popular, attractive cheerleader type that never occurred in high school. The chemistry between this odd couple is wonderfully awkward, but natural. Both are damaged goods, but Matt realizes and accepts the truth. Mavis fantasizes about what her life is supposed to be versus what it has become, leading her to pursue a self-destructive path of volcanic proportions.

The dialogue is clearly Diablo Cody’s, sharp and quick, but more refined than in JUNO. This is a dark comedy based in ordinary life. The eccentric edge, or the wackiness factor of YOUNG ADULT is also a bit more restrained than we saw in JUNO or THANK YOU FOR SMOKING. Reitman’s direction is continually finding a more “grown up” edge – if you’ll permit the cliché – a shift which began with UP IN THE AIR. While the humor and tone in Reitman’s first two films are more playfully over-the-top, his last two films are more reserved and more focused on specific character development.

YOUNG ADULT also scales back quite a bit on the star factor. Sure, Charlize Theron is a major star and talented to boot – possibly even worthy of an acting nomination come Oscar season – but Patton Oswalt – as much as I love that little funny man – is still a relative unknown for most people outside of the geek culture. Aside from this, Patrick Wilson and a brief role from veteran Mary Beth Hurt, this does not feature the ensemble cast that Reitman’s previous films are known for. YOUNG ADULT is a comedy that may taste slightly bitter on your tongue at first, but given time to savor after seeing the film allows for the sweetness to emerge, as well as the fiery kick of the film’s ending.

Overall Rating: 4 out of 5 stars