Movie Review - World War Z

     As with any other film about a zombie apocalypse, World War Z, directed by Marc Forster, starts with a spread of a zombie virus and one person takes on the challenge of finding a vaccine to save the rest of humanity that managed to stay well, human. So while the story offers nothing new, with past movies with the same theme offering much more interesting plots, World War Z gives us a new take on the undead. After playing too much Plants vs. Zombies, seeing Warm Bodies and having watched Steve Tyler judge in AI, I guess I have lost all sense of fear for zombies. But the movie veers away from that and gives back to the zombies the scariness they once had and a little more. Gone are the days where even your 90 year old grandma on a wheel chair can outrun a zombie. World War Z gives us the undead on steroids and probably another illegal substance. We get zombies who can run fast, jump high and build a pyramid that would probably put the best cheer leading teams to shame.

     It is fun and exciting to watch with all the chasing and is never short of heart-stopping scenes but it is a bit predictable since story-wise it offers nothing we haven't seen before. But with protagonist Gerry Lane played by Brad Pitt, we still get a character that is interesting and likable and will get you to watch through until the next action packed scene. Seriously I have yet to see a character played by Brad that I did not like. Israeli actress Daniella Kertesz's performance as Gerry's bodyguard was not bad as well, hopefully we get to see more of her in Hollywood. I had expected more of the film. I think that a lot could be improved in terms of story and could have added more gore to be believable and realistic. If you are looking for hardcore zombie killing spree with more blood than your local blood bank, then the movie probably isn't for you. But if you are just looking for an entertaining film that offers just the right amount of thrill and excitement, then World War Z is worth checking out.

RATING: 3.5/5

Movie Review - Man of Steel

     The reviews have been mixed about this movie so I decided to check it out for myself.  I have seen enough trailers to know that the only way to see it is in 3D and in the biggest screen I can possibly find, so I hauled my lazy ass to an IMAX theater donning my shirt with an all too familiar logo of an S or is it an alien symbol of hope. Whatever it is, I’m glad I did. It was the first film I saw on IMAX since 2009’s Avatar. The scenes on Krypton were visually stunning and to see it in 3D takes the experience to a whole new level. Visually, I did not expect less of Zack Snyder. Story wise, it offered nothing new and writers could have done better. We are given yet again another origin story but the way it was told made all the difference. It was a far cry from Singer’s stuck in the past and uninspired Superman Returns. I must say that the influence of Nolan’s participation took the film to the right direction and from what we've seen with Superman Returns, moving to any direction will do the film some good. I know that there are some people who are not happy with the changes but it is a remake for the current generation after all and if we want to keep our fathers' superhero relevant in this day and age some changes are bound to be made. 

Henry Cavill in the new Superman costume

     Here we are shown a Superman who is struggling with personal issues but not too much that it should be called Crimson Linens Playbook. It just showed us the human side of the Man of Steel and we can see that the only thing that makes him different is his super powers and nothing more.  It really helped that the movie was well cast with Cavill as Clark Kent. Though I don’t think he fits perfectly with what I feel Superman should look like, he gave a believable performance as an alien refugee trying to fit in (well if you’d be willing to accept that an alien with super powers is living among us then I think that’s how he would be). Some people argue that his pairing with Oscar nominee Amy Adams as Lois Lane failed to bring the chemistry on screen but I think that it’s just because of the lack of screen time for the love team. Hopefully in the sequel we’ll be seeing more romance on screen. And Michael Shannon makes a badass General Zod. Supporting performances by Russell Crowe, Kevin Costner and Diane Lane were not bad as well. I felt there were too many fight scenes though, but they were good so I don’t really mind. What really bothers me is how General Zod was defeated, I’m not gonna say much so as not to spoil the movie for you guys but really… You have an epic fight in midair crashing though several buildings and you die just like that?! Other than the disappointingly uninspired death scene, I really enjoyed this movie and I recommend that you see it. In IMAX of course.

RATING: 4/5

Movie Review - FAST & FURIOUS 6

     I am not a fan of the franchise and I admit I have not seen all of them but some friends wanted to see it so I did without expecting much. As expected, the movie was filled with nice cars, a lot of action and women in skimpy clothes. What I did not expect though, is to find myself actually enjoying it. I am really glad that they brought Michelle Rodriguez back. It’s just not the Fast and the Furious without her being her tough-chick-who-will-kick-your-ass-so-hard-you’ll-have-permanent-shoulder-pads-when-you-wake-up usual self. And because the producers probably thought that one chunk of muscle who can’t act is not enough for this action packed movie, they added Dwayne Johnson to the cast. But at least the Rock’s acting is passable and tolerable and manages to make his character as a DSS agent believable. I know Vin Diesel is supposed to be this badass guy but I am amazed how he manages to meet his ex-lover whom he thought was dead for the longest time, take a bullet from her, pull it out himself and still keep a straight emotionless face with an equally emotionless voice. The rest of the cast were… okay. ‘Nuff said. But who the hell sees Fast & Furious to see award winning acting right? We see it for the action!!! And believe me this movie has a lot, maybe a bit too much. 

     There are specifically some scenes where you might find yourself asking if you are still watching the same movie and not the Avengers ‘cause there is NO WAY a normal human being could do that. And in probably the longest runway on Earth is another scene that will make you question your notion of what is possible or not. It is exciting and amazing to see what these guys could do with their cars, who cares if it’s within the realm of reality and possibility? Definitely not the writers. There are just too much ludicrous things going on that suspending your disbelief is no longer a choice but a necessity if you want to make it till the end.  In any case, putting together all its elements, the movie works and is sure to keep you at the edge of your seat.

RATING: 3/5

Movie Review - EPIC

     What can you expect from a movie that calls itself Epic? Apparently, not much. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not bad but to call it Epic may have set expectations a little high on which it failed to deliver. Starred by Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Colin Farrell, the movie takes us on a journey to the heart of the forest where a battle between the guardians of the forest led Queen Tara(Beyoncé Knowles) and the putrefying Boggans has taken its toll. Boggan leader Mandrake(Christoph Waltz) manages to fatally wound  Queen Tara in an attack during the ceremony where a new pod will be chosen as the next queen of the forest. Oblivious to what was going on around her, M.K (Seyfried) was shrunk down by Queen Tara and given the mission of taking the pod to safety. Joined by a Leafman warrior Ronin (Farell), the free-spirited Nod (Hutcherson), and the caretakers of the pod Mub (Aziz Ansari) and Grub(Chris O’Dowd), a tiny M.K sets out on a big adventure that will change her life. 

     Directed by animated film veteran Chris Wedge, the movie is as visually stunning as it gets. Wedge managed to create a beautiful world that is familiar yet somehow new. The movie also had some memorable laughs, mostly from the Mub and Grub tandem. The main characters are well casted and you can see the great chemistry as you watch the movie. But there were some that were just not right, Pitbull as a gangster frog? Steven Tyler as a singing caterpillar? Uhhh. No. Just no. But what let the movie down really was the absence of an epic battle scene. With a beautiful well imagined magical world, the movie could have done so much more with the battle scenes. I was expecting something more like Narnia but what we get is a war between two magical species and all it took was an iPod to end it. Creative, yes but a bit of a letdown. It could have been much, much, much more epic than what it turned out to be. As I said, it’s not all that bad. It’s actually quite good and enjoyable but definitely not enough to be Epic.

RATING: 3.5/5