Week 6 Film Reviews

A much better week of films in terms of quality were watched this week due to a lot of them being higher IMDB-rated films than usual. Not usually a animation film fan, Despicable Me proved to be a huge positive surprise this week, as was the fighting film Never Back Down, another genre that is not usually in my preference. Dust, War, and  Piranha were below-average films to say the least. But overall a solid group of 10 films viewed this week.

Despicable Me



Release Date: 2010

Director: Pierre Coffin and Chris Renaud

Genre: Animation

Main Cast: Steve Carell (as Gru) Jason Segel (as Vector) and Russell Brand (as Dr. Nefario)

IMDB Rating: 7.5

My Rating: 9.1

Length: 95 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $68 million/$528 million

Going from needing to be convinced multiple times to watch this film to buying the $30 Blue Ray Special Edition the day after watching it was a huge change in perception, but it was well worth it do the comedy and exceptional plot the animated film presented. The use of the minions throughout the film was the main source of comedy, with their failures and giggles providing similar laughs for the audience. Most animation films in the past that I have seen have been directed at younger audiences, however, Despicable Me did an excellent job of using the transition of the Gru's character from being villain to a caring father to make the plot excellent to all audiences. This is my favorite and highest-rated animation I have seen to date, as well as a great watch with any audience for any occasion.

Road to Perdition

Release Date: 2002

Director: Sam Mendes

Genre: Drama

Main Cast: Tom Hanks (as Michael Sullivan, Sr.), Tyler Hoechlin (as Michael Sullivan, Jr.), Paul Newman (as John Rooney) and Jude Law (as Harlen Maguire)

IMDB Rating: 7.8

My Rating: 7.0

Length: 117 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $80 million/$181 million

The -.8 difference in my rating and the near-default IMDB's 7.8 is in no way a disrespect to this excellent film, gangster films are just not my preferential sub-genre. I did very much like the concept and themes this film presented throughout and felt it had an excellent ending and closure, something I do not praise very often in most films. The evolution of the film from a hunter to a hunted was done well overall, but made the film seem slightly drawn out. Kinda the trend this week, the film had above average amounts of shoot-'em-up scenes, with every main character besides the innocent son dying in the end. The father-son theme of both the Sullivans, the Rooneys, and Sullivan Sr. and John Rooney was what truly made the film better than most mafia-themed ones, with Sullivan Jr. resolving the father-son struggles in the finale of the film. Hanks and Newman led the way of the excellent cast performance. Another can't-go-wrong film that displays its excellent drama and plot from all angles.

Dust

Release Date: 2001

Director: Milčo Mančevski

Genre: Action

Main Cast: Joseph Fiennes (as Elijah), David Wenham (as Luke), and Adrian Lester (as Edge)

IMDB Rating: 6.1

My Rating: 5.6

Length: 127 minutes

This film was absolutely all over the place in its storyline and character development. The plot of the western story was literally made up within the modern story, thus it had tendencies to not stay consistent and believable. The numerous characters didn't stay terribly consistent either, making the film hard to follow and difficult to understand the meaning behind the actions. The shootouts were drawn-out way too much, them accounting for a large portion of the film's time. The relationship of the brothers was also not very sincere or correlated, there was obvious feuding but that feuding became more of a series of staredowns throughout the film. About the only part I liked was the evolved relationship between the thief Edge and the dying Angela. Their friendship before her death was the only decent acting that actually seemed sincere in this hollow film.

Appaloosa

Release Date: 2008

Director: Ed Harris

Genre: Drama

Main Cast: Ed Harris (as Virgil Cole) Viggo Mortensen as Everett Hitch) (Renée Zellweger as Allie French) and Jeremy Irons (as Randall Bragg)

IMDB Rating: 6.8

My Rating: 7.1

Length: 115 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$27 million

I felt this film was was well done as a whole, with some great performances and no major issues or flaws. Keeping the film flowing and keeping the audience comfortable with the understanding of the plot is critical to a good film, thus the major difference between this western and Dust. Viggo Mortensen is one my favorite actors, and he does not disappoint in this film's performance. His poised demeanor provided an excellent supporting role too Ed Harris' slightly-paranoid and slow character. The romance theme throughout the film was way to prevalent, the film would have been better had it just been a friendship/rival theme with the three main male characters. Allie French's revolving love interest in different men made it hard to sympathize with any negative outcome the occurred. The affairs did not have the King Arthur/Sir Lancelot feel that I had expected, as Viggo's character wisely stayed out of the drama of Allie. An solid film despite the romance-heavy theme, with good action and excellent acting by Harris, Mortensen, and Irons.

Never Back Down

Release Date: 2008

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Genre: Action

Main Cast: Sean Faris (as Jake Tyler) Amber Heard (as Baja Miller) Cam Gigandet (as Ryan McCarthy) Evan Peters (as Max Cooperman) and Djimon Hounsou (as Jean Roqua)

IMDB Rating: 6.2

My Rating: 8.3

Length: 114 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$42 million

This week's review is full of films that I liked that were not in my usual preferences of genres, and this film is a good example of that. I am normally not a huge high-school drama film fan at all. This film, however, did a great job of selling that drama within the sport-form of mixed martial arts. The relatively new cast beyond Gigandet and Hounsou performed above average performances, especially in the fighting scenes. The filming of the fighting was done very similar to popular fighting films like the Rocky Series and Cinderella Man. I really didn't have any major issues with this film, with it having good closure and leaving the audience wanting a similar well-done sequel.

The Departed

Release Date: 2006

Director: Martin Scorsese

Genre: Drama

Main Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio (as William "Billy" Costigan) Matt Damon (as Staff Sergeant Colin Sullivan) Jack Nicholson (as Frank Costello) Mark Wahlberg (as Staff Sergeant Sean Dignam)

IMDB Rating: 8.5

My Rating: 7.3

Length: 151 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $90 million/$290 million

One of the most popular gangster films of recent times, The Depated presents an extremely complex plot of deceit, corruption, and ganglife. Armed with 4 big name actors, the film does an excellent job of using their acting talent to set the film up for greatness. Each character fits their role relatively well, with Damon's corruption being the police rat being semi-unbelievable due to him playing the protagonist in nearly every film. Another film with death throughout, the killing of nearly all the main characters in the end does a good job of stating the film's moral and themes. My only prejudice against the film is it possibly being slightly too intricate. Again not my genre of films, but an extremely well done piece that deserves the mass of recognition it gets.

Smokin’ Aces 2: Assassins’ Ball

Release Date: 2010

Director: P.J. Pesce

Genre: Action

Main Cast: Tom Berenger (as Walter Weed) and Clayne Crawford (as Zane Baker)

IMDB Rating: 5.0

My Rating: 6.1

Length: 86 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: unkown/unknown

An obvious low-budget film that was not released in theatres, this prequel to the original action-packed shoot-'em-up has even less substance than its predecessor. This film had an almost identical plot to the first one, with multiple hitman teams assigned to take out a target, with the point of the hit being altered at the finale of the film. Overall solid action and shooting scenes, but little-to-no plot and poor acting from a cast of low-tier perfomers.

War

Release Date: 2007

Director: Philip G. Atwell

Genre: Action

Main Cast: Jet Li as (Victor 'Rogue' Shaw) and Jason Statham (as John Crawford)

IMDB Rating: 6.1

My Rating: 4.8

Length: 103 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $25 million/$53 million

One of the worst plots of a film that I have seen in a long time, this film is typical of most Statham and Li films: lots of good hand-to-hand action, but no other points of interest within the film. There really isn't much to say about this film besides that everything was below average besides he fighting scenes, and that I don't suggest it unless it is one of your last choices.

Tommy Boy

Release Date: 1995

Director: Peter Segal

Genre: Comedy

Main Cast: Chris Farley (as Thomas "Tommy" Callahan III) and David Spade (as Richard Hayden)

IMDB Rating: 6.8

My Rating: 6.3

Length: 97 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: unknown/$33 million

An overall comical, yet dumb comedy starring one of the best comedians of the '90's in Chris Farley, this film charts the attempts of Farley and Spade as they try to save Farley's automobile company as travelling salesmen. Another one of the anything-that-can-go-wrong-does themes, Farley and Spade do a good job of bonding and psynching roles towards the end of the film. Unlike many of today's comedies, I liked how it remained funny despite the lack of an outrageous amount of crude and somewhat-innapropriate humor. A great quick watch for laughs, making it a classic comedy.

Piranha 3D

Release Date: 2010

Director: Alexandre Aja

Genre: Horror

Main Cast:

IMDB Rating: 5.7

My Rating: 6.1

Length: 90 minutes

Budget/Gross Revenue: $24 million/$80 million

Piranha lived up to its billing as being a Jaws-type outrageous horror, with graphics and a plot that were intended for quick scares and near-comical deaths. The entire films tracks harshly-carnivorous fish that quickly devour any prey that is in their water system. The plot is little more than an escape one, being slightly difficult to comprehend how people mostly on beaches couldn't avoid the water-dwellers. Beyond decent fish animations and an semi-interesting background on the emergence of the fish, this film was not great by any means.

A much improved week of viewing from the previous couple, with some excellent films stemming from genres that I normally veer away from. Despicable Me turned out to be a must watch, and the gangster/hitman-heavy film list proved above-average as a whole. Stay tuned next week for more variance in film categories viewed.
-Jarid Holliday

Week 5 Album Review: Chevelle-Sci-Fi Crimes

The theme of these music album reviews has been to bring information to my audience about upcoming album releases and their entities. Chevelle has been my favorite musical artist for a good 5 years, having been two of their shows and owning every piece of music they have released. The alternative metal band's upcoming untitled album is tentatively scheduled for fall 2011, with it possibly being either a fully acoustic album or harder rock similar to their 2002 release, Wonder What's Next. Chevelle has had one Platinum release (Wonder) and one Gold album (This Type of Thinking) up to this point in their career.  


Their most recent album, Sci-Fi Crimes, debuted on August 30th, 2009, at #6 on the Billboard Top 100, their highest debut of their 5 albums, and has sold around 100,000 copies to date.

Track Listing
1."Sleep Apnea" 
2. "Mexican Sun"
3. "Shameful Metaphors" 
4. "Jars" 
5. "Fell into Your Shoes"
6. "Letter from a Thief" 
7. "Highland's Apparition"
8. "Roswell's Spell"
9. "Interlewd"
10. "A New Momentum"
11. "This Circus"   


Sci-Fi is probably the album I have listened to the least of Chevelle's five, but it has some extremely good tunes nonetheless. This album continues Chevelle's signature heavy crushing guitars, melodic and soaring vocals, and consistent and smooth beats that the first four albums provided. The singles off of the album include: "Jars", "Letter from a Thief", and "Shameful Metaphors". The same three songs were all released as music videos as well, and can be found below.

Jars

Letter from a Thief

Shameful Metaphors



Chevelle is: (left to right) Sam Loeffler (drums), Pete Loeffler (vocals, guitars), and Dean Bernardini (bass, live backing vocals).

Though this upcoming album is a few months away, the announcement of the title and singles as well as the pre-order information will soon be upon us. You cannot be a true fan of good rock unless you purchase this album in some form.
-Jarid Holliday

Film Geography and Obituary Statistics

Suppose these two hypothetical situations: 1.) You are watching a film, notice the beautiful scenery/landscape, and want to experience it yourself or you just would like to know where the film takes place. 2.) You cannot decide whether Liam Neeson in Taken is a better killer than Denzel in Book of Eli. Two very interesting graphics/links relating to films I came across that could help. The bodycounter site absolutely cracks me up with their tallies of human and animal deaths. I do wish geographical graphic was more comprehensive, but both do a great job of informing you of film facts you most likely weren't aware of before:

Bodycounters: Tally of Films' Individual Deaths per Organism

-Jarid Holliday

Nebrasketball

Hiding in the shadow of other Nebraska Athletic powerhouses, namely football, volleyball, and bowling, the Cornhusker basketball team has been turning some heads and earning some respect this season. Currently at 16-8, with big wins over conference foes #11 ranked Texas A&M, Colorado, and Oklahoma St. as well as  USC and TCU, the Husker men have shown much improvement from last year's disappointing 15-18 season. Being a season ticket holder the past two seasons, I have been privileged to view Nebraska's improved play the past few months first hand, as the games where they have played well have been very entertaining to watch.  Much of the credit goes to the senior leadership of point guard Lance Jeter, as well as Doc Sadler's stellar second half defense that has held opponents to the 10th best defensive points allowed a game, and 19th in second half margin in the nation.

The Huskers success this season has stemmed from the emergence of some key starters, as well as a slew of role players that contribute their minutes and statistics. Lance Jeter has been the number one asset, no contest. His 11.1 pts, 4.5 ast, 3.8 rbd, and 1.9 stl are a great statistical example of one of the best finishers in transition in the nation. Brian Diaz, Nebraska's 6'11 starting post, has been improving in his sophomore campaign as a more consistent scoring presence inside. His 10.4 pts are ample for the deep Husker roster, but his 4.4 rbd leave much to be desired from his position. Toney McCray has seen his playing time increase to a starting spot on the roster throughout conference play. After dropping 23 pts in 24 minutes against Baylor last week, McCray's averages are up to 7.8 pts and 4.3 rbd. Off the bench, home-grown product Drake Beranek provides a major spark on both sides of the ball upon his entrance. Originally from Ravenna High School north of Kearney, Beranek lead the UNK Lopers team in scoring his last two seasons averaging  11.1, 20.5, and 21.9 pts his three years respectively. I had the chance to compete against Drake and his brothers throughout high school, and their huge work ethic and passion for the game are large reasons for the family's success on multiple levels. Beranek has averaged 5 pts this season and nearly always covers the other teams best guard upon checking into the game. Other contributions by Caleb Walker (leading rebounder) , Brandon Ubel and Andre Almeida (inside presences), Brandon Richardson (outside shooting and defense), and Eshaunte Jones (outside shooting) have been key to the Huskers improvement this year.

Jeter

Diaz

McCray

Beranek

The Huskers need to finish out their final 6 conference regular season games strong, most likely needing at least 4 wins over the six teams that include #3 Texas, Kansas St. (Who just beat former #1 Kansas), and #20 Missouri, as well as a strong showing in the conference tourney to have a shot at a Tournament bid. The Huskers have proven the ability to play well enough to play with and beat high ranked teams, but their consistency could prove difficult to win multiple of those games.

 Despite lack of respect for the program, administration issues, questionable halftime performances, and a tough conference schedule, the Huskers have been at least showing up every game this season, something that hasn't always happened. Here's to hoping that they do perform in the clutch, in the chance that maybe one Husker team performs in the postseason.

-Jarid Holliday

Week 5 Film Reviews

I made a conscious effort last week to put in some higher quantity films that could be better reviewed in this weeks post, and now feel that I did a pretty good job. No real standouts or failures this week, a lot of above average films in the 6 and 7 ratings, besides Dragonball. Secret Window was my favorite film of the week, and Dragonball was the worst by far, being very comparable in quality to last week's Before I Self Destruct. There were quite a few comedies on this weeks list, slightly uncharacteristic of my typical weeks. State of Play and Changling were slight disappointments as I had been looking forward to seeing both for some time, and they didn't impress me much.


State of Play

Release Date: 2009
Director: Kevin Macdonald
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Russell Crowe (as Cal McAffrey) Ben Affleck (as Congressman Stephen Collins) and 
Rachel McAdams (as Della Frye)IMDB Rating: 7.3
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 128 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $60 million/$88 million

As noted before, I was expecting a lot from this film, with it starring Crowe, Affleck, and McAdams, three high-tier performers who I enjoy watching immensely, and thus was slightly disappointed of the overall storyline and lack of importance accomplished. Crowe's character of the truth-seeking journalist was played well, very similar to his role in American Gangster. A pretty typical corporation corruption/journalist investigation film, with its disability to impress being its cause for it being ordinary, not excellent.


Changeling

Release Date: 2008
Director: Clint Eastwood
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Angelina Jolie (as Christine Collins) Jeffrey Donovan (as Captain J.J. Jones) and John Malkovich (as Reverend Gustav Briegleb)
IMDB Rating: 8.0
My Rating: 6.4
Length: 141 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $55 million/$113 million

Although an overall well-done piece, the film was severely lacking closure in the ending of the film. Jolie and Malkovich were both excellent throughout, both being fighters for rights against the corrupt LAPD. Malkovich plays another one of his few main protagonist roles in his career. The fact that the story was based on true events accounted for some of the issues with the film not finishing with any moral or better understanding of the situation. I also felt that the film did not do a great job of keeping the audience informed of the full situation, and that major events throughout the film were not connected to one another well. For example, towards the end of the film, the film goes from showing Jolie being released from the mental institute, to the courtroom, to jail to visit the murderer, all in a very quick and untransitioned manner. The transitions between these locations were not smoothly portrayed in my opinion. A good clean drama, but one that leaves much lacking in a storyline that tales off towards the finale. 

Karate Kid

Release Date: 2010
Director: Harald Zwart
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Jaden Smith (as Dre Parker) and Jackie Chan (as Mr. Han)
IMDB Rating: 6.2
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 140 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$358 million

 Very similar to the three Karate Kid films prior, this 2010 version chronicles the rise of an out-of-place kung fu-trained boy who uses his skills to defend himself against bullies and win a kung-fu competition after moving to China with his mother. The acting of Smith and Chan was respectable for their respective ages, although I did not feel that the sentimentality of their relationships as well as the other connections throughout the film were very heartfelt. Similar again to the other films in the series, the importance of the Dre winning the competition did little besides win him respect from his tormentors, something not terribly applicable to his life in the future. A good family film, but by no means a blockbuster.

Secret Window

Release Date: 2004
Director: David Koepp
Genre: Thriller
Main Cast: Johnny Depp (as Mort Rainey) and John Turturro (as John Shooter)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
My Rating: 7.3
Length: 96 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$130 million

The most pleasant surprise and my favorite film of the week, Secret Window had a similar psychological effect that both Fight Club and The Number 23. The ability of the main character (Depp) to imagine a realistic alter ego to take the place of the thing that he could not consciously do is a very cunning concept in film making, in my opinion. I also thought that Depp nailed the naive and troubled author, which in turn had some similarities to the character he later plays in the Pirates series. An overall very well done and suspenseful film, Secret Window is a great watch and a good testament to Depp and Turtorro's talents in character manipulation.

Dragonball: Evolution

Release Date: 2009
Director: James Wong
Genre: Action
Main Cast:
Based On: Dragon Ball by Akira Toriyama
IMDB Rating: 3.2
My Rating: 2.4
Length: 85 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $30 million/$57 million

I expected nothing out of this film, and nearly got less out of it. Terrible acting, character development, plot, and action sequences. The sci-fi theme was outrageously bad as well. Luckily I didn't pay for this film, or I would have thrown it away. Hopefully the name in itself deters you from wasting 85 minutes of your life on this film.

The Informant!

 
Release Date: 2009
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Matt Damon (as Mark Whitacre) Scott Bakula (as Brian Shepard) and Joel McHale (as Robert Herndon)
Based On: The Informant by Kurt Eichenwald
IMDB Rating: 6.7
My Rating: 7.1
Length: 108 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $22 million/$42 million

One of the oddest films I have seen to date, it was hard to determine throughout the seriousness of the film with it being a comedy/drama hybrid. It reminded me a lot of The Office television series, with a lot of dry humor, but the key theme in The Informant! was the deceit and corporation fraud. One of the biggest reasons the film was so odd was due to Damon's character in the film's issues with bipolar disorder. Damon played an excellent role throughout acting and narrating such random actions and thoughts, that really being the only reason a film about fraud and office cubicles could be that comical. His narration of polar bear hunting is one of my favorite comedy film quotes of all time. It was really a change up of pace from most of the films I am accustomed to viewing, and for that I enjoyed it a good amount.

Pathfinder

Release Date: 2007
Director: Marcus Nispel
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Karl Urban (as Ghost) and Moon Bloodgood (as Starfire)
IMDB Rating: 5.2
My Rating: 6.1
Length: 95 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $45 million/$31 million

A rather poorly done pre-civilization action film, the decent action sequences were the only thing that saved the scattered plot and sub-par acting in this film. A really kinda creepy film about the Viking conquest of the American Natives, the plotline didn't stay consistent nearly at all, and the camaraderie between Urban's character and his old Viking people was awkward and unrealistic. However, the few bright spots included some solid action/escape sequences of Urban as well as a always a good supporting actress in Bloodgood. Not a great film by any means, but you could go wrong watching action as well.


Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story

Release Date: 2007
Director: Jake Hasdan
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: John C. Reilly (as Dewey Cox) and Jenna Fischer (as Darlene Madison)
IMDB Rating: 6.7
My Rating: 6.5
Length: 96 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $35 million/$21 million

An absolutely outrageous comedy resembling both Step Brothers and Monty Python and the Holy Grail, Walk Hard outlines the life of the fictional Dewey Cox and his rise to fame in the music industry. Though this film's storyline is horribly unbelievable and all over the place, the ending does an excellent job of wrapping up the events that took place during the flashback that occurred at the start of the film. The connection made between those sections of the story save the film from being just an average film. Reilly does a good job in his usual comedic role as the erratic musician who is always is in the middle of a problematic situation. Not a bad comedy, but not on the level of Reilly's related film, Step Brothers.


Takers

Release Date: 2010
Director: John Luessenhop
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Matt Dillon (as Jack Welles) Paul Walker (as John Rahway) Idris Elba (as Gordon Cozier) Jay Hernandez (as Eddie Hatcher) Michael Ealy (as Jake Attica) Chris Brown (as Jesse Attica) Hayden Christensen (as A.J.) and T.I. (as Ghost)

IMDB Rating: 5.7
My Rating: 6.9
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $32 million/$68 million

The huge ensemble of this film as well as questionable IMDB rating caused me to have some skepticism prior to viewing Takers. However, it turned out to be an above average film, very similar to a Bank Job or Italian Job type. The individual acting of the film was above average as well, Elba performed an excellent leader of the group of heists, Christensen was a very good utility man throughout, and Chris Brown's extreme athleticism and respectable acting surprised me in his first major film debut. The one exception was T.I. who did an absolute pitiful job with his antagonist role, as I was expecting. I also liked the police sideplot that Dillan and Hernandez presented in their companionship. The film didn't resolve very well, like the Bank Job with the majority of the characters dying in shootouts and a few making it out free. Like most of this weeks films, not something to die over to see, but altogether decent.


Dinner for Schmucks

Release Date: 2010
Director: Jay Roach
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Steve Carell (as Barry Speck) Paul Rudd (as Timothy J Conrad) Stephanie Szostak (as Julie)
Based On: Le Dîner de Cons (The Dinner Game) written by Francis Veber
IMDB Rating: 6.0
My Rating: 6.7
Length: 114 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $69 million/$86 million

Dinner had a tendency to deviate from the plot throughout is comedic performance, as everything that could have gone wrong to Rudd's character Tim Conrad did, most due to Carell's provoking. That actual dinner part of the film only lasted around 10-15 minutes at the end, while the rest of the film was the problems with Conrad's girlfriend and job building up to the dinner. The film really wasn't outrageously funny, but it did do a decent job of adding a sentimental aspect that most comedies do not have, by instituting the companionship of Carell and Rudd. An overall decent comedy, pretty typical of current director's lack of ingenuity in the comedic film genre.

Quite a few films viewed in the past week, but not a lot of quality that went with them. With most of the films in the 6's, the following week's views can only be better. Watch smart...
-Jarid Holliday

Week 4 Film Special: The Book of Eli

The Book of Eli

The tendency of these film specials that I do on a weekly basis will be to address films that are some of my favorites. So far I have covered 2 films in my top 10 favorites, Inception and Fight Club, and plan to do more to help describe why I enjoy these films so much, and why you should view them/enjoy them as well.

Eli was an interesting action/survival film, with some incredible hand-to-hand combat scenes and a few shoot-'em-up ones as well. Unlike Inception and Fight Club, Eli did not get the critical reception that the other two did (Both top 15 rated all-time), it being only slightly above average. However, I truly enjoyed the concise plot and excellent action sequences that Denzel Washington and the Hughes brothers' directing did. The plot is heavily influenced by a certain fact revealed in the end, which I will try to avoid mentioning so as to not ruin the surprise. As with the plots of many of these specials I do, it might be beneficial to not read until after you have viewed the film, unless you would rather not be surprised that is. 

Release Date: 2009
Director: Hughes Brothers
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Denzel Washington (as Eli) Gary Oldman (as Carnegie) Mila Kunis (as Solara)
IMDB Rating: 6.8
My Rating: 9.8
Length: 117 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $80 million/$157 million

Plot: 

The story begins with a traveler named Eli surviving a post-apocalyptic trek while carrying one of the last known bibles to man. Eli runs into multiple bandits along the way, but handles them with his uncanny hand-to-hand combat skills and survival techniques. He eventually arrives at a town ran by Carnegie, a power-hungry dictator who has been searching for the book for some time to aid in his control. Carnegie attempts to use his daughter, Solara, to seduce Eli, who instead of falling into temptation teaches her to pray. Carnegie thus realizes he has the Bible, and attempts to make Eli stay with it by force. Eli is protected from the bullets and wounds Carnegie and multiple of his men. Solara escapes with Eli, who originally didn't want her to join him. They take refuge in a house of cannibalistic elderly couple, who end up providing firearms when Carnegie and his men arrive. Carnegie's team is too much for Eli, Solara, and the couple thanks to their Gatling gun, subsequently, Eli is shot and Solara taken back. Solara escapes and kills more of her father's men, and she goes back and joins Eli in his continued trip west. Carnegie returns home and after opening the book realizes it is in Braille, meaning that Eli had been blind the whole time. He dies from an infected bullet-wound and never gets to use the book. Eli and Solara make it to Alcatraz where Eli dictates the Biblical text into written form, after which he dies from his wounds and the complete Bible is produced. Solara leaves and heads back home with Eli's possessions to spread her newly found learnings. 

 

My Synopsis: 

I truly liked the ability of the film of the film to cast Washington's role as an individual with a divine purpose, giving this film a religious-feel more than most any action film might. Regardless of your stance on Christianity, the concept of having a purpose higher than humanity, especially in a time where humanity is at a minimum, is crucial to this film's theme and purpose. Washington was extremely superb throughout, per usual, despite how hard acting blind within action might be. Kunis and Ray Stevenson played excellent supporting roles as well, with Kunis' character leaving the possibility for a sequel. About the only part of the film I disliked was near the end when the finished product of the Bible is placed on the shelf with the rest of the religious texts, inferring that the Bible has no more significance than the others and that Eli's journey did not serve much of a purpose. Beyond some minor issues with closure, I felt this film was epic, despite many critics' opinions. And with that, you need to form your own opinion of this excellent film. But don't form a bad one. 

-Jarid Holliday

Upcoming Film Premiers

The next couple months' big film releases should be worth hitting up in the theatres. There are a few obvious must-see sequels as well as some new films that look promising. There are also 3 films out right now that look worth seeing. I have yet to see 127 Hours and True Grit, both of which have done very well with the critics. Tron: Legacy is the other one of the 3 out now that I have seen, it was extremely eye-appealing with great graphics and action/racing sequences. Box office results will undoubtedly rise with the spring temperatures as these films premier this spring and summer. Below is included the latest trailer (if available) and release date along with a short synopsis of what I have heard about it.

 The Eagle (Feb. 11)

I have already posted about this film, in my anticipation of it being towards the top of 2011's theatre releases.
Beyond it being about the lost 9th legion and starring Channing Tatum, be prepared to see this winter's blockbuster coming this Friday.

I Am Number 4 (Feb. 18)

The second of 2011's superhero genre, I Am looks to be of a similar plot to Pete Berg's 2008 Hancock. Stars Alex Pettyfer as a young adult with powers he attempts to conceal, and his survival and protection of others when those powers are exposed.

Unknown (Feb. 18)

Looking similar in drama to Neeson's 2008 action, Taken, Neeson's character awakens from a coma to find someone in his place in life, with no one believing him.

Beastly (March 4)

The only romance-genre film you will find on this list, I liked the idea of the classic Beauty and the Beast theme converted into modern contexts. Starring Alex Pettyfer (again) and Venessa Hudgens.

Battle: Los Angeles (March 11)

Looking potentially similar to 2010 thriller, Skyline, plus a lot more action and a ton better acting and plot, Battle looks to be one of the better thriller/alien films of 2011. Starring Aaron Eckhart (Harvey Dent in The Dark Knight)

Source Code (April 1)

Kind of a Vantage Point with a time travel feel, Jake Gyllenhaal plays a soldier on a mission to prevent an act of terrorism by being placed in another man's body.

Your Highness (April 8)

Former Pineapple Express actors Danny McBride and James Franco star alongside Natalie Portman in this medieval comedy of rescuing a princess. Will definitely be one of the better comedies of 2011.

Hanna (April 8)

The only hitwoman/government conspiracy-type film on this list, Hanna is a film about a young girl aiding her father get revenge on those she hunts, starring Saoirse Ronan.

Apollo 18 (April 22)

Another trailer that leaves a lot to the imagination, the government conspiracy/UFO sighting will always help the box office. No announced cast as of yet.


Fast Five (April 29)

Potentially the most action-packed installment of the Fast and Furious series, Vin Diesel and Paul Walker return to drive fast and avoid bullets.

Thor (May 6)

Continuing the Marvel legacy, Thor proceeds the Iran Man series with more action-packed computer graphics. Exiled from another realm, Thor, played by Chris Hemsworth, uses his powers to defend Earth.

Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (May 20)

Johnny Depp returns to the fourth part of the ever-popular pirate series as Jack Sparrow in his hunt for the Fountain of Youth, while teaming with new cast members such as Penelope Cruz.

Tree of Life (May 27)

An obvious must see with Brad Pitt as the lead role, Tree is projected to be the deepest drama on this list, as Pitt delves into the relationships of fathers and their sons.

X-Men: First Class (June 3)

With the trailer only being released yesterday, this prequel of the popular sci-fi series has sort of snuck up on us movie viewers. With a completely different cast than the original series (due to age) this film looks at the origins and diverging friendship of Professor Xavier and Magneto, starring James McAvoy and Michael Fassbender.

Super 8 (June 10)

The most secretive film on this list, the trailers do very little to explain the plot, which should keep the suspense up until the premier. This alien film stars Elle Fanning and Kyle Chandler.

Green Lantern (June 17)

Projected to have less comedy and more sci-fi sequences than recent comic book hero film Green Hornet, Ryan Reynolds plays the character of a pilot who gains powers after an encounter with an alien invader, subsequently having to utilize his powers to save mankind.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon (July 1)

The third installment of the series, Dark of the Moon doesn't appear to get away from the original storyline much, but does look to create an interesting twist by adding a plot of the moon landing. No longer starring smokin' Megan Fox, LaBeouf and the film look to continue the previous tradition of some of the finest action computer graphics created.


Captain America: The First Avenger (July 22)

Another part of the Marvel Avenger/Thor/Iron Man series, Chris Evans stars as the empowered war hero Captain America and initiates the storyline of the Avengers to come. Sure to be packed with historical action, this is one of my most anticipated films of the year.

Cowboys & Aliens (July 29)

Easily my most anticipated film of 2011, Iron Man/western hybrid Cowboys should prove very entertaining led by Daniel Craig and Harrison Ford. Olivia Wilde aids in the stellar cast that should bring in a good box office with its projected solid graphics and an innovative plot.

Other interesting films that come out in late 2011 include: Real Steel, Moneyball, 3 Musketeers, Untitled Sherlock Holmes sequel, Immortals, The Thing. The Dark Knight Rises, The Avengers, and the Spider-Man 4th part will also sneak up on us in 2012. Some films I chose to avoid preview due to my lack of interest include: Hangover, Part II (May 26), Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows, Part II (July 15), and The Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn- Part 1 (November 18).

Here's to hoping these films pan out in the next couple months...
-Jarid Holliday

White Lies-Bigger than Us

A recent music video that I came across that I really enjoyed was the song Bigger than Us by British rockers White Lies. The song is off of the album Ritual, released in 2010. The music video consists of a parody of the 1982 film, E.T., with a young boy being quarantined and a girl wrapped in a Bigger than Us candy bar. I found the boy singing the lyrics to the song throughout and the boy and the girl kissing to end the film comical, it being an overall well-done 3-minute piece.

-Jarid Holliday

Trick Shots

Extremely popular on ESPN's Sportsnation daily show, homemade trick shots are a very popular way to cure boredom through physics and sports. Recently, UConn quarterback Johnny McEntee popularized a football trick shot video completing many different types of goals.

 

Dude Perfect was another group of Texas A&M Aggie students who performed trick basketball shots. The one that made Sportsnation is below:

 

And some good pong shots. Don't expect to beat these guys at a party...

 

Another basketball one, this guy is decent at behind the back shots. Decent.

Technically not tricky...

Boredom is inevitable...

-Jarid Holliday

Pearl McKay & Will Ferrell Shorts

Although a couple years old, I came across these comedy shorts again recently. These Will Ferrell classics, with help from little McKay, became one of the premier viral shorts of 2007, totalling over 74 million hits up to current time. The Landlord and Good Cop, Baby Cop were both directed by two year-old Pearl McKay's father, Adam. Good Cop came out shortly after Landlord, and was Pearl's last performance to this date. There has been some discretion regarding the morality of having Pearl play somewhat negative roles, but it is very comical none the less. Below are the shorts:


The Landlord

Good Cop, Baby Cop

One can only hope their future children are witty prodigies similar to Pearl.
-Jarid Holliday

Week 4 Film Reviews

A rather disappointing week of film watching, but busyness is a constant and priorities take precedence. Predators was easily the best film of the week, being an excellent production, with Before I Self Destruct being on of the worst films I have seen. I had technically already seen Anchorman, obviously, but it had been a solid 5 years so I decided to include it in this list. I am planning on next week's review to be a very good one, to make up for the lack of quantity of this one.

Before I Self Destruct

 
Release Date: 2009
Director: Curtis Jackson
Genre: Drama
Main Cast: Curtis "50 Cent" Jackson (as Clarence) and Clifton Powell (as Sean)
IMDB Rating: 4.1
My Rating: 1.3
Length:  79 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: Unknown/Unknown

The only reason I own this horrendous film is because it came free with the Before I Self Destruct album, which I also got for little to nothing. Sadly, the film is worth less than that. It was obvious that the film was going to be poor previous to watching it due to the length and it being directed by a musician who is a terrible actor in the first place. As a general rule, nearly all big name musicians are sub par performers at best on screen. This film was absolutely awful, worse than I thought it could be. I don't want to waste any more time on it, so if you come across it, do not waste your time.

Cop Out

 
Release Date: 2010
Director: Kevin Smith
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Bruce Willis (as Detective Jimmy Monroe) and Tracy Morgan (as Detective Paul Hodges)
IMDB Rating: 5.7
My Rating: 5.2
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $37 million/$55 million

Anything is an improvement from the previous one viewed last week. Cop Out didn't provide a tremendous improvement, but was still was an average film. Willis and Morgan provide a decent amount of comedy and entertainment, but the lacking plot and sub-par acting failed to impress. The storyline is a good example of one that doesn't accomplish much importance throughout the entire film. An overall ok film that didn't impress me enough to recommend for a great watch.

Predators

Release Date: 2010
Director: Nimród Antal
Genre: Action
Main Cast: Adrien Brody (as Royce) and Alice Braga (as Isabelle)
IMDB Rating: 6.5
My Rating: 8.5
Length: 107 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $40 million/$127 million

Having never seen any of the previous Predator or Alien films prior to this one, the impressiveness of this film has stemmed recent interest for me in the previous installations of the series's, even though the film had an altogether new plot from the ones prior. The storyline of the predators bringing known human assassins to their planet to learn killing tactics from the humans is a concept that appealed to me greatly, as well as kept me mostly fascinated throughout the film. The acting by all parts, namely Brody, Braga, Grace, and Fishbourne was excellent as well.  The presentation of an extra-terrestrial being was done above well, as was the general acting of the rest of the human characters. The setting did seem like a possible different planet, but also stayed realistic enough to not make it seemed forced. I thoroughly enjoyed this movie throughout and look forward to subsequent sequals that are projected to follow.

12 Rounds

Release Date: 2009
Director: Renny Harlin
Genre: Action
Main Cast: John Cena (as Detective Danny Fisher) Ashley Scott (as Molly Porter) Aidan Gillen (as Miles Jackson)
IMDB Rating: 5.4
My Rating: 6.4
Length: 108 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $20 million/$17 million

Not expecting much from John Cena and WWE Studios, this filmed surprised me as an above average action/police rescue film. Cena's acting was by no means spectacular, but he got the job done and didn't try anything that seemed outrageous. Gillen gave an excellent performance as the protagonist, adding to the plot by causing his witty kidnapping plans to seem true to his character. The plot stays relatively simple throughout, staying true to the 12 rounds of a game to free Cena's kidnapped girlfriend. An overall simple but entertaining film.

Anchorman

Release Date: 2004
Director: Adam McKay
Genre: Comedy
Main Cast: Will Ferrell (as Ron Burgundy) and Christina Applegate (as Veronica Corningstone)

IMDB Rating: 7.0
My Rating: 7.2
Length: 94 minutes
Budget/Gross Revenue: $26 million/$90 million

Technically not a newly viewed for me, but it had been at least 5 years, and this classic comedy deserves a rewatch. Looking back at the cast, it is amazing how many of the actors' careers have taken off since the production of this film, namely in the comedy genre. Ferrell and Carell play viciously funny roles in this film, it being one of the first major comedy productions in the respective careers. Both by now have obviously played in numerous award-winning television series's and films. With a slightly sketchy and rampant plot that runs wild throughout the film, the comedy is mostly derived from the randomness and dry humor of the news team's antics. Only slightly cheesy and lacking of depth, this classic is again a must-see for the few deprived that haven't seen it yet.

I will do my best to have a better compilation of films the upcoming week, that you might get the lowdown on what to watch and what to avoid.
-Jarid Holliday