Tag: Malin Ackerman

RAMPAGE – Review

A boneheaded orgy of computer-generated destruction, RAMPAGE delivers big fun movie monsters, but it’s about as underdeveloped as assembly-line filmmaking can get. Dwayne Johnson stars as Davis Okoye, a primatologist at the San Diego Animal Sanctuary. His best friend there is George, an albino gorilla who he saved as a pup after poachers slaughtered his family. A space station has fallen from the sky that contained vials of an experimental substance that rapidly evolves the DNA of whoever comes in contact with it, causing the host to increase in size and aggression. George, a wolf, and an alligator have inhaled the chemical and set out to destroy Chicago unless Davis and Dr. Kate Caldwell (Naomie Harris), a disgraced genetic scientist, can get there with an antidote in time.

RAMPAGE is not a movie so much as an amusement-park ride without the park, though there may be just enough amusement for audiences to have a good time. It’s a goofy-weird mishmash of some pretty swell CGI creatures and downright lousy screenwriting. The film works best when it focuses on the visuals, such as in an early forest showdown between the wolf and some heavily-armed soldiers, a scene that recalls the intensity of KONG SKULL ISLAND. With the destructive powers of the CGI gods at his disposal, director Brad Peyton (Johnson’s go-to green-screen guy, having served similar duty with SAN ANDREAS and JOURNEY 2: THE MYSTERIOUS ISLAND) conjures up a couple of exciting set pieces, notably a wild one involving a battle between giant George and an armed team that takes place inside an out-of-control airplane hurtling toward the ground. The final thirty minutes is an epic-scale WWE-style monster rally that destroys much of downtown Chicago and is directed with the same sort of panache and disaster-porn glee we haven’t seen since PACIFIC RIM UPSRISING last month!

RAMPAGE is campy but never quite campy enough and far too artificial to ever drum up any real suspense or sense of awe, nor do we at any time fear for anyone’s safety. The special effects are state-of-the-art, but unfortunately there’s no way (as of yet) to computer-generate character development or sharp writing. Despite Dwayne Johnson’s undeniable charisma, he’s saddled with some real groaners here such as “Let’s kick some ass!”, “We gotta get that antidote!”, and my favorite: “I’m gonna choke you out so bad you’re gonna urinate yourself”. The best exchanges in the film are between Davis and George and the way they communicate, often in sign language, provide moments of wit and warmth (George, an obvious fan of the Korean giant monster classic A*P*E., flips the bird….twice!). A stronger supporting cast may have helped. Jeffrey Dean Morgan, one-note as Davis’ adversary-turned-ally, swaggers about with his pearl-handled pistol (which he never uses), portraying the same tiresome cocky cowboy he always does while Malin Ackerman and Jake Lacy play buffoonish cartoon villains even less threatening than Charlie Day in PACIFIC RIM UPSRISING. Despite its flaws, I still recommend RAMPAGE as fun, harmless escapism. You don’t get the impression that anyone really knocked themselves out trying to make a great movie, but it doesn’t, despite being based on a video game, reek of shameless cash-grabbing either. A big ol’ shrug of the shoulders and a tepid thumbs up is what RAMPAGE gets from me.

3 of 5 Stars

ROCK OF AGES – The Review

ROCK OF AGES is the latest stage musical to be adapted for the big screen in the wake of the enormous success of CHICAGO over ten years ago ( wow! ). It bucks the popular current trend on Broadway in that it’s not based on a film, so we’re not getting the full-circle vibe from THE PRODUCERS and HAIRSPRAY ( although this is from that remake’s director Adam Shankman ). AGES harkens back to the shows built around known songs like ” Smokey Joe’s Cafe ” and ” Ain’t Misbehavin'” on stage and HOLLYWOOD REVUE OF 1929 and SINGIN’ IN THE RAIN on screen. This work takes the rock anthems  from several 80’s bands and attempts to connect them in a story set in that era. It was a big hit on the Great White Way, but will movie audiences be boppin’ their heads to the beat down at the multiplex?

In the far off year of 1987, hopeful singer Sherrie Christian ( Julianne Hough ) is looking wistfully out the window of the bus that’s taking her to that entertainment mecca, Los Angeles ( Hmm, sounds a lot like one of Hough’s previous films, 2010’s BURLESQUE ). On Sunset Boulevard she meets cutie Drew Boley ( Diego Boneta ) who works at the town’s rockinest’ club, the Bourbon Room. He helps her get a waitress job from the owner, Dennis ( Alec Baldwin ) and his right hand man Lonny ( Russell Brand ). The club’s got some tax problems, but Dennis is sure that the final concert of Arsenal will put things right. Unfortunately the club is threatened with closure from the rock hating wife of Mayor Whitmore ( Bryan Cranston ), Patricia ( Catherine Zeta-Jones ). Dennis must also deal with sleazy manager of Arsenal, Paul Gill ( Paul Giamatti ) and the band’s spaced-out frontman, rock god Stacee Jaxx ( Tom Cruise ). The film follows the ups and downs of Sherrie and Drew’s romance and music dreams while leading up to the big concert night and its aftermath. So will those two crazy kids be harmonizing before the final fade-out?

The hard-working cast really put out a lot of energy, but I’ve got a feeling that this material may have worked better in a live venue ( I’ve never seen the stage version ). We’ve got a film here that seems to be a good 20 minutes or so too long. It would’ve benefitted the film’s flow if much of the youngsters’ love story was trimmed. Hough and Bonetta are very photogenic, but there’s little chemistry, and their big break-up fight ( or misunderstanding ) is contrived and cliche’. This does set up an amusing subplot in which Bonetta sells out to Giamatti’s mustache-twirling evil manager. We know the guy is bad news, but does he have to be bathed in a red light in all his backstage close-ups? Giamatti is still a most welcome addition to any supporting cast even as an obvious villain. Speaking of villains, Zeta-Jones is reduced to playing a shrill, bug-eyed gargoyle in most of her scenes as a cartoon wicked witch out to stop all the fun. She has very few chances to light up the screen with her impressive musical talents as she did in CHICAGO. Another great musical talent, Mary J Blige, doesn’t appear till well past the one hour mark as the owner of a gentleman’s club. She’s given a couple of rock standards to sing as her ladies really, really work those poles. AGES promotes Cruise as the main star, but his over-indulged, tattooed space cadet, sex machine grows tiresome early on. Yup, he’s believable screaming into the mike, but the film makers rely too much on close-ups of his primate double, Hey Man for easy chuckles. The supporting comic actors do deliver some big laughs. Brand may be a bit much as a film’s lead so his club manager is better suited to his screen persona. Baldwin’s a delight as the grizzled party animal turned business owner. Too bad he’s not given more to do. Malin Akerman thankfully shows off some of her comedic chops she honed on TV’s ” Children’s’ Hospital ” as an ambitious Rolling Stone reporter. There’s other laughs provided by cameos of a couple of gifted comic actors  and , of course, there’s those funny 80’s stuff ( Look at that huge wireless phone! Lookit’ that big hair! ), not to mention a very surprising love duet. The sets and costumes are impressive, but the sanitized version of the Sunset Strip takes the film too far away from reality ( hey, I know people break into song! ). That,along with a clunky, cumbersome script and heavy-handed direction prevent this stage triumph from really coming alive on screen. Those great rock anthems will live on long after this misfire has faded from memory.

Overall Rating: 2.5 Out of 5 Stars

Tribeca 2012 Review: THE GIANT MECHANICAL MAN

THE GIANT MECHNICAL MAN was a bit of a letdown for me. While enjoyable as is, the film never lives up to its full comedic potential, which is a real shame considering the talent involved. In a role written to play to her strengths, Jenna Fischer is the confused, mild-mannered Janice who finds a job selling grape drinks at the zoo. Apparently the zoo is a beacon of hope for the unemployed because this occurs the day after Tim (Chris Messina) walks in and instantly gets a job there after his girlfriend dumps him. (Seriously, is it really that easy to get a job at a zoo?) Tim also has an interesting hobby / side job of painting himself silver, wearing stilts and walking around as the titular Giant Mechanical Man. A friendship forms between the two just as Janice’s overbearing sister (Malin Ackerman) tries to set her up with a motivational speaker / author played eerily well by Topher Grace.

TGMM is a romantic-comedy that tries to be a lot deeper than it really is and that is where it falters. It works best when dealing with the rom-com aspects of the story but gets weighed down by mostly unnecessary dramatic beats that feel too repetitive. I can’t help but feel like this film would have been far more entertaining if all the main characters were not so damn depressed most of the time. I also found myself wondering why Tim didn’t just tell Janice that he was the mechanical man after she not only mentions her respect for him but also visits him while he’s in character. It seems they were saving the revelation for a fairly anti-climatic finale although it probably would have been far more entertaining watching Janice cover up and ultimately explain (especially to her sister) that she’s dating the often-ridiculed street performer.

I guess the fact that I am still wondering what could have been means there was enough substance actually in the film to hold my interest more than a week after watching it. With that in mind, I’ll recommend giving TGMM a chance. It is worth watching at least once anyway if only for Topher Grace’s crazy good take on a motivational speaker or Rich Sommer as his biggest fan.


Jerry Cavallaro – @GetStuck – JerryCavallaro.com

WANDERLUST – The Review

Sometimes film makers can unknowingly tap into a certain public movement or trend when making a piece of entertainment. This can be even more surprizing considering the long gestation period of movies ( usually scripts can collect dust on a desk or shelf before the cameras roll ). The trend I’m referring to with this flick is the recent occupy movement that took root in many cities across the country this past Fall and Summer ( the expanded trailer for this coming Summer’s THE DARK KNIGHT RISES seem to be picking up on those protests, too ). Well, before Batman leaps into the economic battlefield, here comes the new comedy from David Wain ( WET, HOT AMERICAN SUMMER and ROLE MODELS ) called WANDERLUST. In this, a young married couple decide to stop their quest for the ” almighty dollar ” and return to a simpler time of communes ( when hippies walked the Earth! ). Of course they’re not the only movie big city duo to get back to basics ( THE EGG AND I  and LOST IN AMERICA are great examples ), but this film taps into that 60’s spirit that was floating through those make-shift tents and towns that sprung up in city parks late last year. And this film shows the lighter, flip-side to last year’s commune flick, MARTHA MARCY MAY MARLENE. So it’s riding a recent a wave of sentiment, but does it deliver the big laughs with the relevancy?

Linda ( Jennifer Aniston ) and George ( Paul Rudd ) are upwardly mobile young marrieds in Manhattan. Suddenly their city life crumbles ( their jobs go down the drain ) and George hatches a plan to work with his brother Rick ( Ken Marino ) down in Atlanta until they can regroup and return to the Big Apple. Desperate to pull off the highway for the night, they encounter a bed and breakfast deep off the trail, in the wilds of Georgia run by the odd, mature flower child Kathy ( Kerri Kenney ). Soon the couple find that the place is part of a sixties-style commune started by Carvin ( Alan Alda ), but really run by the group’s enigmatic guru Seth ( Justin Theroux ). After a wild, but restful night George and Linda resume their journey and arrive at the sprawling suburban home of brother Rick and his family. Quickly George clashes with his obnoxious sibling and he decides that a return to nature at Carvin’s may be just the thing for himself and Linda. Can they really change their lifestyle and fit in with the commune’s free spirits ( and wild eccentrics )? And what about the plans of an evil developer to turn the Carvin’s land into a big, ugly casino ( pave paradise, put up some slot machines )?

Once again Wain has assembled a group of terrific comic actors, many from his previous films and his superb TV work ( from ” The State” to ” Childrens Hospital ” ). Co-writer Marino scores big laughs as the insensitive idiot Rick while SNL vet Michaela Watkins is funny ( and a bit sad ) as Rick’s frustrated, numb wife Marissa. Besides Kinney the commune is filled with terrific talent like Lauren Ambrose ( ” Six Feet Under” ) as Earth-mother Almond, ” MADTV” vet Jordan Peele as her old man Rodney, and Kathryn Hahn ( OUR IDIOT BROTHER ) as annoyed feminist Karen. Malin Akerman is the ultimate sexy hippie chick Eva, while Alda is his usual sly, delightful self riffing on his left-leaning rep. Many readers of the tabloids and gossip site may flock to this flick to get a better look at the new Anniston beau, Mr. Theroux. Well Mr. T scores many big laughs as the pretentious, blowhard leader, whose tech knowledge ended a decade or so ago. He and Aniston work well in their few scenes together, but newstand mag fans don’t get a chance to see the new ” it ” couple sizzling up the screen. Most of Aniston’s romantic scenes are with her movie hubby and they crackle with energy ( as does an early scene with some TV execs ). With this film, and the recent HORRIBLE BOSSES, she solidifies her status as one of our top comic actresses. They’re all superb, but the film really belongs to the endlessly charming Mr. Rudd. Whether he’s doing slapstick farming schtick or delivering a very R-rated pep talk to himself at a mirror, Rudd effortlessly brings home the same kind of big laughs he did as OUR IDIOT BROTHER. He’s a great, goofy leading ( every ) man for our times. The movie itself goes on a bit too long and its ending can be seen all the way up Highway 75, but it’s a pleasure to see this talented group tweak the noses of the 1% and the 99% ( I’ll raise my hands and rub my fingers together, since clapping is too aggressive, man ).

Overall rating: Four Out of Five Stars

Blu Monday: Muppets, Bowling Balls, and Lots of Guns!

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Sundance Video Interview: Malin Akerman, Kate Mara

We sat down with the stars of “HappyThankYouMorePlease” the new film by first time writer/director Josh Radnor, which premiered here at Sundance. Malin Akerman and Kate Mara talk about how they got involved with the film and everything that came after. Go ahead click ‘Play’, you won’t regret it.

Malin Ackerman, Kate Mara Sundance Interview from Anthony Meadows on Vimeo.

Sundance Review: HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE

At Sundance you will see a few films by first time writers/directors, sometimes they hit and sometimes they miss. With HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE we already knew that Josh Radnor could act, since he is one of my favorite characters on HOW I MET YOUR MOTHER. I wasn’t sure how he would fare as a writer/director but after the screening I knew that Radnor was the real deal and we would definitely be seeing more of him behind the camera.

HAPPYTHANKYOUMOREPLEASE centers around Sam, a writer who is trying to push his novel to get it published. On his way to a meeting with a publisher he stumbles upon a boy who has been separated from his family. Being a kind hearted guy, he takes the boy, Rasheen, with him with the intention of dropping him off at the police station. One thing leads to another and Rasheen comes with him to his meeting which was a recipe for disaster.

The movie also revolves around Sam falling for a waitress named Mississippi, his best friend Annie who has Alopecia, and his cousin/friend Mary Catherine who is dealing with her boyfriend wanting to up and move to LA. All of Sam’s friends quickly become worried after he takes Rasheen in, especially with all of the NY state laws about foster children.

The character development is deep, and the story lines go just even deeper, so I wont ruin or spoil anything for you here. I will tell you that Radnor took his time with the script. It didn’t feel rushed or over done. Its a very touching story and you honestly feel close to every character in the film.

The entire cast does an amazing job in the film. Everyone plays to their roles perfectly. Kate Mara is not only absolutely stunning as Mississippi, but does a great job acting and singing. I was also really surprised by Tony Hale in the role of Sam #2, who takes a bit of a departure from things we’ve seen him in previously. Michael Algieri who plays Rasheen in the film is a great child actor, cant wait to see what else he will be doing.

After interviewing both Radnor and Malin Akerman (who plays Annie) about the film I realized how much work they put into making Annie as real as possible. The character is based off of one of Randors friend in real life who has Alopecia, and it feels like they did her justice. Malin Akerman even went as far as to shave her eyebrows to avoid the use of makeup. She has never done a role like this and I was blown away by her performance. It was very real, and very touching.

I was blown away at the connection Radnor made me feel with him and Rasheen in the movie, there were scenes that I got a little choked up, which really surprised me.

This is definitely one of my favorite movies of the festival, and Josh Radnor has some great things ahead of him. I really hope this movie gets picked up so everyone has a chance to experience it.

Overall Rating: 5 out of 5

Silk Spectre edits Phillippe in ‘The Bang Bang Club’

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Malin Ackerman (‘Watchmen’) will play a photo editor in a new indie drama called ‘The Bang Bang Club’. The story is set in apartheid-era South Africa and is based on a memoir by Greg Marinovich.

The film is written by Steven Silver and will be directed by Joao Silva. Ryan Phillippe and Taylor Kitsch will play two of the four photographers who captured the violent end of white rule in South Africa. The film is scheduled to begin production in Johannesburg in April.

[source: Variety]