2 Years, 2 Jobs, and 2 Apartments Later...

It's amazing how most fail to keep up with their blogs. Even I have fallen in that trap. Blogs have become this generation's journal entries. Posting about the mundane, but in this case: Film Reviews. No matter what, I have returned. While I will be writing the occasional film review, I am back to hone a craft my skills at writing as I feel my skills have plummeted since. But writing is like gym training in my experience. You can't just pick up that heavy weight you could lift years ago without pulling a muscle. What I will say is that, I am writing a number of projects and in development with several stories I am contemplating publishing here.

It's been good to dust off the ol' blog again. I'm excited to get back into the flow of writing and share some stories.

Till next time, watch em if ya got em! I got to get back to work!
-Andres

The Dark Knight Rises Teaser Trailer Reaction

Christopher Nolan's Batman series has become something more than just a comic book film series, it has transcended the genre. "The Dark Knight" (2008) is considered by most critics and fans as easily one of the best films of the decade. The next and final film in the franchise, "The Dark Knight Rises" (2012), has it's work cut out for it. After nearly three years of speculation and rampant villain rumors lighting the internet, we finally have a Teaser Trailer to this much anticipated epic conclusion.

Click HERE for the TEASER TRAILER

This trailer has a lot of reasons to be excited. The tone looks in-keeping with the dark themes that Nolan has been developing with these films, namely the theme of escalation in which everything has to get worse before it gets better. The tone of the teaser is grim. That's frankly what we still need in a Batman film.

Another reason to be excited is that behind Nolan is a powerhouse of Talent. With oscar winners Christian Bale and Marion Cotillard, and the near endless swarm of talented actors including Anne Hathaway, Tom Hardy, Morgan Freeman, Joesph Gordon Levitt, and Gary Oldman, this film is already spelling out quality. To get this much talent involved in a picture, there must be some meat in the bones. Tom Hardy playing the villain "Bane" is also cause to be excited as Bane was a villain mishandled in the previous series. Tom Hardy is both no slouch when it comes to his acting ability and his physicality. His brief appearance shows he will be as imposing a villain as there has ever been in this series. Anne Hathaway as Catwoman...enough said.

A point to be concerned is a nitpick at best. Maybe the film will bite off more than it can chew with introducing so many elements, but Oldman has said this script calls back and is reminiscent of "Batman Begins" (2005). While this bit is a nitpick, a bit of concern does come to the surface that maybe Nolan is going back to the well with this film. Who's to say going back to the well is bad? Because you have been to the well before, doesn't mean Nolan can't bring up fresh water again.

Nolan has also gone on record to say this will be his last and final Batman film. While many directors have said this in the past, Nolan is the type to put the story first. What this opens up is all of the possibilities to how he will conclude his epic trilogy of films. Only time will tell, but one thing can be said:
SUMMER 2012 can't get here sooner!
- Till next time!
Andres

Harry Potter and The Deathly Hallows: Part II Review

The Harry Potter book series is one of the most renowned book series of all time. Forcing the New York Times to create a children’s top seller list since this series had been overtaking the top spots well past it’s publication date. Needless to say with this series of books and films, J.K. Rowling has solidified her Potter universe into pop culture status. This is a book series that has become a transcendent story that will exists for many years to come. Harry Potter has become part of our modern day mythology. While the movie series has it’s fair share of ups and downs, this final chapter has been long anticipated. With many Potter fans calling it “The End of Their Childhoods,” the one question lingering on their minds since that cliffhanger ending in Deathly Hallows Part I (2010) is “Will the last film deliver the ending that we all want and deserve?”

This film series has come to a fantastic closure. Picking up moments after the last film’s cliffhanger, the film follows wizard Harry Potter and his friends as they seek the means to destroy Lord Valdemort. The story in this final chapter is essentially a two-hour third act. All of the elements that popped in the first seven films, make a return in a exciting and unexpected ways. The film is so taught and so emotionally wrenching that it leaves you as Harry and his friends have been dealing with this whole plot for seven films: Emotionally Exhausted. Is this a negative?; Far from it. What the tail end of the film leaves you with is the sense that this series is done. No loose ends are left and the audience is left with an astounding sense of pathos. The ending works to pin you to the edge of your seat as the pieces are coming together, whereas in the last film, the characters dealt with failure upon more failure. This is one of the grimmer entries in the series. The actors have all brought their A-game to this chapter. The film is filled with so many emotionally heart wrenching scenes that requires talented actors to really sell these scenes, and none of them disappoint by a long strench.

As much as these movies are a joy to behold, there are a few flaws. You can’t watch this film without watching the last one as this is meant to be a part two of a narrative. While a lot of moments in the film feel rushed, at a two hour runtime this film could have been longer. The shortest of the Potter films, but they could have used a bit of pace here and there. The epilogue is a bit much, but leaves the audience on a good note. A very satisfying movie despite these flaws.

The film has so much heart and story packed in that the audience is bound to leave the theater wiping away the tears from their face. The film will leave one with elated sense that their beloved series has come to a very satisfying conclusion and that story the fans of the novels knew and grew up with has been captured on film. After this film, there’s no need for anymore in the franchise. This modern day epic mythology of Wizards and Magic has come to a satisfying conclusion.

Harry Potter…thanks for the wonderful send off.

9 of 10

A-

"Horrible Bosses" Review

Everyone has had this universal feeling. That feeling spelled in a few words is: "I hate my boss." The latest comedic film from Director: Seth Gordon and his talented cast deliver a comedic gem that is in keeping with the resurgence of the R-Rated comedy. "Horrible Bosses" is one of those comedic gems that like "The Hangover" (2009), tries actively to deliver a comedy different from the rest, but has enough surprises to offer a great story with enough laughs to leave the audience in a riot.

The film follows three men (Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis) as they conspire a plan to murder each other's despicable bosses. The film's premise is a grim one that under the wrong hands could have been a heavy experience. Luckly, Seth Gordon and his crew have walked the fine line and managed to insert a sense of fun into the film, that makes this film just a laugh out loud experience. One of the positive elements about the film is it's script. The script's narrative and plot does what a comedy should do. It's structured as another film, but this film is structured as a "heist" film. "Heist Film" in the sense that the script follows three characters as they conjure a murder plot that goes horribly (or in this case laughably) wrong. The script throws enough curve balls and enough pathos for each of it's characters that you get exactly why each of the leads want to murder their respective bosses, but the twist is that this is treated as a comedy. In is in this respect that you have to give it to the crew for not cheating the audience in it's final moments. While the film's ending does reach a conclusion that borders on unlikely, you can connect the pieces to where it's vaguely believable. Great story and a great script.

You can't talk about this film without talking about the fantastic comedic timing and chemistry of the cast. The star-studded cast of this film deliver performances that all across the board are solid comedicly timed. No character, apart from Jennifer Anniston's over-sexed performance that is a far-cry from her role in "Friends", gets the shaft or upstages the other's storylines. Everyone has their moment to shine. The stand-outs include Anniston, The three leads (who all have an amazing chemistry), Kevin Spacey works fantastic, Jamie Foxx is brilliant, and even Colin Ferrell is unrecognizable in his role. The cast is full of comedic powerhouses that are played perfectly and not a sore thumb to be had in the cast. Everyone is funny as hell!

With there being a comedic drought this year with a few ambitious, but mediocre efforts and even a few lazy lackluster efforts, "Horrible Bosses" delivers a surprise comedic gem that is better than any right it has to be. The elements all work well to bring enough fun, charm, and soon to be classic one-liners that will leave the audience feeling that their 12 dollars have been well spent, but a great time was had at the theater. If you are to see this film, see it with an audience on the weekend. Great job!
9 of 10!

TRANSFORMERS: DARK OF THE MOON REVIEW

Micheal Bay is an interesting type of director. While constantly panned as a director with nothing but flair and spectacle, his Transformers films is him in his prime form. Great looking cars, sexy-looking women, and killer explosions caused by large robots!...and maybe a few humans caught in the crossfire. With Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen (2009), audiences and critics both were caught in a crossfire of borderline offensive cinema. Has Bay Learned from his mistakes with the last film? Has he brought back the fun in Transformers?

Bay and Crew have delivered a film that does away with all the flaws present in the last film and delivers what could be arguably his best film in the franchise to date. The film follows Sam (Shia LaBouf) as he bands with the military and the AutoBots to combat a horde of new robots that crash-landed on the Moon in the 60's. Sam and the rest of humanity must band together with the AutoBots to combat old and new unexpected foes for a fight for Earth. The plot reaches convoluted ends. This is the type of film if you don't think too hard about the plot and all it's holes, it's a ton of fun to be had at the cinema. The acting is typical for summer blockbuster. The story is a bit more thicker than the other films. While Dark of the Moon doesn't aspire to be more than a summer film, it does reach moments of darkness that elevate the stakes. Thereby, Bay and crew have delivered their more serious effort with Dark of the Moon. That said, the film is still a popcorn film at it's core. It's a ton of fun to be had. The action scenes are bigger in scale than the last two films combined and they are more better than ever! From the Freeway chase, to the final hour with the destruction of downtown Chicago, the action set-pieces raise the stakes higher for the franchise. That said, they are all loud, impressive, but dumb (and not in a bad way.) This film is a crowd pleaser to the Transformers fans, but something to be had for the mainstream.


The way to experience this film is definitely in IMAX 3D. The film was shot specifically for 3D and it's deserves to have a few more of your hard earned dollars to prove to studios that shooting in 3D from get-go is the way to go. This will help do away with all of the rage with Post-Conversions to milk more money. There are many sequences to be had in this film where Bay shows that what he is best at is visual composition and the 3D helps elevates that aspect to a level that must be seen to be believed. The Base Jumping scene alone steals the show in terms of the 3D aspect. The 3D impresses, but with IMAX 3D, the scenes are jaw dropping at best.

The flaws of the film steam from the script. The film suffers from a pacing problem. When it's fast, it's fast. When the film is slow, it's painfully slow. The film could have used a second go in the editing bay for time and pacing. The film also suffers from an uncertainty of tone. At points, really funny, then it gets really grim with it's last act. It's a nitpick at best. The story problems are there, but the spectacle of the picture saves whatever problems the story might have. It's an enjoyable piece of summer entertainment.


Is the film perfect? Of Course not, but it is a fun one that delivers a great summer blockbuster. With the 3D technology, and Bay's cinematic eye for action; He delivers a summer film with the best use of 3D since James Cameron's Avatar. If you see it, spend the extra dollars for IMAX 3D, totally worth it! Dark of the Moon is what it is; loud explosions, battle-bots, and destorying as much of the city as humanly possible. It's everything we want from a summer film, except it could have used a better narrative and more likable characters. It's everything we love and hate about Bay, but more love to be had than the last outing.

7 of 10

Movies You Missed: Timecrimes (2007)

While time-travel films have gotten a particularly negative rep over the past couple of years (The Butterfly Effect (2003) for it's disjointed time-travel logic; and Primer (2004) for it's non-audience friendly time-travel narrative), Spanish Director Nacho Vigalondo delivers a film that not only has fun with the genre, but reinvents it.

Without giving too much away, the story follows Hector (Karra Elejalde) as he is accidentally caught in a time machine, and travels back only an hour in time. Hector realizes that this initial accident has set in motion a series of events with potentially dangerous, paradoxical ramifications to the time-line. While the plot of the film may already seem like it's overreaching, the film's time-travel elements are complex, but easy enough to follow, so that you won't spend nearly as much time trying to keep up with the film as you think you might. Hector, along with the audience, tries to discover the mystery of the time-travel device's consequences. It becomes a puzzle that the audience can't help but want to keep trying to solve.


In keeping with the Spanish filmmaker spike of the past couple of years, Director Vigalondo's screenplay and direction on the film is above par. The story blends elements of great speculative science fiction with horror elements that work to tell a fascinating time-travel story. His story draws you in, holds the audience, and works to an ending that not only leaves the audience feeling rewarded for solving the mystery, but nails a foreboding ending that leaves one to question the implications of time-travel unlike most films of this genre. Truly a fantastic film. Highly recommended!

9 out of 10

TIMECRIMES is now available on DVD through Magnet Pictures
Click HERE to purchase the DVD via AMAZON.COM

Did Abrams capture Magic or Cliche' with SUPER 8?

J. J Abrams is one of Hollywood’s most talented filmmakers. After helping reboot the STAR TREK film series with the 2009 hit film, Abrams is given complete creative license to tell whatever story he desires. Here is where “Super 8” comes into the picture. Abrams played most of his cards pretty close to the chest by showing vague trailers and the mass marketing push of his and Steven Spielberg’s name on the posters. The question that stands now: “Did Abrams and crew deliver another winner?”

For the most part, yes. That said the film isn’t entirely devoid of flaws. The story is about a group of childhood friends making a small home movie in 1979. While filming, they happen upon a train accident that slowly unravels to a county-wide crisis that threatens the small town and the “something” that was being transported on that train. The story of the kids was a tried and true formula of kids happening upon something bigger than the both of them. The science fiction element of the picture is a location for a boy’s coming of age tale, and this is the mistake that Abrams plays with the audience. Anybody expecting a creature feature will be disappointed, but will be pleasantly surprised by the coming-of-age story. The kids are, front and center, the stars of the picture and why the film works very well. The story with the kids play on those nostalgic moments when you made home movies. The film is a love song to all film geeks about how much fun it was to make movies and get caught up in the dream of the movies.

What ultimately doesn’t work about the film is the few beats that it decides to take in act two. What story choices Abrams made in that middle section seem a bit out of place with the combination of the character’s choices and the whole military aspect to the film. It seems that Abrams was drawing a bit too much from his inspirations and the films he clearly is trying to emulate. It’s a blow that picks back up by the third act, and recovers from. This storypoint is my only complaint with the film.

This is clearly just Abrams’ picture. The problem with the picture comes with how it’s being pushed as a monster film to the mainstream. It’s not the film audiences are expecting, but it’s also not going to be the one they want to walk out with on their minds. That said, for what it is, it’s a great send-up of the 80’s film from yesteryear. The cast works amazingly well and the group is clearly what they film needed to center on more. Audiences will be left with a film that is that perfect middle ground where children will like it, but adults will be able to relate to it. This isn’t a science fiction film, this is a boy’s coming of age tale that happens to have a creature in it. Not a perfect film, but a deep and ambitious film at that.

7 of 10