Tuesday Movie Reviews

Clash Of The Titans
Starring: Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Gemma Arterton
Directed by Louis Leterrier

I remember seeing the original Clash Of The Titans many, many years ago. I loved the "cheese" factor of that movie....it was so bad it was good. The animation was mind-boggling for it's time and Medusa scared the crap out of me! This 21st Century update is not as memorable, yet it is exactly what I expected. Lots of action sequences, some hard to follow, but satisfying nonetheless. The special effects were well done and up to today's standards. The acting, if you can call it that, was just corny enough to make me smile at times. It is what it is, lots of money thrown at a subject that really isn't that interesting except for the digital stuff. Liam Neeson and Ralph Fiennes try to bring a touch of class to the proceedings, but their performances just come across forced and one-dimensional. But as I said, all of it was what I expected, so I can't be too disappointed. The movie is two hours of wasted time with a pretty cool Kraken. With the original in 1981 leaving such an indelible image in my mind, I guess I hoped that this one would too, but I've already forgotten about it. Kids will like it, though.

GRADE: C+

Repo Men
Starring: Jude Law, Forest Whitaker, Alice Braga, Liev Schrieber, RZA
Directed by Miguel Sapochnik

An interesting idea that loses it's cache very quickly and becomes boring and nonsensical. Jude Law and Forest Whitaker are two of the repo men from the title. Their job is to take back synthetic organs from people who have gone past due in their payments. They work for the company that supplies these organs to dying patients for phenomenal prices. That's the interesting part. Where the story falls apart is first in it's predictability. Obviously one of these guys is going to need an organ to stay alive, will be delinquent on the payment, and the other one will have to repossess it. What I really hated about the film, though, was the fact that this futuristic method of giving life and taking it back without any legal consequences was never explained. The legal and moral ramifications of such a transaction would never, EVER, let this kind of stuff exist. The movie was much more bloody than it had to be, and Alice Braga was sooooo annoying. They also gloss over a drug problem that these organ recipients seem to have, which could have turned into a decent subplot. The only thing I liked about the movie was that it was so obviously filmed in Toronto...I love seeing TTC trains on the big screen!

GRADE: D

Operation: Endgame
Starring: Rob Corddry, Ellen Barkin, Zach Galifianakis, Maggie Q, Ving Rhames, Jeffrey Tambor
Directed by Fouad Mikati

You ever see a movie and think "How the hell did this ever get made?"? Whenever I see a title that has some "name" actors but is directed by someone I've never heard of I think that someone had more money than they knew what to do with and wanted to "create" something. This movie falls into that category. I don't know who Fouad Mikati is, but he must know some rich people. A quick look on imdb.com tells me that this is the only thing he has ever done in the entertainment field. I truly hope it's the last. Every scene, and I mean EVERY SCENE, was painful to watch. Violence for the sake of violence, annoying characters with absolutely no purpose whatsoever, horrible "comedic" moments, and some of the worst pacing I've ever witnessed. I hated the entire film. The cool looking DVD cover will try to fool you, but do not be fooled...this is one crapfest!!

GRADE: F