Mr. Brooks

As anyone who has seen Robin Williams' performance in One Hour Photo can attest to, watching an actor play against typical casting can often times be brilliant, if maybe  little creepy. We were used to seeing Williams overact and do zany things onstage as a comic, and when he took his act to the big screen, it was much the same.  Eventually he started to do more serious work, but it wasn't until the aforementioned Photo, and Insomnia from the same year, that he went REALLY creep-tastic, and played characters that you watched and said, "Is that Robin Williams?" while your jaw hung open. Every once in awhile, you get performances like that from the most unexpected places, whether it be Brad Pitt playing a total idiot in Burn After Reading, or Danny Glover as (SPOILER ALERT) the killer in Switchback. That brings us to our latest film, Mr. Brooks.









  Before I begin, let me state for the record that I do not like Kevin Costner's films. I don't know what it is, but I just don't like the guy. Bull Durham was OK, but Waterworld was a snooze-fest, Dances with Wolves was insulting to Native Americans everywhere and don't even get me started on The Bodyguard, much less his pathetic attempt at Robin Hood and his non-English accent. Seriously, watch Prince of Thieves and tell me Robin Hood doesn't sound like he's from Iowa and should be shucking corn. But then we have this film, where Costner is cast so against type, that, even when he pulls the trigger for the first time on his victims, you still can't believe it's him. He stars as Earl Brooks here, a wealthy self-made businessman and philanthropist, married to Marg Helgenberger (CSI, Species) and at the opening of the film, is about to receive the Man of The Year award from his local Chamber of Commerce.  We then quickly learn that, through the power of A.A., Mr. Brooks has been fighting his addiction...to murder. For two years he's kept his blood-lust satiated, problem is, said blood-lust is walking around and talking to him in the form of William Hurt, whom he calls Marshall. Marshall is trying to get Brooks back on the murderous path, but Brooks wants to hang up his holster, so to speak.  Brooks eventually caves to Marshall, whereupon they go and murder an attractive young couple while they are engaged in coitus. Unfortunately for Brooks, this couple liked to show off and left the curtains open, and the usually super careful Brooks is caught on film by sleazy Mr. Smith, played by sleazy Dane Cook, who blackmails Brooks into taking him under his wing on his next kill.

So sleazy, he has to live on pretty girls' farts.

Also in the mix is Demi Moore as Det. Tracy Atwood, who is hot on the trail of our killer, but is also having a personal crisis in the way of a divorce and if that wasn't enough, a crazed steroid freak who just escaped from jail is tracking her down. All this extra stuff seemed a little unnecessary at times, they could have left the whole steroid guy story line out of it, and it still would have worked just fine. Damn, I forgot there was a whole OTHER story line involving Brooks' daughter dropping out of college and coming home because of a pregnancy, which may be just a smokescreen for a murder SHE may have committed at the college. Now that I think about it, there were enough story lines weaving around for about three movies: you could have had the first movie be about  Brooks and Smith, the second dealing with the daughter and round it out with the third being a showdown between Brooks and Atwood, but hey, what do I know. I read that this film was supposed to be the beginning to a trilogy, but it seems they smashed it all into one. It doesn't make the film a muddy mess, but it does take away from the pace of it, I wanted to see more of the Costner/Hurt dynamic, those two were great together on-screen.

Pretty hallowed company.

 So, does this change my opinion of Kevin Costner? Probably not so much, this film was good, but he's got a long way to go. If he does more stuff like this, or maybe even darker, that will help with his redemption. Everyone else does a fine job, even Cook, it looks like the director said, "For this character, just be yourself." Hurt's performance is the best, though, you often forget that he is, in fact, all in Costner/Brooks' mind. The final few minutes of the film seemed a little contrived, but I didn't mind much.

6 out of 10 Fists.

The A-Team

When discussing how Hollywood has run out of ideas, you can't just focus on the films that are being re-made and/or re-booted, you also have to look at things from the small screen that get adapted for the big screen, like old cartoons being made into live action, or prime-time television dramas going with new stars for familiar characters. A small portion of the time, these new takes on established characters and themes actually works out, because the people involved understand the source material and faithfully adapt that to their project. Unfortunately, the greater portion fall into the category of "Cash in on the Name", where you get the recognizable character from the established canon, and that's about it, (Dukes of Hazzard, I'm looking at you), which basically pisses all over what everyone knew and loved about those characters in the first place. Thankfully, The A-Team stays out of this category.

If you were alive in the 1980's, there's a good chance you already know of The A-Team. Each week, Hannibal and the boys would wind up in some sticky situation or have to help some poor unfortunates being bullied by the wealthy land-owner or something like that, usually requiring them to build some fantastic war machine out of scraps to save the day, all while being wanted federal fugitives for a crime they didn't commit. It was good viewing, it fit nicely with the shows of the time: Knight Rider, Dukes of Hazzard, Magnum P.I., you know, the stuff you didn't have to think too hard to watch. While some of these shows have already gotten their big screen turn, and others are probably right around the corner, most likely with impending disastrous results, The A-Team gets it right. The hardest part would have to be in getting the right actors to play their respective parts, but these were all spot on. The biggest shoes to fill would have to be that of Sgt. Bosco "B.A." Barracus, played initially by larger than life Mr.T., and played here by UFC fighter Quinton "Rampage" Jackson, who's career parallels T's in a way: T was a bodyguard/boxer turned actor, and Jackson is former UFC champ who's had some interesting acting roles. Not to be outdone, however, is consistent leading man Liam Neeson as Col. John "Hannibal" Smith, reprising the iconic role played by the late George Peppard. As leaders go, this is the guy you want making your plan, and he loves it when a plan comes together. Filling in the role of Lt. Templeton "Faceman" Peck is pretty boy Bradley Cooper, who brings the necessary swagger to the character that original Dirk Benedict brought with ease, and rounding out the party is Capt. H.M. "Howling Mad" Murdock, played by relative unknown Sharlto Copley (District 9), and originally played by Dwight Schultz.


The film opens with the guys kind of randomly coming together, (this is an origin story we didn't get from the T.V. series), and from that they go on to form an elite unit that the military employs for special missions in the Middle East. Flash forward eight years, and they are tasked with retrieving some money printing plates from the insurgents, which they are successful in doing, but upon their return to the base, are set up in the theft of said plates and the assassination of their commanding officer. Convicted and sentenced to prison, they eventually escape their respective lock-ups and attempt to clear their names. What follows is an action packed thrill ride with more twists and turns than an extreme roller coaster, culminating in a somewhat predictable, but fun ending. Much like the series, you just have to turn your brain off and enjoy the ride. There really isn't much here to think about, the story is pretty straight forward, and you don't have to be the world's greatest detective to figure things out.

Your skills will not be needed here, Sir.

I had a lot of fun watching this movie, I really hope that future film-makers use this as a rough template when attempting future big screen updates. This could have very easily been a two part episode of the original series, and I like the fact that certain things were inserted for the fans without being too heavy handed. Sadly, though, there may never be an opportunity to see these guys reprise these roles, although they have all expressed interest in returning, the film itself didn't make enough box office returns to warrant a sequel. I recommend this as a purchase, it's a good ride for nostalgia's sake, and it's also a good way to introduce the characters to a new generation, and hope they go back and enjoy the source material.

7 out of 10 Fists.

Top 10 Best Comic Book to Movie Adaptations

  

The last time I did a Top 10 list, it was for lack of creative ideas. This time around, it is because I had it stuck in my head, and needed to get it out. Comic books haven't been around as long as films, but since the inception of the "Super-hero" with O.G.'s like Superman, Batman, and Captain America, Hollywood has looked to comics as a rich source for whimsical, fantastical material that can transport the viewer to a different world, a world were a man can fly, or stick to walls, or kick your ass 400 ways in two seconds (Chuck Norris wasn't born, he jump-kicked his way out of a comic book into our world). The problem with this is that often, the material presented in the comics is very difficult to translate to the big screen, or at least was until recent technological advances made just about anything possible. To that end, here I will celebrate what I, as a devout comic geek, feel are the best Comics to Movie translations. (Note: I have not seen EVERY comic book movie, so if something is left off the list, feel free to berate me for having not seen it. Or it was just too awful to include here.)

#10. Superman: The Movie. What many feel is the first comic book movie to "get it right", Superman was brought to the big screen by Richard Donner in 1978, a full 40 years after his first appearance in comic books. The film is filled with notables such as Marlon Brando as Jor-el and Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, but in the starring role, Donner cast a then unknown actor by the name Christopher Reeve, who would be known as Superman from then on, even after his tragic accident. Several sequels and a re-boot have come since then, but none have showcased the Man of Steel quite as well.

#9. Spider-Man. Brought to the big screen by Sam Raimi in 2002, Spider-man stars Tobey Maguire as Peter Parker, who is bitten by a genetically engineered spider, granting the awkward teen super-powers akin to a spider. Although a few core principles of the mythos were changed for the film, it still manages to translate well the theme of the book, "With great power comes great responsibility", something Parker has to learn the hard way. Also chewing up the scenery is always-great Willem Dafoe as The Green Goblin/Norman Osborne, one of Spidey's oldest nemesis'.

#8. Batman (1989). Tim Burton brought his dark flavor to an already dark character with Batman, an often filmed character, that was never portrayed as his dark, brooding self until now. Instead of the campy, Adam West version, we got a whispering, cloaked-in-shadows Batman that dropped out of nowhere and kicked your ass. Opposite of Michael Keaton's Bruce Wayne is legend Jack Nicholson's Joker, a role seemingly waiting for him to play it. The Clown Prince of Crime dances through the film on his own personal bubble of crazy, Nicholson truly creates one of the greatest villains ever.

#7. Watchmen. Hailed as the "un-filmable" graphic novel, Zack Snyder brought the epic Watchmen to the screen in 2009. Set in Cold War era America, it centers on a semi-retired group of vigilantes that set out to find out why they are being targeted for death. Casting mostly unknowns in the hero roles, Snyder said he wanted the characters to speak for the actors, and not the other way around, although some big names were tossed around in the casting process. Most of the original story is presented, with a few changes here and there, most notably the ending, but it doesn't kill the movie. Best part: all of Jackie Earle Haley's scenes as the quite-possibly insane Rorschach, he nearly went mad himself studying for the role.

#6. Punisher: War Zone. In his third big screen outing, Frank Castle is finally given the treatment his current comics persona  is enjoying, a no-holds-barred violence fest. Although the 2004 Thomas Jane vehicle was good on its own, it was based on a singular graphic novel called "Welcome Back, Frank", that changed up his origin and other themes. The "War Zone" entry takes Castle back to his original story, and features an actual villain from his rogue's gallery in the way of Jigsaw, a disfigured mob boss featured heavily in many Punisher stories. The film features the gritty feel of the comic, but an also too brief alliance with one of his only confidants in the pages: Wayne Knight perfectly cast as Linus Lieberman, a.k.a. Microchip, his go-to tech specialist.

#5. Akira. OK, so this one may be cheating a bit, since it is easy to just pick up a comic book and animate it, but when your source material is a 2182 page Japanese manga, that increases the challenge. Much of the last half of the manga was "pruned" to allow for time, but sticks to the core of the story. Tetsuo and Kaneda are best friends in Neo-Tokyo 30 years after WWIII, and through a series of events, Tetsuo appears to be the second coming of Akira, a boy with vast mental powers that destroyed Tokyo decades previous. Several other story threads are floating in and out of the main story: political revolt, teenage biker gangs, government corruption, but the ascension of Tetsuo to Akira is the meat of the movie, and the destruction he causes along the way is both beautiful and horrifying.   

#4. Iron Man. Directed by confessed fan-boy Jon Favreau, this was the first of Marvel Comics self-funded films, and also a part of the much grander "Marvel Cinematic Universe", that ties several of the recent and upcoming pictures together. Perfectly cast in the role of playboy billionaire industrialist Tony Stark is Robert Downey, Jr., a role he was seemingly born to play. After Stark is nearly killed in the Middle East, kidnapped by terrorists and forced by them to make a bomb, he secretly builds an exoskeleton with which he means to escape, and when he does he goes back home, and as a changed man, begins work on more extensive suits, and develops a superhero persona. As close to the original origin story as it can be, only set in modern times, as opposed to the 60's era in which the hero first premiered.

#3. The Crow. Not being from one of the two big comics publishers didn't stop this excellent series from becoming a film. Perfectly (and tragically) cast as Eric Draven was Brandon Lee, son of the late Bruce Lee, who is murdered in his apartment with his fiancee' by a gang of drug crazed thugs. Draven comes back from the dead as an avenging force, his spirit transported by the vessel of a crow. He then proceeds to rub out the members of the gang in increasingly violent fashion, sustaining no damage to himself, since he is already dead. Ernie Hudson also stars as Sgt. Albrecht, a beat cop who starts to investigate the murders of the gang and it leads him to discover Draven and who/what he is. Best scene in the movie: Albrecht: "I said don't move, Snow White, or your dead." Draven: "I say I'm dead, and I move."

#2. Sin City. From visionary creator Frank Miller, and directed by Robert Rodriguez, this is as close as it comes to having a comic come to life on the screen. A who's-who of Hollywood heavyweights are on display here, from Bruce Willis to Elijah Wood to the late Brittany Murphy. But the real star of the show is the cinematography and the way the movie is presented. Shot mostly in black and white, splashes of color are added to certain scenes for added effect, giving it all the more comic feel. The best performance of the picture goes to Mickey Rourke as the tortured Marv, who's quest for the truth as to who set him up is a gritty, violent tale with a bittersweet ending.

#1. The Dark Knight. Yes, Batman and The Joker take the top spot on this list after already appearing on it, but the only comparison to Burton's and Christopher Nolan's takes on the comic is that they have the same characters in their films. Nolan's Batman, portrayed here by Christian Bale for the second time, is dark and brooding like Burton's, and then some. Nolan's Joker, expertly played by the late Heath Ledger, is far above and beyond Nicholson's, there is even speculation that Ledger's turn as The Joker may have contributed to his death, as the character was so dark and disturbed that he was unable to shake it even after the cameras stopped rolling. Add to the mix Aaron Eckhart as Harvey Dent/Two-Face (albeit too briefly) and Maggie Gyllenhaal and you have an epic production that really brings the flavor of the Batman character and his world to life.

Hellboy
Kick-Ass
300
The Road to Perdition
A History of Violence

Rubber

Have you ever had one of those times when you wanted something so bad, that you actually physically ached from the longing for it? Or when you knew you had to wait for something, and that wait became unbearable to the point of nearly mentally breaking? These are the things I went through in my anticipation of the arrival of Rubber, a film that I heard about a while back, and because of the plain absurdity of the premise, was immediately drawn to it. I have stated previously that maybe Hollywood has run out of fresh ideas, that everything seems to be a re-make, re-hash, or re-boot of something previous (I recently learned that the 1939 version of The Wizard of Oz with Judy Garland was the 11th filmed version), and then something like Rubber happens.

Spoiler Alert. It's OK, I won't be reviewing this film. Ever.

Rubber is a film written and directed by Quentin Dupieux, who also does triple duty on this film with the musical score, as his alter ego, Mr. Oizo, who happens to be quite a popular musician in his native France. As evidenced by the above trailer, it is about a discarded, old rubber car tire that inexplicably comes to life in the desert. Well, that's the main story, anyhow, but more on that later. The film opens with a great monologue about films that I can't go into detail about here, as it basically sets up the whole film as well as setting the underlying tone, and I try to be as "spoiler-free" on here as possible.

M. Night is not so sure about this one.

The other part of the film involves this group of spectators that has gathered to watch the tire's (his name is Robert, by the way), progress and murderous rampage, which really is the most confusing part of the film. They gather beforehand and watch Robert come to life, then follow his trek, until one of the strangest twists I've seen in any movie happens and throws the rest of the film into the Realm Of Utter Chaos & W.T.F. In fact, I could have done without the spectators; I know WHY they are there, and what they represent, but they just felt unnecessary at times. I really just wanted to see this tire wreaking major havoc, and they kept interrupting it with these asides from the spectators. The bright spot of this downside is veteran character actor Wings Hauser, as the one spectator who seems to be a bit ahead of the rest.

Not during my movies, dammit.

So now, the conundrum: I really like the parts of the film that feature Robert and his wacky antics, that was a hell of an imagination that came up with that, but feel as though everything else was unnecessary and takes away from the pace of the film. Maybe there is some hidden meaning that Dupieux wants to impart on us as film-goers, and he's using the spectators as a metaphor, but I just didn't need that. I went into this movie not wanting to think too much, and he almost made me do just that. I like the movie overall, because the great parts far outweigh the slow ones, so I recommend it for a rental or a purchase on the discount or used rack, because it is weird enough to gain cult status, despite its short-comings, and bears repeated viewings, if only to show it to other people and get their reactions from it.

7 out of 10 Fists.

Big Man Japan

When I said I was about to unleash some reviews, I truly meant it. I feel like a slacker for having started something that I really enjoy, and not keeping up with it. This review blog is as much for me as it is the reader, so, in not writing, I am doing a disservice to myself as well as you. I watch a lot of off-the-wall stuff (if that hasn't been readily apparent), and much of that wackiness comes from Japan. The Japanese have a long and rich theatre culture, starting with the Kabuki in 1603 and running through the early 50's and 60's creature features of Godzilla, Mothra, and Gamera. Most recently, Japan has been turning out creepy ghost story films like Ringu and Ju-On, which have been immediately optioned and re-made by Hollywood starring the hot actress of the time to draw in the numbers, and usually there is something lost in the translation. Big Man Japan is a creature feature much like the good old days, and has been optioned for this treatment, so I wanted to make sure I got to it before they did.

Yes, even goofier than this.

Big Man Japan is presented documentary style (or mockumentary, if you prefer), and tells the story of Masaru Daisato, latest member of Japan's Ministry of Monster Prevention, a position he inherited from his father and grandfather, where, when given large doses of electricity, he grows to 30 meters, and becomes Big Man Japan. Once in this form, and wearing purple underwear, he proceeds to "defend" Japan from the goofiest assortment of mega-monsters ever put to film, live action or anime. These encounters between the inept Big Man and the monsters are not only great visual effects, but hilarious in their undertaking, as Big Man usually wins by default, and causes more damage than he prevents. The people think he is a buffoon, and though they celebrated his grandfather and father as Big Men, they scorn the current incarnation, and actively cheer for his defeat. Not helping matters are his agent, who while getting rich off her Big Man client, berates him for not bringing in enough ratings, at one point kidnapping him in his sleep and forcing him into a "Live" fight with a popular rival to boost said sagging ratings. All the while, when he is not Big Man, Daisato lives in near poverty, and is estranged from his wife and daughter.

I love using this picture.

While the fight scenes with the strange creatures are great, the best being the one where no fighting even happens, the real movie on display here is the man that Daisato is, and how you can see him realizing his failures but diligently trudging on. His own home is constantly littered with signs and postings from the people telling him what a screw-up he is, but he just takes it and goes on to the next monster. He also has his family issues to deal with, like the one mentioned previously with the wife, and one with his senile grandfather, who longs for the old days when he was Big Man, and tries to re-capture them in several poignant and uproarious scenes. And then there is the ending, which, I have to say, blew my freaking mind. I still don't know what happened, and watching through the credits didn't help either. I can't even describe it. All I can say is be prepared, the final act is just out there. I definitely recommend this one, watch it before Hollywood does a number on it.

7 out of 10 Fists.

Skyline

Okay, I'm back after a brief hiatus of watching movies and preparing for the onslaught of reviews I'm about to unleash. I was doing one about every 6 or 7 days, and I want to ramp it up a bit, to about every 3 or so days, but felt like I was starting to pigeon-hole myself into doing only good reviews, seeing as how I've rated most of these movies positively, with the couple of glaring exceptions really standing out. A good deal of films that hit the big screen don't fall into either the "Great" or "Awful" camps, they're just "Middling" movies (did I just coin that term?). Sure, they have fair to good production values, some recognizable casting, maybe even a decent story, but there are a few things holding it back from being a truly great movie. And it is this area that a lot of the films I watch fall into. They aren't the greatest of movies, but I also don't want to punch the director in the face and demand my money back. So I figured I'd give equal time to these "Middling Movies" (gosh, I really like that), and you can decide if it is worth your time or not. That brings us to our latest entry, the 2010 alien invasion film, "Skyline".

 

Foreshadowing for Dummies.

Set in present day Los Angeles, the film opens with a brief scene of what is to come, but it isn't anything that you don't get in the trailer, so no surprises there. It then backtracks a short bit to give you the obligatory introduction to the characters you're about to take this ride with. Not too much back-story is given to child-hood friends Jarrod (Eric Balfour-Six Feet Under, 24) and Terry (Donald Faison-Clueless, Scrubs), just that Jarrod and girlfriend Elaine (Scottie Thompson-NCIS, Trauma) are in town for Terry's birthday. Rounding out the main cast is Brittany Daniel (Joe Dirt, Club Dread) as Terry's girlfriend Candice, and Crystal Reed as Terry's assistant, with David Zayas (Dexter, The Expendables) as building concierge Oliver. Basically, the morning after the birthday party, big blue lights start dropping from the sky to the ground, and those that look into them are mesmerized to the point of walking zombie-like towards it and eventually getting sucked up, up and away. This almost happens to Jarrod, setting up a bit of foreshadowing, but he doesn't get taken and the group bands together to try to make it out.

THIS is who you want kicking mother-fucking aliens off your mother-fucking planet.

I can't really go much further in detail of what happens from here, but there are a few surprises along the way, and we get to watch certain cast members picked off, one by one, leading up to one of the cheesiest endings I've ever had the pleasure of seeing, and I say pleasure because it neatly sets up a bridge to a sequel, and leaves you satisfied with a sprinkle of positivity in an otherwise bleak ending. I feel that this movie suffers the most from not having "A-list" actors, which is to say that the actors on display do a good enough job, but don't put enough of themselves into the role. The visuals are awesome, and they really carry the film for me. I like the way the aliens look and I like their method(s) of regeneration. The story itself is ho-hum, standard run-of-the-mill alien invasion stuff, with the bit at the end putting a twist on it. My recommendation is wait for cable, but give it a watch for some popcorn fun.

5 out of 10 Fists.