21 Jump Street (2012)

Directed by: Phil Lord and Chris Miller

Starring: Channing Tatum, Jonah Hill, Ice Cube

Link to trailer on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZirgAYBcOgo

After missing out on their high school senior prom, high school outcast Morton Schmidt (Hill) and sports jock Greg Jenko (Tatum), cross paths years later during training at the police academy, where they eventually strike a friendship and graduate to become enforcers of the law. As underachieving bike cops looking for their first big arrest, they jump at any opportunity that may lead to a big break. But when their first big arrest walks due to improper protocol and reading of the Miranda Rights, both Morton and Greg are transferred to a special undercover unit located at 21 Jump Street.

“21 jump Street” is a 2012 action comedy film based on the 1980’s television series of the same name created by Patrick Hasburgh and Stephen J. Cannell. The film adaptation is directed by filmmaking duo Phil Lord and Chris Miller (“Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs”).

Starring in the film are actors Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill, with a supporting performance from Ice Cube. Both Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill received MTV Movie Award and Teen Choice Award nominations for their performances in the film.

The onscreen pairing of Tatum and Hill surprisingly works. Channing Tatum, who is commonly known for his starring roles in romantic dramas, actually does well alongside the more comedic Jonah Hill. The film is one of those “bromance” comedies that centers in on the friendship of its main characters. The good thing about this film was it didn’t present any cheesy romances on the side. The plot did not stray too far from what “21 Jump Street” is all about, and that’s the undercover work. What I did find disappointing, was the lack of action in this. The very few action sequences were either too over the top comedic, or too unconvincing. I didn’t really get that nice balance of humor and action that you would usually expect from an action comedy. The comedic humor prevails though, and that was enough reason to keep this entertaining. The surprise cameo was a hilarious bit, and it got me laughing. See if you can catch that.

King Kong (2005)

Directed by: Peter Jackson

Starring: Naomi Watts, Adrien Brody, Jack Black

Link to trailer on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AH3zYN8MmeU

Ambitious filmmaker, Carl Denham (Black) takes the production of his next film aboard a ship, and blindly leads everyone on-board to the mysterious Skull Island, where he plans to shoot scenes of what he believes is an exotic landscape and a lost civilization unseen by man. While on location they discover the islands inhabitants, a vicious tribe who worship “Kong”, a giant ape living in the vast jungles behind the islands 100ft walls. The films leading lady, Ann Darrow (Watts) is then offered to Kong, who carries the girl deep into the jungle. With no knowledge on whether or not Ann is alive and safe, a rescue team lead by the films screenwriter, Jack Driscoll (Brody) is set to motion, and the team trek the unknown jungles in search of Ann.

“King Kong” is a 2005 adventure drama film directed by filmmaker Peter Jackson. It is a remake of a classic 1930’s film of the same name. The film is considered to be one of 2005’s most highly anticipated films, and the end result of the films overly huge budget for both production and salary of director Peter Jackson, translated to an almost 3hrs and 30mins film that only managed to receive awards for special effects and sound.

Starring in the film are Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody, who play 3 of the more notable roles in the film. Aside from Naomi Watts, who is a spot on choice for the role of Ann Darrow, i thought the rest of the main casting in this was off. I don’t know, but I can never take comedian Jack Black seriously even if i tried, and seeing actor Adrien Brody to the rescue just didn’t cut it for me. If there is anyone who deserves recognition for their role in this film, its CGI Kong, who puts in a convincingly great dramatic performance.

After screening, i came to the conclusion that this is actually a plot of weird romance between human and beast. Some would say its a story of friendship, i say hell no! The monkey was “emo” in love, and at some point in the film, i was actually praying that they wouldn’t get it on.

Anyway, jokes aside, for what it is, “King Kong” is a very entertaining piece. Director Peter Jackson manages to revive a film classic to suite this day and age. It is both a nice tribute to the 1930’s film and a great achievement for present film. If like me you have not seen the original, seeing this remake would probably be enough to satisfy your curiosity. If i ever decide to see the original sometime in the future, i would imagine that this remake would still be 10 times more fun and entertaining. The visuals are stunning, and Kong onscreen is as convincing as can be.

Being John Malkovich (1999)

Directed by: Spike Jonze

Starring: John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener

Link to trailer on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7ahIGLNNwo

Craig Schwartz (Cusack), an ambitious puppeteer living with his pet-loving wife Lotte (Diaz), answers a news paper ad for a job at Lestercorp, an office with a odd history and low headroom, located at the 7 1/2 floor of the Martin Flemmer Building in New York City. He lands a job as a filing clerk, where finds himself attracted to co-worker Maxine (Keener), who doesn’t really share the same feelings towards him. When Craig discovers a door that is actually a mysterious portal into the mind of actor John Malkovich, Maxine and Craig decide to make a business out of it, and start charging a fee from customers who are looking for that perfect trip.

“Being John Malkovich” is a 90’s dark comedy written by Charlie Kaufman and directed by Spike Jonze. Starring in the film are John Cusack, Cameron Diaz, Catherine Keener, and John Malkovich, who plays himself in the film. The year of its release, the film received Academy Award nominations for Best Director (Spike Jonze), Best Original Screenplay (Charlie Kaufman), and a Best Supporting Actress nod for actress Catherine Keener.

This is such a good film. The first collaboration between director Spike Jonze and screenwriter Charlie Kaufman. Kaufman’s screenplay and Jonze’s direction are the driving force of this film.  Director and screenwriter somehow just complement each other. The plot is smart, uniquely complex, and highly imaginative. Its bizarre, yet intriguing.

An interesting cast heads this film, and the performances here were convincing enough. I like how John Cusack and Cameron Diaz manage to pull-off the image of a struggling New York City couple. Catherine Keener’s performance in this is mesmerizing. Her presence is quite the conservative tease, and the sense of mystery surrounding her character is seductive on its own. I actually thought John Malkovich was the most exceptional in this film, but i guess no one really gives recognition to someone who plays himself onscreen.

It was nice to have relived this. This is one of those films which i believe should have racked more recognition during its time. Overall though, it did lose out to some stiff competition that year. If your in the mood for the weird and bizarre, i highly recommend this. See it.

Men in Black III (2012)

Directed by: Barry Sonenfeld

Starring: Will Smith, Tommy Lee Jones, Josh Brolin

Link to trailer on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDPYq4BFHBI&feature=fvst

Boris The Animal, a deadly alien assassin and recent escapee from a lunar maximum prison facility, puts to action his plan for revenge, by going back in time and altering Earth’s present history. Veteran MIB agent, Agent J (Smith), must travel back in time to the 1960’s, in an attempt to stop Boris from assassinating his good friend and partner, Agent K (Jones), and save present Earth from an alien invasion and possible extinction.

“MIB 3” is a 2012 science fiction comedy and is the third installment to the popular Men in Black series of film. The film is produced by Steven Spielberg, and is again directed by American filmmaker Barry Sonnenfeld, whose previous works include both “MIB (1997)” and “MIB 2 (2002)”, the first two installments in the series. Also returning to the series are actors Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones who play the roles of Agent J and Agent K respectively. 

Just when you thought the “MIB” series woudn’t be pushed any further, the “Men in Black” series resurfaces 10 years later since its last release, and this time is to be enjoyed in full 3D format. Sadly though, i didn’t find this to be the over the top 3D spectacle.

Anyway, both Will Smith and Tommy Lee Jones return to their starring roles, and if you’ve seen the first two installments, you might agree that the onscreen pairing can be annoyingly repetitive and cliche at times. But the good thing about this third installment, is that everything here presents itself to be fresh. So you will get a new feel of humor and acting chemistry in the form of actor Josh Brolin, who plays the role of a younger Agent K alongside Will Smith.

I also like how the series has actually “grown-up”, and the overall plot is more serious and less childish. Less jokes and more seriousness is another way to put it. It was a good way to maybe remodel the series as something you can actually take seriously. One thing you will definitely miss though, are the different comical aliens you meet as the film goes along. This film sort of centers on just two interesting extra-terrestrials: The films main villain, Boris The Animal, played by Jermaine Clement, and Griffin, who is played by Michael Stuhlbarg. Both characters were a nice addition to the series.

All in all, “MIB 3” was not a bad film. I am not a solid fan of the series, but found myself surprisingly entertained. Everything felt fresh, new, and more mature. It would probably be good to remodel future installments after this.

Safe (2012)

Directed by: Boaz Yakin

Starring: Jason Statham, Catherine Chan, Robert John Burke

Link to trailer on youtube.com:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m_6ksxHBklo

Luke Wright (Statham), a former NYPD detective, is under close watch by the Russian mafia, who have cursed guilt onto him by killing his wife and letting him live, after he unintentionally fails to take a fall in a rigged, high profile MMA match.  Just before deciding to end his guilt stricken life, he comes across Mei (Chan), a frightened 11-year-old Chinese girl, who is a genius with numbers, and is being labored by the Chinese triad to keep track of business in the Chinatown district. Luke decides to help out Mei, who is actually being chased by the Russian mafia, who want to retrieve an important numerical code that only Mei has memorized.

“Safe” is a 2012 action film written and directed by American filmmaker/screenwriter Boaz Yakin.

Starring in the film is action star Jason Statham, who plays another starring role in an action piece. The English actor has come a long way since being introduced to us in director Guy Ritchie’s cult-hits “Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)” and “Snatch (2000)”. From then on, Statham has slowly established himself as a solid Hollywood action star, starring in several fairly good and memorable action titles like “The One (2001)”, “War (2007)”, “The Transporter” and “Crank” series of film, and most recently “The Expendables (2010)”, where he stars alongside an all-star cast of Hollywood action heavyweights.

The film is your typical enjoyable and entertaining Jason Statham film. I like how the overall feel of this is quite similar and reminiscent to “The Transporter (2002)”, which in my opinion, is still my favorite, and is still the best Jason Statham film to date. Ironically, the fact that it is reminiscent is also what slightly pulls this film down, for the fact that you already know what to expect. The thing with Jason Statham films is that if you’ve seen one, you’ve probably seen them all. If i were to further compare, I’d say Its pretty much like a Steven Seagal film, in the sense that before the film even starts, you already know someone is about to get their ass-whooped for a good cause. Add some nicely choreographed fight scenes, a chase, lots of guns, bad guys, and a reason to break bones and beat down every opposing hostile to the pulp, and POOF! you have your played out Jason Statham action film. Its predictable, but fun really.

I enjoyed this though. Lots of exciting action. Quite entertaining and is one of the better Jason Statham solo starring roles to come out in awhile.