Tuesday Movie Reviews

Hot Tub Time Machine
Starring: John Cusack, Craig Robinson, Rob Corddry, Clark Duke, Crispin Glover, Chevy Chase
Directed by Steve Pink

I saw the commercials. I heard the ads on the radio. I couldn't imagine a movie titled Hot Tub Time Machine being any good at all. I was wrong. Even though I thought The Hangover was funny, I never thought it should have been the huge success it was. This movie, in my opinion, was funnier and better! Sure the concept is absolutely ridiculous. Three down on their luck friends of more than twenty years decide to go back to the place where everything was once carefree. They bring along the twenty-something nephew of Cusack's character. When they get in the hot tub of their chalet, it magically transports them back to 1986. They can now re-live the great times they had, but they have to be very careful. By changing something in their past it may effect their lives in present day 2010. Silly...but hysterically funny. Yes, there are some silly scenes, but done in such a way that even the main characters find them silly. It's like the viewer is not only in on the joke, but part of it. It may be that I was a kid of the 80's and remember a lot of the stuff they were seeing and hearing, but I truly felt I was watching something fun and original. The four main guys were perfect, but John Corddry was a real stand out for me. He was the hardest guy to like...rude, brash, depressing even. But something rang true about him that I could sort of relate to. I really liked this film, and what makes it more impressive is, I shouldn't have.

GRADE: A-

Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief
Starring: Logan Lerman, Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Sean Bean, Pierce Brosnan, Uma Thurman, Steve Coogan, Rosario Dawson, Catherine Keener, Joe Pantoliano
Directed by Chris Columbus

There will be obvious comparisons to this movie and the Harry Potter franchise. In fact, Chris Columbus directed the first two Harry Potter movies. What I think is important to mention is that Percy Jackson should be for older kids. There a many frightening scenes that would have freaked me out at age 10 or 11. Still, the story was quite interesting. Percy is a demigod, the son of Poseidon and a mortal woman. He is destined to be a hero and goes for his training after it's thought he has stolen Zeus' lightning bolt. He has no idea what the hell is going on, but soon learns to accept his destiny and superhuman powers. He must find out who actually stole the lightning to clear his name and save the world from the feuding Gods. I really liked the interaction of the kids trying to help Percy on his journey. The special effects were top notch. Even the big name actors in their cameos were quite enjoyable. If I was 14 years old, this would probably be my favourite movie of all time, but, alas, I'm no longer 14. I still liked the film, though, and I look forward to the inevitable sequels.

GRADE: B

The Crazies
Starring: Timothy Olyphant, Radha Mitchell, Joe Anderson
Directed by Breck Eisner

This is a remake of a film done in the 1970's that I always wanted to see but never got around to. I kinda wish I did. It's usually the case that the original is much better than it's remake (see Planet Of The Apes!!). It's not that I hated The Crazies, but I did get a little bored at times. It was quite obvious to me what was making the people want to kill others, even though it was supposed to be kind of a surprise. What I didn't like was the fact that the entire small town of 1200 people seemed to be affected except for 2 people. I guess that's why there was a movie. I liked Olyphant's character. He was strong enough but also human enough to question what was happening. Radha Mitchell made me cringe every time she was on screen. It's not that I don't like her as an actress. I think her character was very poorly developed. There were some good scenes of fright and gore, but, for the most part, the film left me wanting more...kind of like Eisner's other big movie, Sahara.

GRADE: C+

When You're Strange
Starring: Jim Morrison, Ray Manzarek, John Densmore, Robby Krieger, narrated by Johnny Depp
Directed by Tom DiCillo

There have been many documentaries about The Doors, and the major film directed by Oliver Stone. I've read a lot about the band as well. So, seeing these other films and reading these books, I didn't find out anything "new" about the band. Everything that there is to tell has been told. What I loved was the footage of the band that had never been seen before. That stuff was very interesting. The problem is there wasn't enough to fill an entire movie, so director DiCillo decided to put in some strange scenes that didn't seem to fit with the flow of the documentary. At times the film was a jumbled mess. If you're a true fan of The Doors and the mystery of Jim Morrison, this is probably not the movie to watch. You already know what's being told, and the extra crap may upset you.

GRADE: C

Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage
Starring: Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson, Neil Peart, Jack Black, Sebastian Bach, Les Claypool, Kirk Hammett, Billy Corgan, Trent Reznor
Directed by Scot McFadyen and Sam Dunn

McFadyen and Dunn were the guys behind the brilliant Metal: A Headbanger's Journey which, even if you're semi-interested in the heavy metal genre, should be required viewing. They bring their love of music and film together once again to detail the rise and success of Rush, the biggest band ever to come out of Toronto. I've always been a fan of Rush, but never a hardcore fan. I may become one now that I've seen this documentary. The film starts with Rush's humble beginnings in Toronto, how they had to replace their original drummer, how they grew to fame and fortune, and about their avid following all over the world. The band seems down to earth and quite humbled by their decades of success which is really refreshing to see. Geddy Lee even jokes that when he was approached for the idea of a documentary he thought the band was far to boring to fill 2 hours. I'm here to tell you he was wrong! Many musicians are featured talking about how Rush influenced them in one way or another, but all of them agree that the members of Rush are some of the finest musicians ever. Great fun, interesting and the music ain't bad either.

GRADE: A