Beauty and the Beast in 3D!

Beauty and the Beast is the second of several classic movies Disney has planned to re-release in 3D. Disney decided to re-release some of their movies in 3D because The Lion King did so well at the box office last September. (It was only re-released to help promote the special edition BluRay of the movie.) Some of these movies include Finding Nemo, Monsters, Inc., and The Little Mermaid. Although some might consider this merely as a way for Disney to make more profits, but Beauty and the Beast is still a treasured Disney classic that is worth going to the theaters to see again.

The story of Beauty and the Beast is one we all know very well. But its familiarity doesn’t take away from its good story-telling. I found myself swept in by the movie and anticipating what was going to happen next after every scene. As for the 3D effects, overall, the visuals were very stunning. It was interesting to see how it wasn’t just characters and objects popping out at you; depth was added to some of the scenes, giving the movie a more lifelike quality. Also, seeing the classic in theaters, since obviously all of us as high-school-age students are too young to have been around when it was first shown in theaters, gives the movie a different feel. The scenes are more dramatic. The thundering climax and cheerful songs are more theatrical.

If you haven’t seen Beauty and the Beast in a while and want to relive your old childhood memories (or possibly if you want to relax after finals), go see Beauty and the Beast. Even if you only see it in 2D, it will still be a treat to watch.

Fallen expectations for The Devil Inside

 The Devil Inside, the latest in exorcism-horror films, had a lot of standards to live up to. The hype surrounding the film was unbearable, with the constant gossip circling through the media as well as many social-networking sites. Even more pressure to be horrifying was added as a result of all the recent successful exorcism movie franchises like Insidious and Paranormal Activity. While the film was not in itself bad, it did not meet expectations.

While the film was mostly realistic due to its popular documentary style, it lacked in creativity and suspense. Each event didn’t really have a sense of mystery to keep the audience interested and guessing. Most of the climactic scenes took place with little rising action leading up to them. Also, the plot was predictable at a certain point in the movie. The characters were shallow and the acting was just above mediocre.

Another factor of the movie that bothered me was that the movie took place in Vatican City, a gorgeous city full of history and beauty, but didn’t utilize that location at all. Most of the movie took place in shabby apartments and basements. The visuals had so much potential to be breath-taking, and though it is a horror movie, it wouldn’t hurt to have some extra attractive assets.

One thing I did enjoy about the movie was its in depth look into exorcisms. The characters took time to explain how each exorcism took place, how exorcists were educated, and exorcists’ role in the Catholic Church. The overall plot was interesting, but not unique.

If you are easily frightened (but enjoy the excitement of being scared), The Devil Inside is a good movie to watch. Although, I can recommend tons of other films that are more appealing to watch and have more interesting stories and visuals.

Does this letter make movies cooler?

Does it seem like, generally speaking, the newer the movie the raunchier it is? And the dirtier the funnier?  For better or worse, crass behavior is funny, and violence is exciting.   In many cases, directors will add or remove specific scenes or language just to kick the movie up or bring it down to a desired rating. Hoping for a greater audience appeal, often the quality of a movie is sacrificed in order to make it PG-13 and available to all audiences.

While R-ratings definitely can influence a viewer, other aspects of the movie should also be considered like plot, cast, and characters. Sometimes, seeing an R next to the movie can encourage viewers to attend, as they will be assured that the director held nothing back, no matter if it be a comedy or thriller.  Let’s recall some of the most popular and captivating R-rated movies.  Would The Hangover (2009) have been as funny if Mr. Chow had been clothed when he jumped from the trunk of the car instead of completely naked?   Would Jamie Foxx have even made an impression in Horrible Bosses (2011) if his character’s name had been censored to “Really Mean” Jones? Imagine a horror film like any one of the Saw franchise without the blood and guts; nothing much is left.

Even Oscar nominees find themselves utilizing the tool of obscenities and impropriety to capture otherwise ineffable feelings. For example, would The King’s Speech (2010) been as powerful a drama if there were no well-placed “F” words?  What if the first heart-wrenching twenty minutes of Saving Private Ryan (1998) were removed? Does the power of The Fighter (2010) not rest in the abhorrent images yet definite effects of Dicky’s drug use?  Going even farther into the folds of time, would Academy-award winning Silence of the Lambs (1991) have been as transfixing if Buffalo Bill had been stealing suits from used clothing stores rather than attempting to violently strip women’s bodies to create clothing of actual skin?Let’s face it, sex, drugs, and violence sell movies because they entertain the audience.

Since the formation of the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) in 1922, movies have led us on a journey through the last 90 years to become what many believe is a centripetal force in the downward spiral of human culture. In 1968, Jack Valenti established the voluntary ratings system used today. During his thirty-eight year run as president of MPAA, Valenti helped to mold this new form of voluntary censorship exhibited over the American cinema.

There are five levels of ratings that the MPAA may choose from to properly evaluate the movie, G, PG, PG-13, R, and NC-17 (or X). The most kid-friendly rating is G, meaning that it is acceptable for General audiences. However, it does not take very much to bump a movie from G to PG, which signifies that the MPAA believes that a child should not watch the movie without a parent present.  Sometimes all it takes is one character taking a dump to set things spinning.

Of course, one does not need an R rating to be entertaining.  Examples include Inception (2010), The Social Network (2010), and Meet the Parents (2006).  But while these movies may be entertaining enough as they are, could they not be improved upon with allowances afforded by the R-rating? If War Horse (2011), for example, had gone further to show the horrors of WWI, would the audience have been more moved?  Would it have been more captivating if X-Men Origins: Wolverine (2009) had showed what Hugh Jackman could really do with those claws? Or imagine what further character development could have occured if Alvin, Simon, and Theodore had really been able to hook up with the Chipettes in Chipwrecked (2011).

R-rated movies are here to stay.  Well-placed nude scenes, impalings, F-bombs, mature situations, and disturbing images can enhance a movie’s quality and make it more enjoyable for the audience as a whole.  Ratings are intended as suggestions regarding the appropriateness of a movie for young audiences.  In an ideal world, an R-rating should not give any indication as to how good a movie is.  However, is there anyone reading this article who doesn’t think that The Dark Knight Rises (to be released in 2012) would be a little cooler if it were rated R instead of PG-13 like its predecessors?

Are you starving for the Hunger Games?

Suzanne Collins’ series about a dystopian world filled with war and corrupt government has taken both the teenage and adult literary worlds by storm. The trilogy has sold over one million copies, and is to become a major motion picture in just a couple short months. As a devout Hunger Games fan, I can honestly say I have no desire to see the movie besides to see how utterly horrific it is going to be.

Let’s start off with the casting. When I first heard that my new favorite books were going to be movies, I was really concerned about the casting, because it’s one of the first and most important things Hollywood can severely ruin. I was praying to the mighty God of literature that He should take mercy on us, and cast the main characters at the appropriate age. Obviously, I must have sinned or something down the line, because my prayers were not answered.

Jennifer Lawrence, a 22 year old mature looking woman, was chosen to depict the scrawny, 15 year old protagonist, Katniss Everdeen. Yes, I am aware Hollywood love to do this for TV shows and movies, but this particularly bothers me because one of the main themes of the books is to show how war and violence affects the youth of our nation- how corrupting and utterly horrifying it can be at such an early age.

Not only is age a factor, but race. Katniss was always described as “dark-haired and olive skinned.” Of course, that is a broad description of race, but I think it can be concluded that it Katniss was not supposed to be Caucasian. Taking this into consideration, the casting directors called for the palest, blondest actress in the country. I find this unacceptable.

In a media dominated by white-culture, I was happy to read Collins’ books that tastefully included race in her story while not making it an issue or a plotline. I was really disappointed to see Katniss and Gale (another dark-skinned protagonist) played by Caucasian people. Most theorized them to be either Latino, African American, or of some mixed heritage.

Lastly, I am troubled by the possibility that instead of showing the terrors or war and corruption, the films will glorify the violence. It is possible, as it has happened in so many other movies, that the direction of the characters and scenes may look mindless fighting attractive and desirable, as opposed to horrifying, as the books presented it. It is very easy to let this happeall it takes is some special effects and some misinterpretation of the book on a producer’s part. It could even happen as a result of an audience’s bloodthirsty and craving to see violence.

Admittedly, I will be seeing “The Hunger Games” when it comes out in late March, but I want people to understand that the books are definitely worth reading. It’s a fast, somewhat easy read with many interesting themes and plot twists. Trust me when I say that seeing the film will not truly satisfy your hunger for “The Hunger Games.”

Hugo Cabret in 3D

Martin Scorsese, a man synonymous with movie gold has decided to tread the waters of 3-D. Has it worked? Hugo is a movie unlike any other with imagination twists, imagination bends, and imagination even coming out at you. The movie is based off a 550-page book called, The Invention of Hugo Cabret, where most of its thematic elements come from. The book is generally filled with black and white pictures with few inserts of several pages, explaining what goes on in between for the characters.  Imagination was necessary for some parts. The movie are the pictures in fluid motion without your imagination.

However, this movie moved and developed as fast as the book, not necessarily a bad thing but also not necessarily a good thing either depending on your view. The movie flowed well on nurturing the whole idea on each of the separate identities of the characters.  It was much more than just a 3-D-PG children movie. There was complexity and dynamic in the film which separated it from “Winnie the Pooh” and “Cinderella” and made it a Martin Scorsese classic. It showed what 3-D can become and that it could be an art when put into the right hands .“Hugo,” cemented 3-D into film as a possibility and not just a pure gimmick of the industry.  Overall, I give it two thumbs up!

]]> http://www.baronbanner.com/2012/01/09/hugo-a-martin-scorsese-movie/feed/ 0 http://www.baronbanner.com/2012/01/09/the-sitter-will-babysit-for-more-originality/ http://www.baronbanner.com/2012/01/09/the-sitter-will-babysit-for-more-originality/#comments Mon, 09 Jan 2012 16:31:22 +0000 Tracy http://www.baronbanner.com/?p=20352

The Sitter Promo Poster

Jonah Hill, notable for his roles in Superbad and Moneyball, returns to his crude humor as he stars in The Sitter. Hill plays Noah, a dead-beat college student who now lives with his mother after making some unwise decisions. Taking on the job to babysit three troublesome kids with the combination of an ungrateful girlfriend and a drug scandal later results in Noah finding himself in a ridiculous and life threatening situation.

After some “alone time” with his so-called girlfriend, Noah returns home to find that his mother will be going on a date since his father had left the family. When Mrs. Pedulla (played by Erin Daniels) calls to cancel the set up date due to a lack of a babysitter, Noah’s mother asks him to babysit her kids. At first he declines, but after seeing her look disappointed, he decides to take on the job. When he arrives to the home of the Pedullas, he meets Slater (played by Max Records), who is confused about his orientation, Blithe (played by Landry Bender), who tries to emulate her life after trashy celebrities, and Rodrigo (played by Kevin Hernandez), who  was adopted and likes to cause mischief. A disgruntled Noah gets a call from his girlfriend who asks him to go to her drug dealer friend to get some cocaine. Out of desperate desires for sex, he decides to help her out, but bring the kids along with him. Upon meeting up with the drug dealer, Noah discovers that Rodrigo stole a prized glass case filled with expensive cocaine. When it breaks, the drug dealer demands ten thousand dollars and threatens Noah’s life. Along the way, Noah’s hatred towards the kids turns into understanding as he gets closer to each one. He helps bring out their true sides and tells them to not be someone they are not.

Although the movie is filled with crude and sexual humor, there is still an underlying lesson to be learned, which was the all too common “be yourself” or “don’t be someone you’re not”. It is overdone, yet Hill’s straightforward character is still able to get to the point of the lesson in three scenes; one for each kid. A notable one was his talk with Slater, who uses anxiety pills to feel as if he is straight when he clearly is not. In a tough love kind of way, the realization becomes most clear; be yourself.

The many events that ensue, such as those that are coincidentally unfortunate, have been done in countless of other movies as well. They are not new; a bad run in with a drug dealer, a couple of bar scenes, a fight at a party…it is no doubt another crude teen movie. Although the movie is very cliche, it is still fun to laugh at. The movie still consists of funny lines that are somewhat memorable. That is one success of the movie, presented by Hill’s distinct voice and reaction. It is a character you remember because of the voice.

All in all, if you do not find humor out of stupidity, this movie may not even take a chuckle out of you. However, the growing bond between a disgruntled college student and three unique kids should still make you smile.

Top 10 movies of 2011

As the year draws to a close, I feel compelled to look back, not only in terms of family and friends, but also in entertainment. Here are my ten favorite movies from this year. Keep in mind, however, that I am not a professional movie critic. I don’t look at a movie and have thoughts like “the cinematography exhibited here is wonderful” or “wow, look at the skill with which the set designer decided to place that blue cup there on the table instead of the more obvious red choice.”

In no particular order because it would be too hard to choose:

1. Real Steel (PG-13)

The only robot that could challenge my undying love for the Transformers series’ robots would be Atom, the über lovable sparring bot featured in this movie, released in November. Disappointingly, Hugh Jackman decided to lose his Australian accent for this film, but he made up for it with some marvelous virtual robot fighting scenes. The little boy is impressive in his debut as the clichéd long-lost son who inspires hope in his wistful father’s completely collapsed career.

2. Bridesmaids (R)

Released on May 13th, a chick-flick managed to make my list this year (Of course, I’m a chick so go figure). Now, I realize that the movie is not appropriate for many high-school students, but if you’re ever over in a shady not-really-a-friend’s house and they suggest you watch a movie like this your parents would kill you for watching, you should go for it. I promise you won’t regret it. A movie cast almost entirely made up of women normally ends up a little like that 2008 flop The Women, but this one uses the talents of its ensemble (including Kristen Wiig, Melissa McCarthy, and Maya Rudolph) so well that each actress is absolutely indispensable to the movie. Featuring some of the best comedy I’ve seen in a while (as a girl who hates Adam Sandler/Will Farrell movies, I realize this may not be true for some others), this movie definitely impressed me. OMG, those puppies are so cute!

3. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 (PG-13)

Filled with unreal special effects and following close to the book’s plotline, this final installment in the franchise did not disappoint. Daniel Radcliffe, Rupert Grint, and Emma Watson all gave stellar performances, even though they were several years older than their characters at that point. Moving at a perfect pace, I can actually say that there were fewer slow moments in that movie than awkward conversations between characters I never wanted to see “get together.” (Interesting debate topic for you and your friends: who’s more awesome, Dumbledore or Gandalf?)

4. The Help (PG-13)

Before seeing this movie, my mom had been bothering me for several months to read the book The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I had no desire at all to read a novel set in a different time period, especially about a period in about which I had absolutely no interest in learning. I prepared myself to go sit in a dark theater and be bored to tears, but, to my surprise, that never actually happened. The movie was a mix of light comedy (chocolate pie, anyone?) and climactic drama. The story and characters delighted me to tears in a completely different way. Unfortunately for my mom, however, I still have zero desire to read the book.

5. Horrible Bosses (R)

I hate comedies that focus only on crude, inappropriate humor. This was exactly that…for the first thirty minutes at least. After that, though, the movie only improves. Jennifer Aniston is featured in a role so out of her comfort zone that the friends (who are not really into pop culture, obviously) I saw the movie with did not even recognize her. Jason Bateman, one of my favorite actors to begin with, did a fantastic job as the only sane individual performing in the movie.

6. Rio (PG)

I honestly don’t know how an animated movie was able to penetrate the supposedly impenetrable firewalls of this list. In fact, right after watching it, the only thought running through my head was how Jesse Eisenberg’s voice as the parrot made him sound like a stuck-up, arrogant, Harvard student who founded Facebook. Oh wait, that wasn’t the goal. But the colors and beautiful scenery (animated as it may have been) definitely impressed me, and Anne Hathaway’s voice as the beautiful and elusive female bird also stood out from the character, making the birds a perfect match for each other.

7. War Horse (PG-13)

The first scene of the movie pans the green, rolling hills of England. Set in the year before and the years during World War II, the cast of this movie definitely performed amazingly, and I’m saying this having recognized absolutely none of their names. Running at a perfect pace, Albert and his horse Joey manage to find each other even in the face of one of the world’s most devastating wars. Despite the inevitable happy ending, I thought the saddest movie I had seen all year deserved a place on this list. I’ll probably never look at barbed wire again the same way.

8. Water for Elephants (PG-13)

Robert Pattinson acting in a serious role? And you say he did an okay job of it? No way! Unfortunately, though, for myself, a pronounced Twilight hater, his performance was actually touching. I had read the book long before I had even heard that they were making a movie, so when I entered the theater I was a little fuzzy on the details. As far as I could tell, however, the book and the movie matched up really well.

9. The Tree of Life (PG-13)

With absolutely no trailers to indicate the story of this movie, I refused to spend my good money to see it in the theaters. Sitting at home, watching the movie, I realized what a mistake I had made. Now, I suppose that you really only need to see movies in the theaters if they contain fast-paced action sequences and special effects that wouldn’t really be the same anywhere else. Tree of Life does not fit into that category. It is a truly touching movie that tells the story of a man and his relationship with the people around him. Although it may have fell a bit short at the box office, it did not disappoint me one bit.

10. Transformers: Dark of the Moon (PG-13)

As the conclusion (probably) to one of my favorite robot action series of all time, this movie clearly tried really hard to be a good movie. Shia LeBeouf, Bumblebee, and Optimus Prime showed up to reprise their roles. The new love interest for our hero Sam Witwicky, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, doesn’t have the presence of Megan Fox, but she does make a go at bringing some depth to the film. Cheesy and predictable as the movie may have been, I really do think that it was a great movie to see.

Tom Cruise (Ethan Hunt) climbing the Burj Khalifa

Ghost Protocol is the fourth installment in the Mission Impossible series, where Tom Cruise remains as the leading star. Ethan Hunt and the IMF return to the stage conducting undercover missions. Although still a typical action movie, Ghost Protocol trumps the other films in the series, scoring a successful 93% on Rotten Tomatoes. With newer gadgets, technology, and action packed spy scenes, it is worth a trip to the theaters.

Under the direction of Brad Bird, the series shifts towards a more playful exchange between characters rather than a dramatic setup of scenes. Each scene includes more jokes and a more skillful approach to each problem. The audience is less worried about the survival of characters and begs for more action to happen.

The initial flaw viewers find is that the movie lacks a unique story line. Secret Russian communist plots, nuclear weapons, and double agents are all overused elements in action films. The likelihood of any events and situations in the story occurring in real life are highly improbably. However, by keeping a basic background story and allowing viewers to suspend their disbelief, the film highlights the creativity of action sequences.

The film also catches the audience’s attention by appealing to their general knowledge. The memorable Mission Impossible theme, featured in all movies in the series, serves as a recurring theme. Background stories of Ethan Hunt’s family life appear in brief conversations. The production team utilizes famous monuments, including the Kremlin in Moscow and Burj Khalifa in Dubai, to familiarize the public with the general setting.

Mission Impossible 4 is an appropriate feel-good movie for the holidays. Even though Tom Cruise has recently had a rough time in cinema, Ghost Protocol will not disappoint.

From imbdb.com

If you’re a fan of the series, you probably have already heard that a movie adaptation of The Hunger Games is going to be released next year in March. Even if you aren’t a fan of the series, you may have already seen the first official trailer of The Hunger Games, which was released on November 14.

The trailer portrays the life of the main character, Katniss, before her sister is selected to participate in the Games, and how her life is drastically changed after. It also introduces the two main male characters of the series, Gale and Peeta. It follows Katniss and Peeta, who are also chosen, through the preparations for the Games, which include a makeover of sorts and survival training. The trailer ends with a heart pounding scene where the participants are being told to “GO.”

Concise but informative, the trailer provided an admirable introduction to the series and did an excellent job of convincing people to watch the movie.

If the movie is anything like this first trailer, The Hunger Games movie promises to be as suspenseful and captivating as the books.

More entertaining than J. Edgar and less juvenile than Arthur Christmas, this movie, written by Jason Segel and Nicholas Stroller and directed by James Bobin, features such an abundance of cameos, from Selena Gomez to Mickey Rooney, that both the nine-year-old girl and her forty-year-old father (who “reluctantly” agreed to go along) are certain to recognize at least one or two familiar faces. Over the course of the movie, the viewer can appreciate the return of old, timeless characters like Kermit the Frog and Miss Piggy and develop relationships with the newest addition to the Muppets’ clan, Walter, who adorably spends most of the movie staring at Kermit completely awe-struck with his hero so close.

When we first see Gary and Walter (brothers for as far as they can remember), they are happily singing a trite, cloyingly sweet, and absolutely wonderful song about how perfect everything is for them. This epitomizes the remainder of the movie. Interestingly, nobody questions how a human and a Muppet can be brothers.  When Walter, Gary, and Gary’s long-time girlfriend Mary go to Los Angeles, they find a new mission: to save the Muppet studio from falling into the hands of an evil oil tycoon. To do this, outrageous hijinks ensue as the characters embark on a search to reunite all of the original Muppets and put on a telethon that will raise enough money (ten million dollars) to buy the studio.

As the plot unfolds, we learn that Mary has some consternation over the glacial pace Gary and her relationship is taking as they are approaching their ten-year anniversary, and they are celebrating with a trip to Los Angeles. Gary insists that Walter tag along, and he does, much to Mary’s chagrin.

When the trio arrives at the Muppet studio, Walter strays from the guided tour and enters Kermit’s private office. (Caution, Spoiler alert!!)  The evil oil tycoon and his two loyal Muppet minions enter and Walter takes cover under a table, where he overhears their plans to tear down the studio and drill for oil after they buy the location. In a pivotal point in the movie, one of the evil Muppets says something to the effect of, “And they won’t be able to save it unless they can raise ten million dollars by the end of the week.”  The other minion points out the emphasis with which the comment was said and suggests that it may be a major plot point, thus breaking the “fourth wall.” While this is a clever way of introducing the inevitable loophole that will allow our puppet heroes to triumph, it also lets the characters make fun of themselves.

I can only imagine the difficulty and convenience of playing the major role in a film that you have also written. Segel handles the responsibility very well, easily falling into his role as socially-awkward Gary, making it easy to believe that he is not simply embodying the character, but also creating it.

Cameos, cameos, cameos. What better to attract a large audience than every famous person you could possibly think of in one minute appearing in the movie? Jack Black, Neil Patrick Harris, Mickey Rooney, Rico Rodriguez, Whoopi Goldberg, Selena Gomez, Whitney Cummings, Sarah Silverman, and Jim Parsons are only a few of the celebrity faces that fill the movie. Where in movies like New Years and Valentine’s Day feature this multitude of celebrities in a tacky, desperate attempt to make money, the Muppets have always been magnets for special guest stars from every facet of the entertainment spectrum.

Throughout the movie, everyone maintains that incredible balance between realistic acting and self-deprication. True to form, all of the characters maintain stoic expressions, even while delivering the most gleefully ironic of lines. This new installment sticks close to the Muppet Movie of 1979.

As relationships develop and falter, one constant is the singing. I mean, is he a man, or is he a muppet? And I’ve always wanted to know why they make so many songs about rainbows. But despite both the quality and quantity of the songs, I can’t help but wonder the intention in the creation of this movie. Few new original songs speak to the purpose of the movie as more of a remembrance of the Muppets’ hay day than a real revival of the characters.
The movie is summed up at the very start by Statler and Waldorf, the two old codgers whose only purpose is to heckle.  “Is this movie in 3D?” asks Statler.  “Nope!” replies Waldorf, “the muppets are as one-dimensional as they’ve always been!”

Indeed they are, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

The Muppets is rated PG (parental guidance suggested).