As much as I love engaging in profound cinematic analysis, I decided to give readers a break this time around by trimming my reviews down to a few pointed sentences. My latest GERD attack has landed me on the Physically Unable to Perform List and, to be honest, I’m not particularly fond of writing marathon-esque reviews at this point in time.
Then again, few of the films we’ve experienced this summer are worth exhausting that kind of effort over, so it’s a win-win for all tomorrow’s parties.
Let’s dig in:
“Iron Man 2” – Robert Downey Jr. reinvented himself in 2008 as free-spirited playboy/munitions guru Tony Stark but, in 2010, he’s subject to an overstuffed script that loses steam once Stark dons the Iron Man garb. You know your film is in trouble when the lead character is more engaging without the bloated hullabaloo that most superhero films pride themselves on and Downey’s sparkling wit is an inopportune casualty.
Every time he and Gwyneth Paltrow begin to elevate the material to a level worth admiring, another vacant battle scene comes along to ruin what could be a pretty snappy action-comedy. I’m reminded of the 1986 Tesla album “Mechanical Resonance,” because that’s really all that results from the 124-minute running time. Machines outweigh emotions and all the audience can do is look ahead with apprehension to 2012’s Iron Man 3. The additions of Sam Rockwell (scene-stealing), Scarlett Johansson (insatiably feisty) and Mickey Rourke (having a blast) make waves, but not enough to make this sequel rise above its apparent lack of flavor.
- ** ½ out of 4
“Robin Hood” – If someone told you that Russell Crowe, Cate Blanchett and Ridley Scott would be spearheading a project based on the merry exploits of Robin of Loxley, you’d be psyched right? I know I was upon first word, but the finished product touts about as much excitement as Sunday at the US Open sans Tiger Woods. Everything that should be oozing with jingoistic friction is victimized by a script that lumbers along at a snail’s pace and leaves the performers floundering in a sea of historical inertia. As much as I loved seeing Blanchett on screen after a year layoff, not even the radiant chemistry she has with Crowe is enough to make me eager for a return to Sherwood Forest.
- ** out of 4
“Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time” – Perhaps my expectations were low or maybe I was simply in high spirits, but I found this harmless video game adaptation to be a rousing way to spend an afternoon at the cinema. Director Mike Newell strings along one hokey action scene after another yet the dedication of Jake Gyllenhaal and the hammy wisecracking of Alfred Molina are more than enough to bring a smile to my face. If inclined, you could read the plot as a jumbled metaphor for America’s current Middle Eastern oil predicament, but you’re better off just enjoying the action and marveling at how stunning Gemma Arterton looks in parachute pants.
- *** out of 4
“The Karate Kid” - What strikes me most about the Jaden Smith-led remake of “The Karate Kid” is its splendid use of Beijing, China as a backdrop for the story. Instead of reducing the host of the 2008 Summer Olympic Games to a highly-polluted foreign network, director Harald Zwart puts the viewer directly in the heart of a city in which people work and play just like any other that American audiences are accustomed to seeing. Not only does Dre (Smith) have to adapt to a change in scenery, but he must also find a way to coexist with a group of bullies out to sour his welcome and the original storyline follows from there. Smith is impressive with his cornrowed charisma and Jackie Chan does the whole solemn widower bit well, but Taraji P. Henson provides the movie with the requisite sensitivity to complete the triangle. It’s a definite crowd pleaser.
- *** ½ out of 4
“Toy Story 3” – Is it smart, funny, sad or moving? How about all four? In one of the best films of the year so far, Pixar continues the story of Andy and his bedroom of misfit toys with a jaunt that is guaranteed to melt the hearts of audiences worldwide. Because many of the children who grew up with the first film are now in college, the fact that Andy is also going off to school may bring some added drama to a tearful yet ultimately ebullient celebration of growing up.
- **** out of 4
“Rush: Beyond the Lighted Stage” – If you saw John Hamburg’s brilliant 2009 bromedy “I Love You Man,” you’ll recall the scene in which Paul Rudd and Jason Segel jam at a Rush concert while Rudd’s fiancée played by Rashida Jones looks on with a mystifying stare. Sadly, Jones’s reaction is echoed by a section of the public that doesn’t “get” why Rush is such an amazing musical outfit. This documentary explores the origin of the band’s mainstream disconnect as well as how others in the industry have been influenced by their sonic sound qualities and I couldn’t get enough.
- **** out of 4
“Greenberg” – Noah Baumbach’s third feature is being marketed as “Ben Stiller like you’ve never seen him before,” but it’s really so much more than that. Yes, it’s about a 40-year-old Jewish misanthrope who spends his days writing complaint letters to corporations that don’t live up to his standards, but Stiller’s subtle nuances play off Greta Gerwig’s train-wreck vulnerability beautifully. My guess is most people will hate this film without giving it a fair shake, but everything about it works and works to indie-film perfection.
- **** out of 4
“The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo” – I don’t know why everyone in Hollywood is clamoring for an Americanized remake of this risqué Swedish gem, because Niels Arden Oplev’s version stands alone as an incisive piece of entertainment. Noomi Rapace turns in one of the best performances of the year as Lisbeth Salander and draws you into her tormented past as easy as she bypasses any computer firewall that comes her way. The content is rough, the violence is said to be borderline misogynistic (I disagree) and it’s subtitled, so don’t say I didn’t warn you.
- *** ½ out of 4
“Dogtooth” – This small, demented Greek film is exactly the type of project that the term “Art House” is made for. You watch it, you have no idea what it all means and then you walk out of it thinking that the entire setup was a stroke of genius on the part of director Yorgos Lanthimos. Watching these three teenagers go through their father’s unorthodox homeschooling is taxing at times, but I assure you the reward is worth your investment.
- **** out of 4
Coming Soon: “Inception” – I’ve seen it, but I’m going to need more than a few sentences to get a handle on it.
