DVD Review: Jumper by ME

In Jumper, David Rice (Hayden Christensen) is a guy who can teleport. Does he use this skill to help the world? No, he uses it to rob banks and get the girl (Rachel Bilson). But does this make him a bad guy? Not really, although it seems to me that he does have some moral issues which make him a questionable “hero” for the film. Anyways, enter Roland (Samuel L Jackson), leader of a group of fanatics called Paladins, who just want to kill all jumpers since they believe no one should wield such power. Jamie Bell pops in as a mentor who is also a lone wolf type.

Now it's established early on that David has had a rough childhood, which explains why he isn't a nice guy, but there could have been more. Also shown is him watching people trapped in a flood on tv and he does nothing to help. Even though Christensen's acting has improved over his stint in the Star Wars prequels, as a character, I still have more sympathy for Anakin. I mean, David is technically a criminal even though the Paladins that are after him seem to be zealots themselves.

It seems to me that Sam Jackson was just collecting a paycheck on this one if we hadn't already known about his big interest in comic books and sci-fi. I mean Unbreakable and the Star Wars prequels should be hint enough. And as much as Hayden's skills as an actor have improved and Sam Jackson is, well, Sam Jackson, the most believable is Rachel Bilson, who is confused for most of the film. But with the story as confusing as it is, she may not actually be acting. Then she decides she doesn't want any part of David's predicament, which hopefully mirrors her feelings for her involvement in the film or any sequels that may or may not happen.

I know the movie is called Jumper, but does it have to jump from scene to scene? At times, Jumper seems hastily put together and edited. And all the jumping to and from public places, not exactly a smart thing to do when the “badder” guys are after you. I say “badder” as we have already established that David isn't a saint himself, even though he is trying to save the girl. He treats her like crap, but hey, it's the thought that counts right? Some missed opportunities include the dynamic between David and his mother, which would help any sequel that gets made. Hell any kind of character development would help.

While the effects are nothing super special, their use is. The choreography of the fight scenes incorporating the jumping technique adds a little oomph to an otherwise lackluster film. After watching the special features, I learned that the effects were toned down on purpose, which makes sense. As well as the fact that it was planned from the get go that there was going to be three movies, if the first did well enough. Most interesting though is a section called Previz: Future Concepts, which were animatics that seems to be from future movies since they didn't look familiar at all. The action in those sequences is gonna be pretty interesting and should bring the action to the next level if future movies are made. Also a few trailers and commentaries, but since this was a rental I didn't get the chance to listen to.

Jumper is, at best, a way to waste some free time, if you don't have anything better to do.

5/10

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Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

DVD Review: Charlie Bartlett by ME

Charlie just wants to fit in, that's all. But having been raised in a wealthy family and having gone to private schools his whole life, it's no surprise that he has problems when he has to go to public school. When the family doctor prescribes Ritalin needlessly, Charlie sells them and instantly becomes the man to know. This somehow leads to him becoming the school "shrink". Now in real life I think he would just become a straight up dealer, but Yelchin's Bartlett is a nice enough kid that it might happen. And then the inevitable fall comes and Charlie must redeem himself, but it seems to get harder at every turn.

The main reason I wanted to see Charlie Bartlett was because of Anton Yelchin's performance in Alpha Dog. The boy was phenomenal (except for his singing), and he was only upstaged by a surprisingly good performance by Justin Timberlake, and is instantly likable in this as well. As we all know, Robert Downey Jr. may not be the best person to portray a person of authority, especially a principal, but he is pretty much believable, if unconventional. Kat Dennings is interesting here. I really like her and she does admirably in Charlie Bartlett, but I can't really see her as a leading lady. Great as a love interest, but I don't think she could carry a film all by herself. After those individual observations, I must say that the chemistry between all of the cast works remarkably well.

Special Features include two commentaries, one with the director and writer, and one with the director and Anton Yelchin and Kat Dennings. There isn't much besides those, just a music video and a strange little thing called "Restroom Confessional", which seems to be the cast and crew ad libbing confessions like in the movie. Not much here, but it's not a big budget, effects laden film that deserves a ton of features, but a making of would have been nice.

In the end, Charlie Bartlett is the story of a reluctant hero who must take responsibility for his action and become the real hero that everyone thinks he is. Do I recommend it? Yes I do. Why? Because it's an entertaining movie with a cast that really works together and has just enough of a serious undercurrent to keep it slightly grounded in semi-reality.

If they ever decide to remake Ferris Bueller's Day Off (Please don't!), they could do worse than casting Anton Yelchin as Ferris.

Keep reading,
Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

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So my wife and my best friend have gone off and...

... created their own blogs! You thought that my marriage had gone down the toilet didn't you?

Seriously, my wife has been told by many, many of her online friends that she should write an advice column for years. Well, she finally did and now needs readers and people to help. It's over on Blogger so you know you can comment anonymously if you would like to keep some privacy and she is working on different ways to submit/comment so you don't have to sign up if you don't want to. I know it seems like I am just advertising for her but she truly has her feet planted on the ground and gives good, straight from the heart advice, but don't take my word for it. Check it out for yourself at Judi's Relationship Advice.

As far as my best friend, Odd goes, he has a radio show called Mad World Radio which is about to begin it's third season on September 5th. It's mostly a talk show with music thrown in. Topics have ranged from parenthood to local Detroit musicians. From books and movies to personal rants to some relationship advice. And! And! I will be joining him at least once a month for Mitch's Movie Minute, so if you don't want to listen to him, then listen for me, lol. Just kidding. The dude has a great personality and some slightly off-kilter opinions but he will always entertain as well as make you think. His blog can be found on Blogger as well - Mad World Radio - The Blog

So there you have it.

Motor City Nightmares Convention Report by ME

By Mitch Emerson

The Motor City Nightmares convention was held this past weekend and yours truly was able to attend this fledgling event on Saturday. Even though George Romero had to cancel his appearance to do a film project, there was no shortage of famous guests. We had Jason himself (Kane Hodder), Michael Myers (Tony Moran) and even the Candyman (Tony Todd)! Surprise last minute addition was Tobe Hooper, director of the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre and Poltergeist. For the classic horror fans who could resist a 40 year reunion for the cast of the original Night of the Living Dead? In attendance was Kyra Schon, Bill Hinzman, Judith O"Dea, Marilyn Eastman, John Russo, George Kosana and Russell Streiner. Other attendees included James Russo, Caroline Williams and Monique Dupree.

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Movie Review: The Dark Knight by ME

Wow, just holy jeez wow. The Dark Knight has exceeded any and all expectations that I had, which actually weren't that high because I avoided as much hype and spoilers as possible. My intrigue was only piqued by the trailers and some of the ingenious, if not overdone viral marketing. The best Batman film, if not the best comic book movie of all time. Scratch that, I'm sticking to my guns, The Dark Knight IS the best comic book movie ever, and this is coming from a guy with comic book character tattoo's and a closet filled with longboxes.

How can I convince you of that? Sadly, I don't think I can. This is one that you will just have to trust me on and see for yourself. The story has plenty of twists and turns that spin a web of a story that weaves tightly together and comes to a seat gripping climax. Everything builds up nicely, but not slowly. We start with a bang of a bank robbery that introduces us to the Joker and shows just how ruthless he is. And it only gets better. Even things from the trailer that didn't work for me redeem themselves. Take the Bat-Pod for instance. Stupid name, and with those huge tires it looks almost unbelievable, but when this thing bursts onto the screen and you really get to see it in action, it's pretty slick. We also get to see more of the evolution of the Batsuit itself. I won't say anything as I don't want to spoil anything, but it is an interesting thing to see that Batman doesn't know everything about everything even after doing this for a year or so.

Yes it was a shame that Heath Ledger passed on shortly after completing filming, but we have heard all about that that we really need, or care to. I am only going to judge his performance based on his performance and he really does become the Joker. Not one single speck of Heath Ledger comes through here. He really is a psychotic mad dog that has been taken off his leash to wreak havoc. I can understand why he had issues sleeping during and after filming. Hell, I'm gonna have trouble sleeping after watching it! Christian Bale proves his worth once again both as Bruce Wayne and Batman. Both have grown in ways. We see Batman come to the realization and acceptance of just what his role as Gotham's “Dark Knight” truly needs to be. Watching Aaron Eckhart's Harvey Dent is just as awesome. His character's rise and fall really hits you because he truly is a hero in the true sense of the word, even Batman admits this at one point. And to see his fall from grace is just heartbreaking. Maggie Gyllenhaal is 100% stronger as Rachel Dawes than Katie Holmes was and that's all that really needs to be said about her, right? Gary Oldman gets a more interesting chunk of the story to work with this time as we see how he comes to be the Police Commissioner, team him with Harvey Dent and Gotham wouldn't need a Batman. Michael Caine and Morgan Freeman round out the cast but are little more than supporting characters this time around. It was also nice to see Scarecrow again, albeit only briefly, to help tie up one loose end from Batman Begins.

In a nutshell? The Dark Knight is the end all Batman movie, plain and simple. No real flaws to speak of. Great story, great pace, great acting, great action, just plain great.

10/10

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com

DVD Review Link: Otis by ME

Otis is a welcome addition to the horror-comedy genre without tipping over into the land of parody such as films like Black Sheep and Shaun of the Dead. Otis is at first, instilled with just enough humor to take the edge off while letting us inside the head of two types of people: The psychopath Otis (Bostin Christopher) himself, who just wants to have his perfect Prom night (at least 25 years too late) and the Lawsons, his latest victims family played wonderfully by Daniel Stern, Illeana Douglas, and Jared Kusnits. Kevin Pollak turns in a different performance as Otis's older, meaner brother whose life Otis is trying to emulate, something that isn't directly addressed but you pick up along the way. What makes this film different than other psychopath/serial killer flicks is that the Lawsons get their revenge, which is where the fun really begins. Taking a few unexpected turns is always a good thing in these types of movies, and Otis pulls darkness, humor, tension and a great soundtrack into a tight and different type of film.

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Mitch Emerson

mitchemerson@hotmail.com

Movie Review: The Incredible Hulk by ME

I may be one of the few who actually liked Ang Lee's version of the Hulk. Sure, we didn't see the Hulk until an hour in. Sure I was lost by the end, just as everyone else was. I liked the comic book transitions between scenes, even if it was over used a bit. And the Hulk himself was pretty awesome. Too bad the best fight was against a pack of ridiculous looking giant radioactive dogs, including a poodle. In a nutshell Ang added a little too much Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon to a film that should have been “HULK SMASH!” for an hour and a half or so.

Well, Louis Leterrier has fixed just about everything that needed fixing. For those not in the know, Marvel chose to “reboot” the Hulk franchise instead of doing an out and out sequel. This movie is a tale of a Bruce Banner on the run, trying to stay one step ahead of General T. “Thunderbolt” Ross, while trying to find a cure, while also trying to avoid situations that would cause him to turn into the Hulk. I swear, it's not easy being green. And to add to it, Ross has brought in Emil Blonsky and given him a “Super Soldier Serum” (Yes, it's the same stuff that creates Captain America) which makes him stronger and faster so he can get a rematch with the Hulk. Things go wrong (of course!) and Blonsky becomes The Abomination, a monster that only the Hulk has the power to deal with.

Edward Norton may be seen in the press as a prima donna with his insistence on having creative control as well as shunning all publicity for The Incredible Hulk, but I'll forgive him for that since he has helped to deliver a great Hulk film. Performance wise, he is just about perfect. All of the cast is. Liv Tyler, William Hurt, and Tim Roth all deserve a pat on the back.

I have to say that The Incredible Hulk has the best cgi since The Lord of the Rings. Ok, well, the hair on the Hulk does need a little work but watching the Hulk's muscles ripple and his hands shake as he screams his rage is something you have to see on the big screen. Gone is the pretty, artistic Hulk that Ang Lee brought us. This is a down and dirty Hulk who just wants to be left alone. And that is what really got me in The Incredible Hulk, we get to see two giant creatures beating the living crap out of each other until only one is left standing. THAT is what comic fans in general, and Hulk fans in particular, have been waiting for.

With little nods to the comics and the TV show, Hulk is an action packed slugfest peppered with feeling and comedic bits that don't go over the top. A must see for any comic or action movie fan. If Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk is what Marvel comes back with after let downs like X3, Ghost Rider, Daredevil and Electra, and with the promise of Captain America, Thor, and The Avengers on the distant horizon, then make mine Marvel!

Mitch Emerson
mitchemerson@hotmail.com