my thoughts on.... 'Underworld: Awakening'

Ever since I first saw the original 'Underworld', it felt like a cousin to the 'Resident Evil' films. Like they were companion pieces. I'm not 100% sure why that is, but they seem to go together. They're both action/horror films, they both have female leads and they both seem to have a bigger story line going on then you might have first expected. Where they differ is the type of creatures they're fighting. 'Resident Evil' is considered a zombie based film and 'Underworld' is werewolves vs. vampires. Now, over the 3 films so far.... we've seen all sides of the vampire/lycan war. The films are more story focused than action focused, but when the action kicks in, it's pretty sweet. Throughout the 3 films so far, the series has been steady and consistent, but not mind blowing. So, when I heard about the 4th one going in to production and that Kate Beckinsale was back, I got excited. Things seemed to be looking pretty good and I had high hopes for another good installment. Last night, I finally got my chance to make an educated verdict about it. We'll get to that in a bit.

This next chapter, takes place 12 years in the future and this is the basic plot.... from http://www.imdb.com: "Mankind discover the existence of the Vampire and Lycan species and they begin a war to annihilate the races. When Selene meets with Michael in the harbor, they are hit by a grenade and Selene passes out. Twelve years later, Selene awakes from a cryogenic sleep in the Antigen laboratory and meets the Vampire Thomas. She learns that she had been the subject of the scientist Dr. Jacob Lane and the Vampire and Lycan species have been practically eradicated from Earth. But Selene is still connected to Michael and has visions that she believes that belongs to Michael's sight. However she has a surprise and finds that she has a powerful daughter named Eve that has been raised in the laboratory. Now Selene and Thomas have to protect Eve against the Lycans that intend to use her to inoculate their species against silver." Sounds interesting, yes? Read on....

With the first 3 films, there was a certain level of production and the people involved all seem to be 'A' list actors. In this film, it felt different. Those actors were gone and although Kate remained, no one else did. Scott Speedman was digitally added into the storyline and it was obvious. The rest of the main players, felt to me like they were just substituting for the original cast. These were new characters to the story, so that wasn't really the case. I can't explain why it felt this way, but it did. This movie also seemed to scrap the more story driven formula for a more action based one. Len Wiseman was still at the helm writing, but it just wasn't the same. Things were just so simple and basic. There was plenty of action, right from the opening sequences. But as the movie chugged along, I kept expecting a moment to catch my breath and get more details as to why things were the way they were. Instead, it felt like I was driving by a bunch of street signs and I would be lucky if I could read all of them before they flew by. The movie itself flew by in terms of time. As soon as it started, it was over. The special effects seemed slightly lower budget too. It was almost as if it was a bigger budget direct to DVD movie. They also left it wide open for a 5th film.... one that I would gladly watch, despite my slightly lowered expectations. What I'm saying is, this wasn't the first 3 films.... but it wasn't bad either.

I won't tell you to stay away from 'Underworld: Awakening', I would just warn you to check your brain and your high hopes at the door. Instead, expect to see 'Die Hard 2: Die Harder' instead of the original 'Die Hard'. The characters have been established, the world is firmly in place and the only thing that changes is the dates the movie takes place. This feels like another chapter in the 'Underworld' franchise, it just doesn't hold up as well. Despite the constant rain of bullet casings and blood flying everywhere. Perhaps with repeated viewings this may improve. Very much like 'Die Hard 2: Die Harder', this movie might have a life yet. Maybe it just needs a fresh set of eyes, not expecting to see 'Die Hard', but ones expecting to see a lower budget sequel. I thought about what to rate this and I think it still needs a 3 out of 5 star rating. It wasn't the best movie in the series, but it isn't the worst movie I've seen of this kind. I don't know that this franchise will ever keep me as interested or get my as excited as the 'Resident Evil' films do, but it's good enough to merit the occasional re-watching. Also, if you are new to these films.... get all 4, start at the beginning, make a bunch of popcorn and check your brain at the door. Vampires are hip right now, again.... but these aren't the kind that sparkle. These are the kind that'll blow a hole right though a werewolf's head and not think twice about it. Team Jacob? Team Edward? I'm on Team Selene.

If you like this movie, check out: 'Underworld' (2003), 'Underworld: Evolution' and 'Underworld: Rise of the Lycans'

my thoughts on.... 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes'

It was a nice, clear day in the late 90's and I was spending time with my dear friend Dennis. We were hanging out at his bachelor pad at the Bon Villa apartments. It wasn't much of an apartment, small and all, but it had charm to spare and a 14 inch color TV. On that day, they were running a 'Planet of the Apes' marathon. At this point, I had never seen a 'Planet of the Apes' film. Dennis and I sat there and began to absorb the film and soon I was engrossed.... so much so, that we had to make a run to the local White Hen Pantry for snacks and beverages so that we could spend the entire rest of the day watching all of the films.... in a row. That was how my love affair started. Since then, I have purchsed the films on both VHS and DVD and will probably get them on Blu-ray someday. I even own the remake and saw it in the theater. I have a t-shirt made for me, by a friend of Dennis, that has the apes on it from the original film. I love all things 'Apes' and 'Apes' related. Needless to say, I was not super impressed with Tim Burton's take on the franchise and kind of hoped it wouldn't spawn a sequel. Luckily, it never did. What did happen, was a fresh take on the whole storyline with a whole new cast and making something new out of something old. I had my reservations, after getting burned with Burton's epic. I had even more reservations after seeing who the leading man was. Because of those reservations, I stayed away from this film for a long time. On top of that, the film makers decided not to go with the "monkey suits" and to instead go with CGI, this really made me put the brakes on and made me really nervous. Despite all of that, I knew that someday I'd have to watch it. I can't call myself an 'Apes' fan and not see it, right? Even after more reviews than I can count, that proclaimed it an amazing flim, I still hesitated. Even after all of my friends told me I had to see it and how kick ass it was, I hesitated. As of yesterday, I stopped hesitating and watched it.... this review is the result of that viewing and yes, I'm willing to admit I may have been wrong to wait so long.

The amazing thing about the original films, is the context in which they were written and filmed and the amazing cast and crew that was involved. They were explosive times and things were changing everywhere. Society was in constant flux. The films reflected those times. The films were great because of that, but it also didn't hurt to have some top notch effects artists working on the films and creating a near believable ape. This film didn't seem to have that 'wow' factor to me. It just felt like it was going to be another special effects extravaganza and another reason to hate big budget films. That was all based on the trailers and still photos, not on the actual end product. Now, my first concern was the actor in the lead: James Franco. I've never been a fan of his and am still a bit perplexed about why he's so popular. I have stayed away from Danny Boyle's '127 Hours' because of him, even though I love the subject matter and story. I guess that's my hang up and not the rest of the world's. The film also stars: Freida Pinto, John Litgow, Brian Cox, Tom Felton, David Oyelowo, Tyler Labine and Andy Serkis as 'Caesar' (the main 'ape'). Although I was not familiar with Ms. Pinto's other work, she impressed me and was very enjoyable. The rest of the cast are actor's that are always dependable and always worth watching. I especially enjoyed John Lithgow's performance and after his recent stint on 'Dexter', I was hungry for more of him on screen. He's an incredible actor who has had an awesome career. He was perfectly cast in this film and stole the scenes he was in. Andy Serkis also proved once again why he's the 'go-to' guy in the business for CGI creature actors. He seems to be able to do no wrong. The director of this film, Rupert Wyatt, only has a couple of film credits to his name. He seems to have just come out of nowhere. However, his directing in this film was spot on. He knew how to get the most out of the cast and crew and how to use the CGI effectively. He also created some beautiful scenes that accented the film's pivitol moments. (See the scene where the apes are going tree to tree in the suburban neighborhood.) I look forward to seeing what Mr. Wyatt has coming up in the future. Although the storyline was not a direct adaptation of Pierre Boulle's original novel, "La planète des singes", it still paid homage to it. The writers Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver took the best elements of the book and added some of the most classic dialouge and elements of the original film. It was like watching a mirror image of something you loved, but with an HD filter on it. In case you've never heard of the writer's, they were the ones who wrote 'The Relic' and 'Eye For An Eye'. They wrote those two movies together. Amanda also wrote 'The Hand That Rocks The Cradle', which I'm sure many of you have already seen. The film has a very diverse pedigre and, for some reason, it really seems to work.

So, for those of you who've seen all of the prior incarnations of the 'Apes', here is the basic plot of this version: (taken from IMDB.com) "At the story's heart is Caesar (Andy Serkis), a chimpanzee who gains human-like intelligence and emotions from an experimental drug. Raised like a child by the drug's creator, Will Rodman (James Franco) and a primatologist Caroline Aranha (Freida Pinto), Caesar ultimately finds himself taken from the humans he loves and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno. Seeking justice for his fellow inmates, Caesar gives the fellow apes the same drug that he inherited. He then assembles a simian army and escapes the sanctuary - putting man and ape on a collision course that could change the planet forever." Basically, this film starts where the fourth film in the original series takes place. It negates the mythos that was created in 'Escape from the Planet of the Apes' (the 3rd film), but I suppose that's not the worst thing. It creates a universe where everything isn't necessarily cyclical, but we have yet to see where they take us in the timeline later. The orignal series taught us to believe that the apes took over because two apes came from a spaceship and began breeding on earth. But where did it all really begin? That part is never quite explained. It just seems that one thing led to another and they all led back to the beginning. There is no clear cut logic or reasoning, in this version of the 'Apes' there is a specific chain of events that sets the whole thing in motion. Basically, the beginning of the end of the human civilization and it's all James Franco's fault. (and the company he works for.) I don't know that I 100% agree with the explanation used in 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes', as to how it all began, but the film is so well done that I can't deny it either. It also makes more sense than the original films version of the story did. When this film was over, I wanted to see more, as soon as the credits began to roll. That, to me, is the biggest compliment I can give this film. That and the fact that I wanted to see it again, as soon as I turned it off. This will be a part of my library of films, eventually.

Why am I so fond of the 'Apes' films, you might ask? Let me take a quick moment to explain. Any of you who are avid readers of this blog or listen to my weekly podcast, 'The Sunshine Happy Kpants Hour', know that I love zombies. What does that have to do with apes? Let's take a brief break from the review for a moment to think about this. Zombie films are used, in a lot of cases, as a statement on the problems in society. The 'Apes' films are the same way. Zombie films are about humans being overcome by massive hordes of the living dead. In 'Apes' flims, the apes overcome the humans as well. In both types of films, we have fights between both sides of the cause. We have good guys and bad guys, both with different agendas, showing how different people would deal with a massive change in society. We see how everything would break down in the face of a possible extinction level event. Basically, both in zombie films and in 'Apes' films, we find out the true nature of ourselves through the eyes of both humans and non-humans alike. To me, it's the near perfect scenario to really get perspective on my own life. I don't want anything like this to ever really happen, but it can be kind of fun to be taken away to another place and to put myself in the situation shown. It is a never ending source of enjoyment for me to role play out in my head, how I would survive. It's both frightening and exciting at the same time. It's kind of like riding a roller coaster. You have the nerves building up, as you climb the giant hill and then everything drops and you free fall.... unsure of your own safety, but loving every minute just the same. I get that rush everytime I see a great zombie film and everytime I see a great 'Apes' film. Sadly or maybe not so sadly, there aren't as many 'Apes' films as there are zombie ones. I think the novelty might wear off a bit faster with 'Apes' than with zombies, but I've been proven wrong before. Sorry to sidetrack you.... back to the review.

Here we are, the film has been watched and the comparisons made. In the end, I hate to admit it.... but I loved this film. It was everything I wanted Tim Burton's version to be, but wasn't. I still am not a James Franco fan, but he didn't ruin this and that is good enough for me. I am not sorry I hesitated, because this way I was able to come to this film on my own terms and not having any real bias towards it. Perhaps, the fact that my expectations were lower, increased my enjoyment of this? Perhaps. I hear that a sequel that is already in the works and I hope that they stick with the same formula that they used here. It worked and worked well. I can easily give this 5 out of 5 stars. I kind of want to knock it down a bit for the extreme use of CGI, but the story and everything else was so great that I won't let it spoil the whole experience. This film fits nicely into the 'Apes' timeline and creates new legends for the next generation of 'Apes' fans. My biggest concern is that it may go the way the original 5 films went. What I mean by that is that they seemed to go down in quality with each passing year. Even though 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' is my favorite in the series, it didn't have all the money behind it that the original had. J. Lee Thompson, the director, made it work though.... and work damn well. However, by the last film, 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes', we basically had a made for TV movie. It starred Paul Williams and that should be enough to scare you off. Even with that being said, it's still a great installment in a solid franchise. I will always love those films, flaws and all. With all of that being said, no matter what happens now with the new generation of 'Apes' films, there will always be 'Rise of the Planet of the Apes' to stand alone as a film making hallmark in the 'Apes' francise.... James Franco, CGI apes and all.

If you like this, please check out the original films: 'Planet of the Apes' (1968), 'Beneath the Planet of the Apes', 'Escape From the Planet of the Apes', 'Conquest of the Planet of the Apes' and 'Battle for the Planet of the Apes'. There are also several TV shows for the 'Apes' sprinkled throughout the 70's and 80's and some interesting documentaries. Finally, although I don't 100% recommend seeing it, you should also check out Tim Burton's take on the subject with 'Planet of the Apes' (2001).... it's the only way you can claim you're a true 'Apes' fanatic like me!

my very brief thoughts on.... 'Saw VII: The Final Chapter'

just so you don't think i only write negative reviews.... here's a positive one....!

when i watched the original 'Saw' for the first time, i was in love.... it reminded me of 'Se7en', but not as high budget.... it was a fun trip with a nice twist at the end.... i then watched all of the sequels and finally watched part 7 a couple of weeks ago.... it was an enjoyable watch, just like all the rest.... granted, the series has changed quite a bit since the original.... but everything has to evolve.... and with the 'Saw' series you can't just keep up with the original formula.... it would get boring.... so what did they do....? they turned it into one giant, bloody soap opera... . complete with plot twists, crazy ties between characters, an implausable storyline, and just all out drama.... despite how negative that sounds.... i don't mean it in that way.... i love to watch movies with sequels.... to see the characters grow and change.... and when the series maintains its level of quality throughout all the movies, that's rare.... and even though it might not be cool to say you like the 'Saw' movies anymore, i do.

if you're a fan of the first 6 movies, then you can't go wrong with part 7.... i know they say this is the 'Final Chapter', but there's still room for more sequels.... i don't know if that's the plan, however the option is open....
the storyline continues right where the last movie left off.... there's several traps and more twists and turns to possibly confuse or expand the world James Wan created.... i gave this 4 out of 5 stars.... it's just a good time all the way around and i love to watch these movies in order so i can see the progression.... and i suggest if you haven't done that before, you should try it.... they all tie together so neatly and all the actors remain consistant throughout the series, so there is continuity the whole time.... my final thoughts....? a solid possible end to a franchise that never seemed like it was going to be a franchise in the first place.

if you like this movie, watch all the other 'Saw' movie.... hopefully you don't start with the last one first....

my brief thoughts on.... 'Survival of the Dead'

for the longest time this was just called '....Of the Dead'.... eventually George A. Romero chose a full title.... and thus we had 'Suvival of the Dead'.... now as you all know, George A. Romero is my hero.... he created the modern zombie and my favorite sub-genre of the horror world.... i love zombies more than any other monster out there.... so just knowing that George was taking on yet another zombie epic made me happy.... what's kind of interesting though, is that the first 4 films: 'Night of the Living Dead' (1968), 'Dawn of the Dead' (1978), 'Day of the Dead' (1985), and 'Land of the Dead'.... were all part of a series of films.... a quadrilogy of sorts.... he didn't necessarily start out to make them be a series, but it kind of organically happened and he made an epic series of films.... since then he almost rebooted his own series.... 'Diary of the Dead' was a new take on the original genre.... we're still dealing with the shambling dead, but it's at the beginning of the outbreak.... so it's a do-over.... it's like the first 4 movies never happened.... then with 'Survival of the Dead' he ties it in with 'Diary of the Dead' in such a way that it's almost a sequel.... which could mean more in the series.... despite the fact that critics say that George has said all he can say with the zombie genre.... he seems to still have stories to tell.... and as long as i'm alive and he's alive, i'll keep seeing an zombie movies he puts out.... despite how good or bad they may be.... so far, i've been satisfied with all of his work to date.... and this movie was no exception.... do i honestly think this will reach out to all of the masses and leave an impression, no. i'll be honest.... this is for die hard fans.... i don't know that the casual horror film buff would count this as a modern masterpiece or anything.... the story is original and the characters are kind of a mixture of characters from all his other movies.... and he's started to rely some more on humor in his films to help carry them and make them seem more fresh.... some of it works, some doesn't....

the story revolves around two seperate groups of people.... some rogue army members who are living by their own laws and just trying to stay alive.... it also involves two groups at war on a small island debating on whether it's better to keep the zombies and try to train them to eat something else or to kill them all and live safetly on the island away from the threat of the outbreak.... the first group overtakes the second group and banishes them off of the island into the real world where the outbreak is all to real.... where the two sets of main characters collide is when the army folks hear that the group that's been banished has plans to go back to the island and take it back over and make it safe for families to live on.... thus begins a shaky partnership.... of course all is going well until they get to the island and things get sketchy and what was going to be a peaceful ending to a horrific situation.... ends up far from peaceful....
i can honestly say this isn't George's strongest work to date.... but it was an enjoyable ride and a unique take on a genre that has been over saturated with the same things over and over.... he was able to create something new and different.... but compared to some of the other things that George has done outside of zombie films, this is still his bread a butter.... and i hope that he continues to play with genre.... i think he has some more interesting tales to spin.... now my ratings on this movie are a little biased due to my love of the genre and of George A. Romero.... it's because of this that i gave it 4 out of 5 stars.... do i think that it 100% deserves that high of a rating, i'm not sure.... all i know is that i enjoyed my time spent watching it and know that it will be added to my DVD collection when i get the money together to do so.... as no zombie collection is complete without all of Romero's work.... and this is the only one i'm missing.... go watch it if you have the time.... but go into it just expecting to have fun.... don't expect high art and i think you'll get a kick out of it....

if you like this, check out: 'Diary of the Dead', 'Land of the Dead' and 'Day of the Dead' (1985)

my thoughts on.... 'Hard Revenge Milly' and 'Hard Revenge Milly: Bloody Battle'

i stumbled across this set of movies while searching out recent Asian action movies.... they're very much in the vein of the 'Gun Crazy' movie series, where they target a VERY specific audience.... in the case of 'Gun Crazy': good looking women with two guns blowing away all of the bad guys.... in extreme ways.... and 'Gun Crazy' spawned 3 sequels after the first one and each one only runs about an hour or so.... and so it goes with 'Hard Revenge Milly'.... the first one clocks in at only 43 minutes.... not much longer than your average sitcome episode, but with a lot more blood, guts and gore.... along with some kick ass sword fights, gun battles and kung fu action.... they jam a lot into the short period of time they're given.... granted the story is simple and the plot of the movie is just as simple.... that's not why they made these movies.... they seem to be part of almost a b-grade action sub-genre.... where they slap together a fairly good action movie and target specific audiences and then throw it out there and see what sticks.... it's not that different than porn.... and not something that you see much of in America.... a fascinating trend to say the least....

the basic plot is that a gang called the Jack Brothers murder Milly's husband and baby in horrific ways and stab her to the point where she should have died.... i mean she was nothing but a big hunk of meat by the time they were through with her.... she takes two years to train in weapons, martial arts and a little suprise you don't see until the end.... then she sets out to exact her revenge.... and as you can guess.... since there is a sequel, she doesn't die and the end of the movie show that someone has survived and wants her dead now.... thus part 2....

i wouldn't go any higher than 3 out of 5 stars on this one.... it's a fun little time waster but no real substance to it.... and i don't think they ever planned on it having any.... i think it was just to spawn sequels and break even.... and they did just that.... so if you have a little time and Netflix OnDemand and don't mind a tad silly ending.... check this out.... see what i mean.... now onto part 2.....

okay.... so they took a slightly different angle on this one.... they slowed the pace down a bit and took more time with building up the storyline.... this one clocked in at an hour and 14 mins.... so you can tell they wanted to step up their game a bit.... i think that between the two movies, this was a step in the right direction and i would watch a 3rd in the series, if they make it.... (which they set it up for another one.).... the action was just as good.... the weapons were new.... they took out a tad bit of the silliness at the end of the first one.... they introduced a lot more bad guys to kill.... and overall just increased the stakes for this movie.... you learn a lot more about the future that Milly is living in.... the Japan of the future.... and it expands the world into a much more interesting place, a place you want to know more about.... a dark future....

cohorts of Jack are after Milly, who has built herself a bunker to hide out from all those who want to kill her.... a woman wanders into the warehouse where it's located looking for her help.... it seems that the womans lover was killed and now she wants revenge and was pointed in Milly's direction.... soon the bad guys come a calling and all hell breaks loose.... it just builds the tension from there as Milly and the woman become entangled in the final battle with those who want to kill Milly for her rampage on Jack and his gang....

3 out of 5 stars again.... it does what it sets out to do.... to entertain and get you pumped up with all of the action.... it also introduces cool new gadgets to get excited about.... all around it's evolution in the series and helps to create the possability of a franchise.... i don't know how far this series is going to go.... 'Gun Crazy' only seemed to make it through 4 movies total, but none of them got a rating as high as Milly did.... so i think she has a better chance at a longer possible run.... but what happens after everyone tied to Jack and his gang are dead....? Milly's only pupose for living is to get her revenge.... after that, there's nothing left.... will that leave anything left for us the viewer....? only time will tell.

if you like this movie, check out: 'Gun Crazy', 'Tokyo Gore Police' and 'Machine Girl'

my thoughts on.... 'Iron Man 2'

this movie is an excercise in excess.... plain and simple.... after the success of the first one, they had to step it up to making it bigger and badder in every way possible.... more big name actors, more bad guys, bigger explosions and lots more Iron Man.... now in some cases that may be a bad thing.... but in the case of 'Iron Man 2' i think it was almost needed.... i mean, the first one was done so well that it would be hard to top without going over the top.... granted the storyline isn't quite as good.... but who cares....? i loved watching War Machine come to life.... i loved to see Mickey Rourke do his thing.... i could have done without the Scarlett Johansson, but i think anything she's done after 'Ghost World' has been mediocre and i don't quite get the whole fascination.... (sorry guys.)....

the plot involves Mickey Rourke's character coming from Russia to get revenge on Tony Stark for his fathers sins.... meanwhile the government wants Iron Man turned over to them for use in the military.... and another weapons manufactorer, played by Sam Rockwell, is out to get the Iron Man suit to mass produce for themselves.... meanwhile Tony Stark is slowly dying.... S.H.I.E.L.D. is trying to recruit people for the Avengers project.... and that's just the broad overview.... there's a lot more of a lot more going on amongst the big bangs and pows....
i personally found this to be a fun romp at the cinema.... something to be seen on the big screen and something for the summertime.... it's not going to win any awards other than for it's special effects.... but you don't go into a super hero movie expecting Shakesspeare.... or at least i don't.... there are rare exceptions, but very rare.... i really enjoyed all aspects of the movie and will be adding it to my DVD shelf right next to the first one.... and will do a double feature at some point.... it's a well put together film with a lot going for it.... i've read negative things about it.... however, i wonder if the critics are just expecting too much from a comic book action movie.... i was impressed and felt like a little kid again enjoying the cool stuff that was going on right before my eyes and i suspended disbelief so i could become that much more involved....

i give this 4 out of 5 stars for the fun factor and kick ass effects.... not too mention i loved almost every actor involved.... Jon Favreau went out of his way to check my list of favorite actors and pick out some of the top ten.... this is the perfect example of what a blockbuster should be.... and i hope that they consider a third film with Favreau at the helm.... he's proven himself yet again as a good director and with the characters and world he's established, i want to go back there again and again.... to hear the mechanics whir in Iron Man's suit to the clang of his fist hitting the metal of other robots.... it's all just a blast and a good way to cleanse your brain every once in awhile from the bad movies, cerebral movies and the movies that you just need to escape from.... i highly recommend this to people who loved the first one and who like a good popcorn action flick.... not too metion it's fairly safe for the kids too.... a little bit of language here and there.... but it's over run by the action going on that you hardly notice it unless you're listening....

i'm looking forward to seeing it again.... if for no other reason than to see War Machine kick some ass.... oh and one final thing.... stay until the end of the credits again.... there's a suprise waiting for you.... and if you're a comic book fan, you'll dig it....