My Redbox recommendation... 

THE IMPOSSIBLE

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1649419/?ref_=sr_1

Just out on DVD and worth watching, if you missed it in theaters. OK, right off the bat – what the fuck is that title all about? I watched this with great anticipation, fully expecting to enjoy two of my favorite actors – Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor, but, other than the first act disaster, didn't see anything really impossible in the next hour or so.

This is about the worst natural disaster of the last decade, the Boxing Day tsunami in the Indian Ocean. (For us Americans, Boxing Day is December 26.) I didn't know then that Indonesia and Thailand were ringed with ocean front hotels catering to Europeans seeking winter sun and fun. And so it is with our happy Brit couple and their three, suitably adorable, sons.

They arrive on Christmas Eve. On Christmas Day they open presents and release floating luminaries over the bay. By Boxing Day, they’re lounging poolside taking a big bite out of the relaxation afforded by holidays spent in the tropics. Then all hell breaks loose. This part of the globe had been woefully unprepared for an event of this nature so there are no sirens or warnings. In fact, more than 350,000 people are thought to have lost their lives in the deluge. Our featured family doesn't even experience the mega-lift earthquake that sets off the big waves. One moment, they’re peacefully enjoying the sun the next they’re fighting for their lives.

 The Impossible

The rest of the film is all about the injuries they sustain and the quest to be reunited. Watts and the oldest son seem to get swept over into the least developed part of the resort. They end up relying on simple villagers, who seem to have sustained little damage, who get them to the hospital. Here, Tom Holland, as the oldest son, really shines in a part that will no doubt lead to bigger things for the young actor.  All of the emotion of loss and desperation play out through his eyes as the rest of the cast takes on lesser roles.

Will the mother survive her wounds? Will the family be reunited?  This is the kind of movie the entire family can gather together to watch. There’s some realistic language and the youngest members of the family might be upset by the initial disaster and follow up turmoil. My only real criticism is that clean, middle-class folks get airlifted out of danger courtesy of numerous responding military operations, but the locals are pretty much stuck putting their meager lives back together. Perhaps these people, in reality, got assistance at some point, but their needs obviously took a back seat to the tourists.

Good special effects and a great cast make The Impossible a nice way to spend an evening and for that I’ll give it two Wilders out of four.  But I dare any of you to explain to me what the hell the title is all about.

  

This weeks Overlooked Film of Significance:  Beginners – Ewan McGregor contends with an aging father's illness as well as his surprising new lifestyle. Christopher Plummer got a well-deserved Oscar nom playing the dad.

STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1408101/

The Simpsons have a great parody of the 70’s Schoolhouse Rock ditty I’m Just a Bill. In this version, an Amendment to Be explains that congress could pass a law against flag burning but the Supreme Court would simply declare it unconstitutional.  Then coyly adds, “But if we change the constitution…” The kids, catching on, jump up and cheer: “Then we can make all kinds of crazy laws!”

Essentially, this is what J.J. Abrams did to the Star Trek franchise with the 2009 release of Star Trek. The space-time continuum got rent apart, changing the destinies and – more handily – the well-known histories of the original crew of the USS Enterprise, so now he’s free to pursue all kinds of crazy ideas.

This has really gotten under the skin of all the Trekkies, Trekkers, Trekkelomaniacs and distant Trekkistanis. Therefore, I have to offer two opinions. For fans of the Rodenberry/Shatner/Nimoy troika you will like or dislike this film as much as you did the first, perhaps more. If you like good scifi adventure with top-of-the-line special effects, you’ll be seeing Star Trek Into Darkness.

I should mention that regardless of the changes wrought in the next 300 years, I still think gravity will be a factor and because of that some of the science in this film – space smoke, inner atmosphere star ship flight -- is  a bit shaky  This is no small criticism because scientific integrity was usually a hallmark of the series, although like Captain Kirk, they always knew when to ignore the rules.

Star Trek Into Darkness

All of the cast returns from 2009 Star Trek and they’re a little better worn into their characters. The belaboring of well-known characteristics is not as annoying this time – in fact some, such as Dr. McCoy’s famous asides, are much sharper. In a sparkling moment of self-awareness he even gets called on it. We see some old friends and meet, briefly, a couple of new, interesting characters. As with the first reboot, this film benefits from a very strong villain portrayed by Benedict Cumberbatch, my new favorite Sherlock Holmes. 

Chris Pine is an able captain who has wisely chosen to boldly not do a William Shatner impersonation. (I’d love to see the audition reel with the rejects.) Zachary Quinto is probably the only actor on earth (or Vulcan) who could play Spock. The rest are the best and brightest of the next generation of actors who, perhaps not in a good way, will be tied to this franchise for a long time.

There is a little too much action and a little too much introspection; however the latter is a long-honored tradition of Star Trek. I get the feeling that Abrams would rather be directing a Star Wars film, which he will get a chance to do soon enough. I know I’m going to enrage some Trekkelopods when I state that most of the Star Trek films of the past were just not all that great to begin with. One, maybe two with the original cast and several featuring The Next Generation are quite good, so the Abrams films are an overall improvement. There, I said it, obviously I've been assimilated.

One quick note, apparently I've lost my ability to read theater listings so I found myself at a 3-D showing. I have to say, it didn't suck all that much. Abrams has definitely made a story with 3-D in mind. Shamefully, like the cat chasing birds on a TV, I caught myself twitching to the side to avoid debris. I hope this doesn't confirm anyone's suspicions that I'm really an idiot.

This is the kind of movie mom can send dad and the kids off to on a rainy Saturday afternoon so she can enjoy a spa, shopping or just catching up with the laundry and for that, I’m giving Star Trek Into Darkness three tribbles out of four.

   

This week’s Overlooked Film of Significance:  Bottle Shock – A loosely-based true story of how the upstart wine industry in California came to prominence. Chris Pine is the upstart kid trying to get his laid-back Cali dad to step up to see the bigger picture.

THE GREAT GATSBY

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/fullcredits?ref_=tt_cl_sm#cast

At a showing of Baz Luhrmann’s long-awaited production of The Great Gatsby, my pencil was thoroughly sharpened and ready to tear apart his near-sided vision, embarrassing anachronisms and stale script delivered by overdressed floor models. And… I was surprised.  Not only does everything look great but the cast works at the best level of their respective careers. 

Leonardo DiCaprio sells his Gatsby with the same suave exuberance that Gatsby uses to sell himself. Carey Mulligan as Daisy Buchanan portrays perfectly the anguish a real-life Daisy would face and not the spoiled rich-girl routine we would expect. Tobey Maguire turns in the first truly adult performance of his career. But the breakout part goes to Joel Edgerton as Daisy’s husband Tom, an athletic hulk of a man from the Entitled Class who doesn't intend to lose what he considers his.

Yes, the story is shallow and narrow-minded but that’s because the F. Scott Fitzgerald novel on which it is based, the bane of literature-averse high school kids throughout the land, is also shallow and narrow-minded. While Fitzgerald’s work is wrought with exquisite imagery it’s never been a favorite of mine. He pretends to cast a cynical eye toward the trivial worries of the wealthy while also yearning whole-heartedly to be part of that world.

Director Baz Luhrmann has no such worries and doesn't quibble about showing us the Jazz Age in all it’s it debauched and excessive opulence. This is an eye catching film from start to finish and although I was a fan of last year’s Life of Pi, I found myself wondering if I’d ever seen a color film before. Well, I've never seen one like this. Luhrmann’s trick, if you want to call it that, is to give us the fuzzy, soft-focus look at the era we've grown up seeing in old film prints and bring it to life with splashes of outrageous color. Some scenes are literally dizzying. Throw in some contemporary Rap and R&B to make us comfortable and we seem to be seeing something ancient but truly alive.

The Great Gatsby

I could write a pretty good doctoral thesis about how Hollywood has expunged the dirty little secret of its Golden Age. While minorities were making unique contributions to our culture, they still faced barriers to full participation in society. Movies exacerbated this injustice with shameful images of black butlers, chauffeurs and buffoons.  You may rest assured you won’t see these clips when the Oscar show opens up the vault. Luhrmann, luckily, has no such hindrance and we’re shown the richness of the Jazz Age in all its colorful diversity.  We’re also treated to women with curves and showgirls with heft, just as it really was.  Carey Mulligan is not shaped like the stick-thin flappers we recall from the New Yorker illustrations and her wardrobe reflects this fact.

Fitzgerald once said: There are no second acts in American lives. And this couldn't be truer in the case of his hero, tragically trying to buy a new past for himself but with Daisy by his side this time. The innocent pointlessness is what Luhrmann and DiCaprio communicate so well. Gatsby’s obsession with Daisy becomes pathetic and desperate. In the end, Gatsby gets shot down in manner as shocking as another big fella who took New York by storm in search of a blond.  Film nerds such as your humble critic will notice in this scene homage to another pool scene in Sunset Boulevard.

If need be, this is the kind of movie you’d want to take the in-laws or your parents to see so they’ll think you've got interests beyond bare-handed cat fishing programs and super hero films. And for that I’m giving The Great Gatsby three Dr. Ecklebergs out of four.

   

This Week’s Overlooked Film of Significance: What’s Eating Gilbert Grape – In DiCaprio’s second major theatrical film, he managed to upstage an excellent Johnny Depp and walk away with an Oscar nom at the tender age of 18. There are few more poignant lines in movies than, “Say ‘Thank you,’ Gilbert. Say ‘Thank you.’”

Aftershock

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1780762/

Horror flickers are the 3 a.m. date of film genres. Those who enjoy them hope no one sees whom they’re going home with. Too bad, when a good one comes along it’s almost universally ignored.  I remember thinking Alien was a masterpiece the day I saw it, but had a lot of trouble convincing those around me.  Now they teach it in college film courses. (Too bad I wasn't as prescient regarding Microsoft.) Thank God the French discovered Hitchcock or we’d still think of him as the funny guy on old TV shows.

Such is the Eli Roth-produced, Nicholas Lopez-directed film Aftershock.  Let’s face it; everyone knows the purpose of these movies is to get your date to jump into your arms in a dark movie theater. If you can pull off a desperate but sincere hero grope, all the better. On this count, Aftershock will keep your sweetie pie close by.  How you take advantage of this situation is up to you.

Aftershock

The producer and director also wrote the script along with Guillermo Amoedo. For the first half-hour we find out how much fun Chile is these days. I guess turning from a military dictatorship to a tourist economy does wonders for a country. The young folks are all ga-ga at the go-go until a mega quake shakes the little hillside town to pieces.  There’s welcome relief from normal earthquake movie images. There are neither freeways collapsing nor people falling out of office buildings.  All the tremors take place in the relative confines of a nightclubs, verandas and churches.

Regardless of who gets the directing credit, this is an Eli Roth film and if you've seen his fascinating (and horrific) film Hostel, you know you can expect some nasty earthquake injuries. And Roth never shies away from showing us the gooey stuff. There’s a pause for a humorous sidebar involving the desperate search for an appendage. But too soon the characters get alerted to the danger of tsunami. With lots of aftershocks and an impending disaster - Part II, viewers can look forward to getting carried away by some nice twists.

This Chilean-American feature was released at home last fall and is in limited release so you may have trouble dragging mom out to this one Sunday. I’m looking forward to getting the DVD because I think it might have been more charming in the native Spanish. You certainly don't need a translation to know what the characters desire before or after the shakedown. I really liked the nightclub scenes and the soundtrack. There’s some great scenery as well.  For all these factors, I’m giving Aftershock three Cronenbergs out of four.

   

This week’s Overlooked Film of Significance: David Cronenberg’s Dead Ringers has freakish gynecological instruments and not one, but two, extra fine Jeremy Irons performances.

IRON MAN 3

(<http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1300854/?ref_=sr_1)

 I've always wondered how comic book series keep readers interested over months and years of issues, whereas the movies made from them usually go stale if not after the first release, then surely by the next installment. The second unremarkable Iron Man hinted that the series might be losing power. Happily this is not the case with IR3. Even star Robert Downey, Jr.’s egotistical, malevolent banter gets freshened up.

While the weather is barely warmer than most Octobers and the trees are seeing the first budding leaves, summer has officially begun in the movie theaters. So pack up the wife and kids and get inside this weekend to see summer's first blockbuster. It is too bad we can’t watch on the large screen of a wonderful outdoor theater. Iron Man 3 is the perfect film for such a venue. Once you could pack up the wife, kids AND the dog, along with the beverage of your choice, and enjoy two features from the comfort of your automobile. Sadly, an entire generation has grown of age without this magnificent experience, done in by the lucrative profiteering of urban sprawl and the fiendish infection known as Daylight Saving Time.

Iron Man 3

As you know, Downey is Iron Man and Iron Man is Downey and as long as he’s firing on all cylinders the movie flows with the raffish panache we would expect. Downey is clearly the star and Gwyneth Paltrow still glows at 40, or so Entertainment Tonight says. The plot takes a page from Rocky IV with Tony Stark (Downey) getting his comeuppance and then finding his inner grownup by rubbing elbows with some Tennessee rustics and admitting how his carelessness impacts those he loves. Along the way there’s a great scene on the set of Gremlins and some comic relief with Gandhi. The villain, always the key to such films (see Iron Man 2) is tolerable and well played by Guy Pearce.

Everything isn't quite perfect. Stark's reliance on The Suit gets a little weary toward the end and I still can't figure out how he fuels his rockets (I'm sure some scifi geek will let me know.) But the parts we want to see, the action and special effects, show a multi-million dollar budget - what didn't go to Downey - wasn't wasted.

The final showdown aboard an oil rig hearkens back to James Bond, but with a lot more explosions and super heroes. This is the kind of movie you can hold over the kids, making sure they mow the yard AND use the weed eater before loading them up in the SUV. Since I have problems with night blindness and over-stimulation, I resisted the 3-D version, but the allure of depth might be just the things to keep the kiddies in their seats. It's sparkly summer entertainment, too bad it can’t be viewed under the stars as movies like this should be and for that I give it three abandoned drive-ins out of four.

        

This week's Overlooked Film of Significance: Charlie Bartlett - Downey tones down the 80-megawatt charisma in a serious film about teenagers.