Stoker (2013) Review

During the week of her eighteenth birthday, a young lady by the name of India loses her father in a car accident. While at his funeral, she is introduced to her Uncle Charlie, whose presence she was unaware of until that day. Though India is emotionally distant and still quietly reeling from the loss, it matters not as the newly introduced family member comes to stay in the house almost immediately, with India increasingly becoming more and more suspicious of his true origins and connection to the family.


If you know me decently well enough, you know that I was quite intrigued by the idea of director Park Chan-wook finally making the transition to American cinema after years of excellent overseas work. True, not all Asian directors find success over here. Some get latched onto projects that are simply beyond repair, and others have their own masterpieces remade in order to appeal to simpler audiences (Park's own Oldboy has a remake set for release in the fall). However, I had an unusually good feeling about this one. The man seems like the type who doesn't buckle under pressure, and he can set up diabolically twisted scenes better than most out there.


Perhaps the first shocking thing about Stoker was that Park had nothing to do with its screenplay. Rather, Prison Break actor Wentworth Miller is the man responsible for the film's dark turns, moments of great symbolism, and quiet script. True, he isn't directing himself, but the fact that this screenplay was floating around Hollywood for several years in the "Best Unproduced" category means he may have contributed enough. As I mentioned above, the film is very quiet, almost at times TOO quiet. Mia Wasikowska plays India like a more disturbed, serious version of a Winona Ryder character, or like an older version of the female vampire from the excellent Let the Right One In. Her avoidance and hesitation around the entire cast is utterly convincing, even if her main emotion doesn't seem to change much throughout the first half of the film. Every development she and Charlie go through is fascinating, be it good, bad, or much, much worse.


Charlie himself is played by Matthew Goode, who I can officially say only ruined Ozymandias because of Zack Snyder, and not because of his own acting chops. He is damn good as the new "stranger" to the household, equal parts complex, creepy, charming, and at times sympathetic. Nicole Kidman plays India's mother, and though the Aussie is good like usual, I felt that she was a tad bit underutilized. Her character is clearly struggling to get on her daughter's good side after years of being more or less known as just "the other parent." Her transformation, for what we see of it, could serve as a good side story if we had been given more time. I'm certain that you'll hear a band in the aggressive music scene sample her brilliant ending speech to Goode in a future song (assuming I don't just up and do it myself. Nyah nyah nyah).


As great as the development with the main characters is, the side characters do feel rather paper thin or lifted out of the big book of drama/thriller cliches. The scenes with India at school being harassed by jock bullies feel particularly ancient, and one potential love interest in the film seems to do a 180 for seemingly no rhyme or reason in near record time. I understand high school students are an erratic and occasionally unstable bunch, but this took even me out of the film for a moment. Thankfully it doesn't last for an outrageous amount of time, as Stoker only runs for ninety nine minutes and they ensure you that they are going to try their damndest to pull you back in.


Wook's direction in particular scenes (like a moment with mother and daughter conversing while one uncomfortably combs the other's hair) are signs of a man who's been doing this long enough to make a simple scene work eerily than expected. And on that note, it wouldn't be a CWP film without scenes of great discomfort, and Stoker may turn some viewers off with a couple of scenes that occur midway and towards the end of the film, one of which seems to receive no closure. While nothing matches the Vivaldi teeth-pulling scene of Oldboy, there are some symbolic shots and sequences which could haunt you depending on sensitivity towards the subject matter at hand. The movie's ending has also been up for debate as well, though I may leave that up to you as to how to interpret it.


After I started Stoker, I was sure that the theme at hand was going to be mystery. By the end, I was proven to be dead wrong. Stoker's theme, if you had to narrow it down to absolutely one, is growth. We watch not just the title character(s) grow up or down through odd means, but we're also witnessing the growth of a director who may finally find the recognition among mainstream audiences that he's gotten from the small faithful (i.e. us) throughout the last decade. I'm almost certain that I'll revisit Stoker again in the near future, as there are some moments of symbolism (I apologize for the overuse of that word in this review) that I didn't get upon first glance, but it will have to wait in order for other pictures to be rented and reviewed. If you're in the mood for a criminally overlooked picture from this year, with occasional dips into gothic, demented territory, this is absolutely worth a watch.

A Double Dose of WWE Studios: The Call (2013) Review & Dead Man Down (2013) Review

It occurred to me the other day that we're past the halfway point of 2013, and this blog has been conspicuously empty for the most part. As I pointed out in my Pacific Rim review, however, I just haven't been thrilled by the release schedule this year when it comes to major motion pictures. That won't stop me from attempting to catch up to fellow moviegoers though. So one trip to the Redbox later, and BAM! We're back on track. I'll work on further reviews in the coming days as well, but for now, we have two pictures with the backing of WWE Studios (yes this is a real thing) to tackle.

Six months after a traumatic incident in the past drove her from her profession of several years, a veteran 9-1-1 operator receives a call from a recently kidnapped teenage girl. Hoping to prevent a repeat of the past, she takes the call and thus begins an effort to save the young lady.

First off, a big wag of the finger to WWE Studios for not using the Mr. McMahon theme a single time throughout its ninety minute running time. Let's be honest, it would have fit in perfectly at any point, regardless of the subject matter.

In all seriousness though, The Call has the potential to be just another motion picture that could have been rejected by the Lifetime Network. It has all the makings of one of their films:

-Evil male antagonist? Check.
-Girl(s) in danger? Check.
-Needless and pointless side characters, including one played by jobber David Otunga? Check.
-Dialogue that belongs in an evening crime drama show? Check.
-Tacked on "Girl Power!" message? Check.


Shockingly, however, something about The Call works. At least, by rental standards. That something could be the surprisingly decent performances from Halle Berry and Abigail Breslin. I feel somewhat bad for the former, as her stature in Hollywood has certainly been knocked down a few pegs over the years, and she's proven to be a capable actress when she needs to be. The script calls for her to be tense in all the right moments, and unsure of herself at all of the others. While her character does seem to rebound rather quickly after the film's initial kidnapping sequence/murder (and I'm not talking about the six month gap), it doesn't take you out of the film. Breslin plays kidnap victim #2, and spends most of her time looking panicked or acting terrified. To be fair, if you were in her shoes, you'd most likely be acting the same way. I've never heard of a kidnap victim acting remarkably calm, and chances are that if they were, they'd be in on the act itself.


For the first two thirds of The Call, the film has the viewer's attention, even with its obvious flaws and fairly predictable outline. This brings me to the collective turd in the punchbowl: its third act. I've never seen a thriller take such a dive in terms of quality so quickly. I wonder if this may have been tacked on from another unfinished project, as it feels like a completely different film altogether and delves into the realm of the absurd. Our resident scumbag kidnapper is played by Michael Eklund, who looks like Ethan Hawke after serving hard time for a drug bust. There are attempts to humanize the guy along the way, but I don't think any of them worked particularly well, and all seemed somewhat unnecessary. Couple that with some absolutely ridiculous twists that unravel over time related to the character, plus a rather abrupt (and out of character) ending, and it ends up turning the third act into contrived garbage that is derivative of better thrillers.


Hmm.....perhaps it isn't too radically different from a Lifetime Channel film after all, save for the additional moments of surprising violence and the occasional vulgar word (hearing the little girl from Little Miss Sunshine call someone a "motherfucker" is quite amusing). Well, regardless, this is a fun rental or future Netflix viewing, but I can only recommend it with caution.


Maybe a more well known cast can bring me out of the funk that the last third of The Call left me in...

Victor, a crime boss' right hand man, finds himself intrigued by his female neighbor, who wishes for him to assist in exacting revenge on the man who scarred her in a car accident. After she attempts to blackmail him into committing the hit, she slowly discovers his past, and we learn that all is not what it seems, with Victor's position within the crime syndicate holding many secrets.



Why do you do this to me Colin Farrell? Every time you get back on my good side with a picture like Seven Psychopaths, you end up dumping a mess like Dead Man Down in my lap. *sigh* If that plot synopsis sounds a bit on the basic or simplistic side, it may be because describing this picture without spoiling anything is nearly impossible. For that matter, piecing together the actual film itself can be a real task. I contemplated if the writers had snorted too much cocaine while writing the initial draft, and when they came down from their high, they forgot to add logic, interesting characters, or action.


For starters, nothing in Dead Man Down seems like it could have existed in the real world, despite it trying to be somewhat based in it. There is a sequence of Colin Farrell opening fire in an open area from above that brings about no consequence, and no police. This also leads to an action scene involving a building and several murders, and yet again, nothing. Noomi Rapace's character is the subject of a very odd side plot involving her character being physically scarred from a car accident so badly, that all the neighborhood kids taunt (and even throw rocks at) her, calling her a monster. This wouldn't be a problem if Rapace still didn't look like an attractive woman, and if her scars were more visible. But they aren't. It just seemed like an awkward plot device that doesn't really go anywhere and is just plain badly used. She also points out in the beginning act that it legitimately hurts for her to smile, which they also seem to forget about rather quickly.


Speaking of the talented Ms. Rapace, she and Dominic Cooper seem to be the only ones really trying to get the best they can from this mess of a script, even if the latter's character did feel like a reject from The Departed. As for the others, Farrell just has nothing to work with, and neither does Terrance Howard, who I'm sure is still regretting not choosing to continue on as James Rhodes/War Machine in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. As cruel as it may sound, don't be shocked if within a few years, the man starts appearing in Asylum films like Sharknado vs. Gatorquake. In Farrell's case, you just feel bad for the actor himself rather than his character, since we've seen types like Victor in nearly every type of thriller/crime movie out there.


There are two lines halfway through Dead Man Down (coincidentally when it attempts to finally give the audience an explanation for any confusion we've been witnessing) that can perfectly sum up the film better than I ever could:

CF: Now you know everything.
NR: No. No, I don't.


Ultimately, this one was way too slow and pieced together too awkwardly for me to recommend, even to diehard fans of these actors. Hell, even wrestler Wade Barrett doesn't have much to do, especially during the "too little, too late" final action sequence. Stick with any other revenge thriller released within the past few years, like I Saw The Devil, Taken or even Quentin Tarantino's recent works.

Pacific Rim (2013) Review

In the year 2020, the earth is under constant attack from Kaiju, gigantic beasts that emerge from the ocean floor. To combat this, humanity has constructed the Jaegers, mechs that run on duel pilots via a system that links the pilots' brains together and allow for near-perfect synchronization. When the outbreak begins to become even too much for the originators of the program itself, a last ditch effort is concocted, and humanity prepares to make a potential final stand against these foreign, monstrous invaders.



Confession time: I haven't been particularly enjoying this summer's movie schedule. True, I have seen very few films released within the past two months (or even throughout the entire year), but something just feels so lacking about 2013. Maybe it was that some films forgot how to have fun most of the time, or were trying too hard to be something they didn't need to be in the first place. When the trailers for Pacific Rim first hit the internet, my interest was piqued. An homage to several "geeky" genres that I grew up adoring from movie master Guillermo Del Toro? This could be interesting.


The plot to Pacific Rim may seem oddly familiar to those well-versed in anime (the similarities to all time great Neon Genesis Evangelion are understandable), but thankfully the film isn't a complete knockoff. Au contraire! Del Toro's latest project combines many of the best elements from a multitude of genres into one very entertaining package that just manages to sneak past the two-hour mark. I was honestly disappointed that this film DIDN'T run longer, as there are a plethora of certain characters and Jaegers that leave you disappointed that you didn't see more of them. Perhaps that's what a director's cut DVD is for. I do happen to know that a tie-in comic was recently released, so perhaps there are further adventures of our brave pilots that one simply has to track down through easy means. This of course means you have to venture to a comic book store, which certainly isn't a bad thing.


Our cast of characters are a bit of a mixed bag, though none of them border on being "bad" per se. Main lead Charlie Hunnam does a capable job of playing a former Jaeger pilot coerced into rejoining the program many years after his co-pilot (who was coincidentally his own brother) was killed in battle with a kaiju. Rinko Kikuchi and Idris Elba play Hunnam's new co-pilot and superior respectively, and both knock it out of the park. Shockingly, I've never seen Kikuchi act prior to her role here, but I'm definitely paying attention from now on. Her presence felt genuine (i.e. not the cliched "chick" in a science fiction film), and once her character starts developing throughout the film, you find it hard not to like her and feel sympathetic for the young lady. Elba's already proven that he's a fine actor, and his stern, serious, but still very much human character thankfully escapes from the pit of cliches as well. Perhaps the only cliched characters are the supporting cast, who as I mentioned, don't get as much screen time as you would hope. Making the Russian pilots stoic and the Chinese pilots acrobatic? Certainly not your wildest idea Guillermo, but I think we can forgive you for it. Oh, and for you It's Always Sunny fanatics, yes Charlie Day is awesome here, playing one of two scientists studying the kaiju,


Rim's fight sequences a bit hard to comprehend if you have bad eyesight, but easily rival anything seen this summer, and at times surpass them. The immense scale of the entire thing blows Man of Steel's DBZ-esque fights out of the water. I'm quite surprised at how many people seem to be unimpressed with the designs of the mechs themselves. Perhaps we've been spoiled by the dull Transformers films and Michael Bay's absolutely hideous approach to how a giant robot should look. One of my biggest complaints about that franchise is that you can never quite tell which robot is which unless you hear them talk (especially in the second film. Oy vey.), but thankfully this doesn't seem to be a severe issue here. The detail in every creation is unveiled over time, and leaves you quite impressed that we as a society, even in a fictional universe, could build not just one of these, but several. Even the kaijus themselves are rather impressive, looking like more demented versions of the enemies seen throughout the Ultraman series and Gamera motion pictures. I happen to know that toys have already been manufactured for this film, and I can hope that they look just as impressive scaled down as they did here.


Guillermo Del Toro has been quoted as saying that he made this film in order to expose today's younger generation to the wonders of kaiju eiga (a.k.a. giant monster movies) and mecha (a.k.a. giant robots). Hell, there's even a tribute to deceased greats Ishiro Honda and Ray Harryhausen in the credits. But in reality, I think this can just as easily appeal to the inner teenager in you that never quite went away. In fact, the teenager in you isn't just going to like Pacific Rim, it may downright be in awe of it at times. For the likes of us who grew up on a healthy diet of Japanese culture and Saturday morning fun, this is the motion picture to make your summer that much better, or perhaps even remedy any faults you've had with it. I may venture back to the cinema for this one, and may even decide on catching an IMAX screening if the option is there.

Man of Steel (2013) Review

The last known survivor of a planet known as Krypton, young Kansas native and traveller Clark Kent unearths his true origins over time, while being simultaneously shunned and welcomed by assorted members of the general populace. Soon, relics from his newly discovered past find their way to Earth, and the super-powered being must protect his new home from these Kryptonian invaders.


For the half dozen of you who frequent/occasionally visit my blog, this may end up being the hardest review I've ever had to do for a motion picture. Not due to any difficulty with wording, or frustration with a property that I have a marginal amount of respect for being handled well or terribly, but due to having to bite my tongue when it comes to spoilers. It is a true burden sometimes for us geeks, in that our biggest complaints and compliments often can give away the best (and sometimes most integral) moments of a film. Man of Steel is one of those films. When it shines, it shines brighter than a thousand suns. When it stinks, it reeks of Krypto the Super-Dog feces.


I was one of the few people who didn't initially hate 2006's Superman Returns, though my opinion certainly hasn't been a popular one throughout the years. True, Superman didn't do much of anything in that film, and everyone was essentially turned into Mynah Birds with their performances, plus the angle of Superman being a deadbeat dad wasn't exactly smart, but...actually, that really wraps up why most of that film was a failure. I never thought Zack Snyder was a great choice for directing a Superman film, especially considering how his own body of work has arguably been getting worse throughout the years. Snyder has always seemed to favor style over substance, and he takes several liberties with the character's own sense of morals and beliefs which will draw the ire of longtime fans and geeks alike. Thankfully (and somewhat unfortunately), Zack Snyder delivers more than enough on the action front in this new reboot. Again, I will try my damndest to avoid spoiling anything.


Starting off with the obvious question: is Henry Cavill a good Superman? Well, yes. His version of the character does seem to be a bit more melancholy than we're used to seeing, but I get that they were trying to reach for a different demographic with it. He certainly made up for his lead role in 2011's very silly Immortals. The flashback scenes that litter the film do help build him up and slightly humanize him in the audience's eyes, something which has always been a complaint from non-fans. And my oh my, do those moments when he finally achieves flight feel magnificent. Bravo. Someone who I felt mildly disappointed by was Amy Adams' Lois Lane, who felt severely underwritten and didn't seem to have the best chemistry with her co-stars. Adams is a fine actress (in more ways than one...oh don't judge me), but I think that with more screen time, she could have been just as good as Cavill himself. Pa and Ma Kent, played by Kevin Costner and Diane Lane, do a good job considering that a majority of their time is spent in flashbacks. Lane was sporting a considerable amount of makeup in order to enhance the effect of looking "old," but I don't think it worked too well. It reminded me of the very strange makeup job done on Guy Pearce in Prometheus. Costner does give a good performance, and does seem to express genuine concern for his son's well being and place in this strange, oftentimes confusing world. In terms of the biological parents, Russell Crowe's Jor-El of Planet Exposition delivers an infinitely better performance than expected, though it did feel like Snyder had an obvious hard-on for the character, as he appears even more than the villains themselves.


But come! Let us talk about the villains chosen to oppose Superman this time around! Michael Shannon takes on the role of General Zod this time around, which is the first time the character has been seen on the big screen since Superman II. And...he isn't very good. Zod feels more comical than threatening this time around, though there are certain acts where he manages to get back onto his A-game. Personally, I found Zod's sub-commander Faora to be a much better, and ultimately more compelling villain. She was cold, ruthless, and willing to do whatever was necessary for the survival of her people, and for her General. She also takes part in the film's first real major battle with Superman himself, and it is quite the spectacle to behold. What, did you think my review was going to be nothing but minor gripes? I think not. The action sequences in Man of Steel are pretty remarkable and have their fair share of excitement, though the final one does feel slightly tacked on. Hans Zimmer also turns in a score that oozes emotion and triumph, and may be worth the price of admission alone.


The film does run rather long, and starts to drag a tad bit with its final act (oops, back to the gripes). While the previously mentioned action scenes are indeed impressive, they come at the expense of character development and decently written characters in general. I know I may sound like a broken record with this, but we've seen over the years that you can still make a good "comic book" film that doesn't skip out on either end and can satisfy most theatergoers. Look at what Marvel have done throughout the years, as has Christopher Nolan (who produces and co-writes here) with the Batman trilogy reboot. This was a complaint many had about Snyder's Watchmen, and there are many moments in this reboot that mirror the best and worst of that adaptation, though as I stated above, they are related to spoilers, something which I will avoid for the sake of this review.


Ultimately, Man of Steel feels more in line with a picture like The Dark Knight Rises than Batman Begins. It is certainly not a perfect film, nor is it a flat out awful one, and I suspect that with repeated viewings, my overall enjoyment of the final product may diminish. For now, it is a very flashy, flawed, and fairly enjoyable superhero romp that is worth a matinee admission.

This Is The End Review

Actor Jay Baruchel arrives in Los Angeles, intent on spending the weekend with his old friend and comrade, fellow actor Seth Rogen. At first, the two enjoy a fun, quiet weed and video game-filled day together at the Knocked Up star's abode, but Rogen convinces the hesitant Baruchel to attend a housewarming party at the home of actor James Franco. While the celebration continues to spiral out of control and make Baruchel feel uneasy, things start to unravel and fall apart around the large city, leading to an earthquake and multiple disasters, which convinces several guests at the party that the end times may be upon us.


This one's trailers made me incredibly nervous. Sure, I love most of the cast involved, and the concept certainly isn't off-putting to a viewer like me, but the chances of This is the End turning into one giant in-joke or a large vanity project were incredibly high. For every Curb Your Enthusiasm, there's always going to be The Paul Reiser Show.


Surprisingly, the ninth collaborative effort from Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (not counting their work on television shows like Da Ali G Show) does its job well of, you know, making you laugh and entertaining you for one hundred and seven minutes. There are moments where it ALMOST veers into vanity territory, but it manages to ground itself rather quickly, seemingly reminding itself that your goal is the greater amusement of millions, rather than a small handful. To quote an older classic, the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. I imagine it takes a special kind of chemistry to make your ninth time working together not completely boring, as they seem to rarely miss when working together. And before you mention The Green Hornet, keep in mind, I did say "rarely."


I imagine choosing who would be a more prominent and featured character in this film must've been a nightmare, either due to not wanting to play favorites, or perhaps due to certain actors and actresses not being available for extended periods of time. This is certainly the most amount of screen time you'll ever see from Jay Baruchel. Normally he's a background player, or the sidekick to the more successful and arguably more famous celebrity. Seth Rogen and James Franco do what they do, and the latter seems to be having a ball playing a more exaggerated and arrogant version of himself. Come to think of it, everyone is definitely playing an exaggerated version of themselves, though anyone who viewed the trailers beforehand could have told you this. Curiously, I would love to find out if Michael Cera is really a cocaine-addicted sex hound, or if Craig Robinson is the type of individual willing to drink his own urine if necessary. I was disappointed that Emma Watson's and Danny McBride's screen time isn't nearly as long as one would like (not a spoiler!), especially considering how many of the film's biggest laughs come from the latter. Speaking of laughs, this may have been the funniest I've seen Jonah Hill be in quite a long time, or at least since Get Him to the Greek. In the latter half of the movie, there are two scenes that parody Rosemary's Baby and The Exorcist which may be able to get laughs out of even the most hardened of comedy fans. I'd even go so far as to say it was his best comedic role since Superbad.


As I stated though, the film is far from some sort of comedic masterpiece. Some jokes elicit more chuckles than actual laughs, but very few parts flat out misfire. Even the random cameos pay off, especially one towards the end that will shock quite a number of younger females in the audience. Yes, cameos among a film with actors playing themselves. Quite silly and kind of asinine, I know. The film is also surprisingly bloody, which may upset those who can't stomach darker moments in their comedies, and the camera angles and techniques used during the apocalyptic scenes in the beginning can make some viewers feel disjointed.


This is the End does make for a good overall time in...no, I REFUSE to make that pun. I'll just say the film is quite amusing, it isn't too long, and if you can catch a matinee with some friends, you should have a good time. Oh, and the soundtrack is pretty darn awesome too, minus that terribly boring new Black Sabbath song played in the end credits.


That record, however, along with several 2013 releases, is subject for another post in the future.

Iron Man 3 Review

Following the events in New York, several attacks occur around the United States, all seemingly spearheaded by a mysterious man simply called "The Mandarin." Tony Stark decides to take action, and issues a challenge to the terrorist, all the while dealing with demons in his own life, be they from the present, or, as we come to find out, from the past.


Before I start this review, I want to express what a disappointment it is that the experience of the "Midnight Movie" is slowly being phased out. I was curious as to why this was even something up for discussion by theater owners, and found that it was solely due to the terrible event last summer in Colorado, where psychopathic dipshit James Holmes murdered twelve people at a midnight screening of The Dark Knight Rises. Apparently, the thought is that when you take away the planned time of a massacre, it can prevent one. Does this make any sense to any individual who made it past the 8th grade? No? Well congratulations, you're a sane human being. Murderers usually don't care about what specific time of the day they pull off something like this, and pushing a screening for something like Iron Man 3 to 9:02 pm instead of midnight is NOT going to prevent this. There are other ways folks. But I don't want to ramble on too long since this is a post for a review, not a rant.


You know the old saying "The man makes the suit, not the other way around?" Well, Iron Man 3 could be the very definition of that, even if the suit is really damn cool. The third installment in what (I suppose) could be constituted as a trilogy, the film firmly establishes itself from the get go as a Tony Stark story, and not as an Avengers sequel. Without spoiling anything, there are small references here and there to the other characters and previous events in this universe, but it may be best to remind you that the film IS called Iron Man 3, and not Iron Man 3 featuring An Occasional Avengers Character.

The classic theme of the past coming back to bite you in the rear is also greatly explored, as we're introduced to quite a number of new faces in this installment, including A.I.M. scientist Aldrich Killian (played excellently by Guy Pearce), Maya Hansen (Rebecca Hall), who has created a new regenerative serum called "Extremis," and big baddie The Mandarin, played by the most evil actor of all time, Gandhi. Every new supporting character does a fine job with what they're given, though Kingsley's Mandarin seemed like he almost went into Ultimate Warrior territory with some of his slurring and odd behavior. There's a big twist that happens about halfway through the film that may draw the ire of the comic faithful, but I think it was forgivable given that it enhanced the strength of the film's main villain, who may arguably be the best they've had to date in the Iron Man movies.

Don't worry about the old gang either, they aren't pushed into the background in order to make room for the new kids in class. Robert Downey Jr. is, of course, excellent as always, and Stark's story of rebuilding his life and redeeming himself could very well be a mirror for his own life since taking on the role. True, that was explored in the first picture as well, but, again, without getting into spoilers, it works just as well here, and helps the character grow further, helping remind him that the smallest mistakes and amounts of ignorance can lead to the worst of scenarios. Gwyneth Paltrow's Pepper Potts just seems to get better over the course of these films, and she's certainly a focal point in this chapter (and without sounding a like a pervert, Paltrow looks pretty damn good here). Jon Favreau also returns as Stark Industries' Head of Security Happy Hogan, and even though his screen time is very small, it brings some nice comic relief to the film. As for Don Cheadle's James Rhodes, I felt like he was somewhat tacked on and didn't have nearly screen time as he could have. But then again, he had almost too much screen time in Iron Man 2, so maybe this was a fair trade.

Finally, the action sequences in Iron Man 3 are, to put it bluntly, pretty damn awesome. Shane Black is no stranger to writing well thought out and memorable action scenes (writing the scripts for Lethal Weapon and Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, while also directing the latter, is proof of this), and the main ones could easily rival those seen in last summer's The Avengers. True, there are a few moments where you'll have to suspend your disbelief due to the classic "convenience" effect, but sometimes that's a given when going to the cinema. There are quite a number of moments where Tony Stark the man gets the chance to shine, proving that he isn't completely useless without his little suit(s) of armor.

While I wasn't the biggest fan of Iron Man 2, and am still nervous about the potential overexposure of the Marvel Universe in Hollywood, Shane Black's Iron Man 3 is damn near everything a moviegoer looking for honest-to-god fun could have. This is one fantastic way to kick off what is sure to be a very interesting summer.

Evil Dead (2013) Review

Five friends travel to an abandoned cabin in the woods, in order to help one of them go cold turkey. Soon, they discover a strange, and seemingly evil book, the Necronomicon, and proceed to read an incantation from its pages. Almost immediately, demonic presences are awakened, and soon the inhabitants find themselves fighting for their lives (and fighting each other) in hopes that they may escape in one piece.

When the news broke that we were set to receive a reboot/remake of Sam Raimi's classic 1981 horror film Evil Dead, I cringed. While I don't wholly hate the idea of remaking films, I detest unnecessary ones. Then, when news broke that Diablo Cody, whose previous writing credits included Juno and Jennifer's Body, was set to write the script, I was convinced all hope was lost. However, there was still the light at the end of the tunnel. Sam Raimi and original star Bruce Campbell, were signed on as producers, and essentially, were told to oversee the entire project, to ensure that nothing would go awry.

I'll just come right out and say it: Evil Dead is the best horror remake I've seen since 2004's Dawn of the Dead. Hell, I think it actually surpasses that film. While it doesn't add anything to the original trilogy, you could argue that it will help more than harm its legacy. It is an overall fantastic, and above all, entertaining experience. Time is of the essence as of this review's typing, so I'll just move on to what I enjoyed about this picture.

The cast is all rather strong, with lead actress Jane Levy, playing the junkie Mia, easily stealing the show (and potentially this bearded reviewer's heart). She's able to go through nearly every emotion possible without any of them seeming weak, and pulls off being possessed better than any recent actress I've seen. I'm not sure I'd ever seen Shiloh Fernandez in anything prior to his role as David, Mia's brother, but his feelings for his sister's well being seem genuine, and he's the furthest thing from an Ash clone, whose traits seemed to be mixed in with most of the cast rather than one individual. Same with Eric, played by Lou Taylor Pucci, who must be the most durable human being on the planet. All the tossing around and pain endured by the original trilogy's performers seems to be nothing compared to what this poor bastard goes through. Come to think of it, everyone here gets a thorough beating, and they (or rather, their stuntmen/women) must be commended for it.

If you're a gorehound, there is a lot to gush over in 2013's Evil Dead, pun possibly intentional. There's a plethora of scenes that will make even the most hardened of individuals cringe, including scenes of dismemberment, tongue defilement, and many more. True, the remake's tree rape sequence doesn't seem as horrific as it did in the original, but tree rape is tree rape after all. Major props must be given to the effects crew, who decided to go with traditional effects work rather than rely on the easier, and more often despised choice, of CGI. True, there are some CGI shots peppered in here and there, but they're barely noticeable, and don't detract from the fun.

Now here's where everyone expects me to find some faults, as I can do with nearly every film (even my favorites). But, with maybe the exception of a finale that did feel obviously written by Diablo Cody, and a somewhat slow beginning act, I can't think of anything to truly dislike about this film. Hell, there's even homages to the original trilogy that don't seem forced, and it gets the vibe of the first film down fairly well.

To those who are still nervous or are forever naysayers, I say give this a chance. It won't surpass the original film by any means, but it is far from a bad movie, and one example about how to do a remake properly. I wouldn't be opposed to owning this in my DVD/Blu-Ray collection someday, and I won't hesitate to recommend this to any horror fan.