Sound of My Voice is phase two of Brit Marling’s rise as the new indie film it girl and if this film is any signal she is destined for far more than that.

The basic premise of the film is a journalist and his girlfriend has dedicated themselves to infiltrating this cult with the hope that they can uncover the truth surrounding its leader, Maggie, who claims she is from the year 2054.  We pick up with the couple’s initiation night and are introduced to the mesmerizing Maggie and you quickly begin to understand why she has a following. Maggie is mysterious, bizarre, and completely compelling.  As the film roles on we see our leads, Peter and Lorna, get pulled in deeper and deeper and their motives evolve the more time they spend with the cult.

The film has an element of sci-fi, but there isn’t an effects shot in the movie; and it doesn’t need them.  The film’s structure is in ten parts, all title carded, and even with that defined structure the film still plays with our perception.  From out of nowhere character bios to random character introductions with no point of reference; the film doesn’t do you a ton of favors.  That isn’t to say the film is hard to follow, it just asks you to be patient with it and you will get enough information needed to put the pieces together on your own. (The creators apparently planned on a potential continuation of the story so don’t except everything wrapped up in a perfect bow.)

I mentioned Marling in the opening and that is because she plays Maggie and helped write the script on top of that as well.  The script walks a fine line of being almost too vague for many viewers, but the mysteries of the plot are made up for the great material given to Maggie in her ‘sermons.’  Marling gives herself these wonderful moments every time she shows up on the screen and she knocks it out of the park.  Marling is radiant and intense as she talks to her people and her range of emotion is incredibly impressive.  Marling is the supporting actress to beat this year, for me, and she will certainly be tough to top.

The rest of the cast isn’t as successful as Marling, that would be difficult, but no one really impressed me all that much either.  Christopher Denham plays Peter a bit too dickish and I found it hard to sympathize with or get behind his character.  Nicole Vicius is more successful and compassionate as Lorna and I was certainly on board with her.  The problem is that her character gets the short end of the stick in the third act and gets rushed through a lot of decisions.  Richard Wharton is successfully creepy and weird as Klaus and he was probably the second strongest in the cast behind Marling.

The third act in general seems a bit rushed and relies on a few too many easy convinces to keep the stories twists and turns unfolding.  The big moment in the final chapter does land with its intended impact though and it forces you to rethink everything you have seen before it.  The film is fast paced, never dull and its shortcomings are fairly easy to forgive, but if that third act wouldn’t have had its missteps this film could have really taken off to the next level.

The filmmaking on display is mighty impressive as it stands and they make a fine looking picture out of a budget which was probably next to nothing.  The editing, the score/soundtrack, and the direction are all wonderful and it really sucks they could quite knock it out of the park in the third act.  Maybe a bit too much mystery was left open for the film as a standalone work, but I hope these pieces are eventually filled in if the filmmakers are given the opportunity.

In the end, The Sound of my Voice is a coming out party for Brit Marling as she delivers what I am sure will be one of the best performances of the year.  The film around her is intriguing and compelling for most of its run time and I would gladly watch more adventures in this world.  The film does fall short in a couple places and has too easy of a third act, but there is enough mystery rolled in here that makes you want more.  Thankfully the film never feels forced and Marling is worth the price of admission alone.

Sound of my Voice is a B+

Lauren:  I have to admit something right now, as a child I got really competitive when it came to Battleship.  Each time I would swear I came up with the best distribution for my ships to trick my opponent, and would gleefully laugh in my mind when I would get to put a white peg of fail in the waters surrounding my fleet (obviously playing it cool on the outside).  With that said, nothing was going to give me more pleasure than being able to bombard this movie with red pegs, shouting at the top of my lungs… wait for it… “YOU SUNK MY BATTLESHIP!”  Original, I know, but don’t mess with the classics.

But guess what guys, my positivity that I would have my moment to belt this at the credits was all for naught.  That’s right, Battleship is actually a pretty fun movie.

Zac: I can agree that the film is fun, but it certainly is also pretty dumb.  The movie could easily be ripped to shreds, but I don’t really think I want to do that because I had fun too.  Peter Berg was apparently very passionate about this project and wanted to do some world building and not just throw up a generic alien story and he succeeds to a certain extent.

The non-alien storyline is pretty straightforward, but works for the most part due to a charismatic lead turn by Taylor Kitsch.  Kitsch plays our rough around the edges would be hero who is constantly underachieving for everyone in his life.  His brother keeps picking him up, his commanding officer wants him gone, and he can’t go the final lap for his girlfriend.  When he is thrown into the middle of a possible alien invasion, Kitsch’s Lt. Hopper is forced to become the man everyone thinks he could be.

The set up of Hopper and his relationships with his brother and his girl couldn’t have been done much better.  I actually cared about Hopper, his family, and his friends, and one of Berg’s strengths of the film is some solid and streamlined character building.  Sure it relies heavily on some familiar tropes, but Kitsch was hilarious in the opening and really won the audience over.

Lauren:  I can agree with this, though Kitsch still needs to win me over a little bit.  Like in John Carter, there was just something missing (especially towards the beginning), but he’s getting closer and closer to whatever it is with each film he has.  And I did appreciate the moment he finally grew into something more than an obstinate little brother who fought for so long against what was asked of him.  Best of all, he finally cut that hair. But like you said, there was a decent amount of character building that did have me rooting for everyone, and not just because I was anti-alien.  Even Brooklyn Decker and Rihanna, both of which I was a little down on because I haven’t seen them act much, pulled me around to their side.  And then there is Jesse Plemons, adding some nice amounts of skepticism to the bravado than might be found among the others.

But what was honestly the most satisfying aspect of the film (other than some fantastic CGI shots. Not all, but a lot) about this film was how it didn’t take itself too seriously.  I mean, it has Liam Neeson in it, for crying out loud, so it could be all macho, but there were so many places put in for laughter that I can’t help but commend those who contributed to the feel for making the right decision on tone.  It may not have gone as far as someone actually saying “You sunk my battleship,” but the nod contained that does acknowledge where the film “originated” was perfect, as was the majority of the other jokes that seemed rather aware of what film they were in.

Zac: They said they are NOT going to sink their battleship actually.  The film’s self awareness was a relief and did allow for a lot of humor, but you would think they would be aware that watching the game Battleship is boring as hell.  There is a sequence in the film where they sort of recreate the Battleship experience, and while they save it in the end we literally stare at a screen for way too long that things get boring.

The film does have a couple other dull moments as well, and this high-octane action ride grinds to a halt on a number of occasions.  Brooklyn Decker’s entire plotline could have been thrown out, but as it stands should have been cut drastically.  The practically winking at the camera nerdy scientist guy was completely grating and the double amputee soldier Decker’s character is rehabbing isn’t much better.  Their big finale moment falls flat as well and I just wish it all wasn’t there.  There is also an extended alien hunt below deck on one of the ships and it too could have been thrown out without missing a beat.

I have a beef with the alien design on top of the slow spots and think that seeing those spiny things in slow-mo is nowhere near as impressive as some Transformers running around and what not.  I also am not too sure how much I bought into the alien’s not attacking apparently non-hostile people.  It is clearly in there for the sake of plot holes and it’s not very effective nor makes much sense.

Lauren:  All right, I cannot agree with the majority of what you just said.  So I’m gonna remove those scissors from your edit-happy hands and argue the other side.

1 – Did you not just see me call that Battleship moment perfect!?  It was awesome!  Clearly you’re just not nerd enough for the science behind it, because that whole scientific explanation about water displacement completely validated that whole sequence.  Sure, it could have been cut slightly, but I was really happy as it stands.  Plus it was a great character growth moment for Hopper.

2 – Cut Decker then you might as well cut Neeson too because she is pretty much the only reason that character had any moments on screen (other than the “you suck as a person” speech).  Plus, she provides some pretty vital information down the road?  Might as well be her, because then we’d just have more annoying nerd.

3 – Alien design.  What would you have preferred?  Another mechanical looking alien?  Been there, done that.  Based on the planet they come from I am really happy they went the humanoid route, though I will admit that when the helmets come off the aliens do look a little cartoonish, like something that we might see soon in Men in Black 3.  Personally, what I didn’t get about the aliens was a certain skill that was completely unnecessary.  You’ll know it when you see it.

4 – This is what my boyfriend said to me post viewing because I was a little confused as well in concern to how the aliens went about their pre-invasion.  The first thing to do in this situation is to cut communication, which they did.  Then, you destroy enough of the infrastructure so that it impedes aid and all that good stuff.  Basically this is a recon like team in a sense: do the basics and wait for the big guns to start killing off the home species unless a group or individual poses an immediate threat.  So to those who understand military tactics like the BF it makes sense, but could have been broken down a little more for the rest of us because I will say I got pretty confused when those ball things started going to town on the island.  And I really hope I wasn’t the only one yelling, “Swing away” at the baseball kid.

Zac: Even though I didn’t like those things the movie still had some good moments.  The single take of the sinking ship that starts with a pair of heroes, checks on everyone else, and then comes back to those first heroes was worth the price of admission alone.  I already mentioned Kitsch’s likability, but your aforementioned like for Plemons (Landry!) is also reciprocated here.  He was hilarious and I hope Berg keeps putting him in movies.  The couple of “big” one liners were also pretty great, if ridiculous, and I particularly enjoyed the sniper scene at dawn.

All in all I enjoyed watching Battleship, but I can’t help but look around a lot of its shortcomings.  Still, you could do a lot worse at the theaters and this one was eaten up by the crowd I was with.  The film is half-baked, but still pretty tasty.

Lauren:  Battleship does have problems, sure, but it is the surprise summer blockbuster for me considering how little I expected from it.  Turn your brain off and enjoy the ride.

Zac: C+
Lauren:  B-           Follow @BewareOfTrees

The Avengers have finally assembled for Marvel and it was more than worth the wait as Joss Whedon has delivered one of the best comic book films to date.

We all have been watching these Marvel films, starting with Iron Man back in 2008, and waiting for the chance to see the Avengers together on the screen ever since Nick Fury broke in to Tony Stark’s house and spoke of the Avengers Initiative.  Well, after a subsequent Iron Man sequel and films for The Hulk, Thor, and Captain America we now have everyone thrown into one big, epic, action packed film and the end result is superb.

The film retroactively makes all of the previous Marvel films better as all of their little nudges and winks finally pay off and we are able to just dive into the action as we already know all the players.  Bringing back Loki is a great choice as he is both super human and the best foil introduced in any of the previous films.  Tom Hiddleston is just as good, or better, in the part he already excelled in for Thor and the enemy presence of the film is built rather organically and in an inventive way.  It would have been nice to have a bit more depth or explanation of the alien army at Loki’s side, but I will take the excellent pacing over getting in to something that isn’t terribly important.

The only new face, outside his uncredited cameo in Thor, is Jeremy Renner as Hawkeye and the character is handled wonderfully.  The duality of the role was both a surprise and exciting which created some intriguing stakes I don’t think you are going to see coming.  Renner continues to be on a hot streak since his breakout in The Hurt Locker, and between this, MI:4 and the upcoming Bourne film, he is a worthy action star of today.  You’ll be spooling up arrows out of air as you exit the theater and the character is full of fun surprises in his weaponry.

I guess there is another new face, even if it is a familiar character, and that is Mark Ruffalo who steps in as our fresh Bruce Banner.  The Hulk is a beast in the film and will most certainly be in the running for some of the “Scenes of the Year” when the year is out.  Ruffalo brings a nervous energy to Banner that keeps the character fresh and the best doses of humor yet for the character.  The Hulk steals almost every moment he is in and I imagine everyone will be talking about him for the rest of the summer.

Nobody stands out from the pack here and I couldn’t be happier to report that.  The movie is so perfectly balanced between the many friendly faces that we are never left wanting to get back to someone nor stay with anyone even a bit too long; everything is just right.  Downey’s Iron Man, Hemsworth’s Thor, and Evans Capt. America all get their moments to shine and all of them deliver top notch work.  It’s not just the big three that get their moments to shine, Black Widow and Fury are given their equal share as well and Johansson and Jackson make the absolute most of their expanded roles.  Johansson in particular makes the most of her expanded role and is great in her big moments both on the battlefield and in the war room.  Cobie Smulders is also quite good  as a new face out of SHIELD and is a welcome addition to the Marvel universe.  Skarsgård, Paltrow, and Gregg are also as good as we expect them to be, with Whedon making excellent use of Gregg’s Agent Phil Coulson as a glue of sorts for the film.

Speaking of Whedon, let’s get to the guts of the film that he both wrote and directed.  The film is written wonderfully and is full of fantastic humor from nearly start to finish.  It’s not just Stark who gets to shine, everyone gets a bit of humor thrown in for them and all of it fits wonderfully for the character.  The plot unfolds with ease and there a couple of great war of words among individuals and as a group.  Right at the end of the first half of the film, and when all hell breaks loose, there is a brilliant scene that everyone is sizing each other up and posturing for one another and the script cuts to the core of everyone one of these characters.  It is a wonderful scene and one worth returning to the theater alone for.

Luckily there is even more than just the fantastic writing to go back for as the film is both gorgeous and flawless in the effects department.  The action is remarkable with every action scene topping just about every action beat in any of the Marvel films before it.  And the finale, oh boy, it’s epic, long, and perfectly coherent with everyone getting at least a few moments to shine.  The effects work is also as great as one could hope for as it should be seeing that ILM, WETA, and Digital Domain were the three leads on the effects work; not too shabby.  The 3D is also worthwhile if you are a fan of the format as it looks crystal clear and really does open a window into the world; especially during the battle of New York City.

I could go on and on singing the praises of The Avengers, but I don’t think that is terribly necessary as many of you are already in line to see this over the weekend.  If you aren’t in line I recommend you do so now, they are going to be long, as this is going to be the movie to beat this summer and I don’t know if anything is going to be able to top it; yes, even The Dark Knight Rises.  The Avengers is an all-timer for the super hero genre (right up there with Watchmen, The Dark Knight, X2, and Sin City) and it is also bound to be in the running for best film of the year.

The Avengers is an A

Over the past few years Marvel has been wracking up a slew of great films based on their universe’s superheroes.  Starting with Iron Man, Marvel moved though the Hulk (The Incredible Hulk, just so there’s no confusion), Captain America, and Thor, each with quite a bit of deserved success.  In addition to Hawkeye and Black Widow, these characters make up the avengers, and sticking to the additive math, the greatness of each of these previous films adds up to one incredible, possibly the best, superhero movie.

The idea of a film based on a slew of characters has been on the minds of many for a while, but there was always a chance that it just couldn’t work.  For one thing, if it had been the Justice League, the heavy hitters of Batman and Superman might steal focus as fans cry out for their favorites to get their screen time.  But with the Avengers, we have a group of heroes that each have a following on their own, but are about equal as far as the mass audience is concerned, giving them the best chance to make this work.  Adding Joss Whedon as director and writer sure doesn’t hurt.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, but if you have a large cast full of strong individual characters, give it to Whedon and he’ll know what to do.  He did it ages ago with Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and he did it earlier this year with Cabin in the Woods.  So why not trust him?  With this group, he manages to create a dynamic that makes each character shine both on their own and with the group as they bounce off of each other through the good and the bad as they try to find their footing as a team hesitant to work together.  If they had a group uniform like the X-Men maybe the comradery would be in there from the get go; but no, we’ve got no team colors to bring them together as heads begin to butt.

Everyone has issues, everyone has angst, but the drama does not overshadow what we are here to see, which can only be described as a celebration of the genre and superhero mythology, starting with being sure that every character has their moment to shine.  Ensemble or no, all of these characters deserve their memorable entrances and hero moments, or simply just moments to stand out, and no opportunity is wasted.  That’s right, even the lesser known Hawkeye and Black Widow, who have only guested in other hero’s films so far, are given enough opportunity here and credit to their character to display why they’re a part of the team.  Of these two I will have to go with Scarlett Johansson as my favorite of the lesser known as she uses her psychological manipulation and agile fighting style to make a name with this male group.  However, out of the heavy hitters, I’ve gotta go with the Hulk on this one, which I would have never thought going in.

Robert Downey Jr.’s Iron Man has his nonstop supply of one-liners, of course, and nothing against Thor or Captain America, but there was a new level to the giant green rage machine that has never been brought to my attention before.  Firstly, the big guy is quite the accidental comedian during the large city brawl (that is done waaaaaaaaaay better than how Transformers: Dark of the Moon’s final hour, or seven, was handled) as he lets the green run deep, but to put it simply, the angry wrecking ball ruining the life of Bruce Banner is actually given the chance to become a sympathetic character as we examine the relationship between Mark Ruffalo’s Banner and his bottled up alter (thanks in large part to some insight by Tony Stark).

Whatever your extreme dedication to the current Batman run, or any other film of the genre and subgenres, consider your definition of Superhero before going into this one and you’ll understand why I say this could possibly be the best superhero film, and you just might come out seeing eye-to-eye with me on this one.

Final Grade:  A Follow @BewareOfTrees

“It’s a mystery what happened in the few days prior to Poe being found near death on a park bench.”  Oh really, movie!?  I’m pretty sure had Edgar Allan Poe been a part of a pretty notorious crime spree there would be record of that.  PREMISE BLOWN!

Phew, got that out of my system.  Let’s just say that if you want to start a film with a line like that, how about adding: “therefore we are going to make something completely ridiculous up that actually makes no sense with what we just said if you use your brain.”  I am all for mixing fiction with history, and adapting a real individual from history to a completely made up premise is fine by me (I am excited for Abraham Lincoln to fight vampires soon, just as an example), but let’s not set it up as if this story could have possibly been his unknown days.  Just let it be a pretend factoid from his life.

I wish this was the end of my anger, but really this random outburst is the result of sitting through a movie that I just could not enjoy no matter how much I tried.  To put it simply, there is far better out there to compare this to.  The first episode of Castle comes to mind premise wise, but even closer than that in cinematic relevance is the recent break out star known as Sherlock Holmes.  Now that man knew how to solve a mystery.

Obviously Sherlock had being a detective on his side, but more importantly, he had a collection of people who all came together to make one BA movie in his honor, making him cool to a new generation (mostly the first one, less the sequel).  These people came to play, and The Raven doesn’t stand a chance.  Let’s start with the man.  Now I have only read one or two of his works, but there is no denying that Edgar Allan Poe knew what he was doing as a wordsmith of the dark and morose.  He could turn a morbid phrase, which is probably why someone thought it would be a great idea to make him the protagonist in a story in which his works come to life in a slew of murders (an interesting dichotomy that is touched on in the one scene of the film I actually liked).  However, unlike Sherlock, he doesn’t actually know how to solve them.

Then again, I am really not sure if anyone in this movie knows how to solve a crime (so much as conveniently has the knowledge to figure out that clue, or knows someone who can help).  As the law runs around one step behind the murderer as bodies continue to pile up on their door rather quickly, the story never manages to obtain any depth.  In actuality it was rather weak from start to finish, including the glaring fact that there isn’t so much detective work done, so much as John Cusack’s Poe and Luke Evans’ Detective Fields having shouting matches to make the other think.  It was all rather dramatic, as was Cusack’s peacocking (in a manner not entertaining like Robert Downey Jr.’s arrogance as Sherlock the majority of the time) and Alice Eve’s soft-spoken manner and chest heaving during the worst of it all.  Now add this to the awkward editing that led to a few moments of confusion and we have the makings of something playing with the art of distraction.

The scene I mentioned enjoying before comes towards the end of the film so I can’t go into detail on it, but I can say that it hints at a truly great idea and conversation worth having.  The problem is it isn’t brought up until this point, as it should have been throughout the film.  Maybe it had been in there in the beginning of production, but whatever was left and put on screen was not that.  It is truly surface level, undeserving of the man this was meant to honor.  At least, I think it was to honor him.

Final Grade:  D           Follow @BewareOfTrees

Lauren:  Having the tagline “from the producer of Bridesmaids” splashed all over the TV spots and poster is quite the stamp on a project.  Well, maybe not the producer part, but definitely the word Bridesmaids.  But don’t let the name-drop fool you; The Five-Year Engagement is quite a different beast from that non-stop laugh fest of comedic poo jokes and pre-wedding hijinks.  Sure, there are pre-wedding problems here as well, but don’t go in ready to compare the two as this is more about the couple confronting life as their ride to the alter constantly finds more bumps to bottom out on.

Zac: Agreed, I was expecting this to be much more of a comedy, but it is actually almost a drama first/comedy second.  Not that this is a bad thing; my expectations were just askew after the director’s, Nicholas Stoller, previous films; Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek.  The film works, and is sometimes even strong as a dramatic piece, and the messages the film is sending about marriage/relationships are real and genuine.  It doesn’t hurt to have such a great actress like Emily Blunt as your female lead either, and she and Jason Segel have a terrific amount of chemistry through out the film.

That isn’t to say the film isn’t funny though, quite the contrary.  Chris Pratt and Alison Brie are both hilarious every time they show up, and the film has more than a handful of inspired moments of comedy sprinkled around.  The laughs are big when they hit and the film rarely drops a joke; just don’t expect a laugh a minute riot, like Lauren advises above.

Lauren:  Actually, when you think about it Pratt and Brie are the catalysts for a lot of the moments of comedy, as the attempt is to keep the relationship between Blunt and Segel closer to genuine (not to say they aren’t deserving of every laugh they earn themselves).  This could be why they stole the film for me, especially when it comes to the relationships with the main characters.  As sisters, Brie and Blunt have some of the bigger laughs, including a speech given by a rather emotional Brie at her sister’s engagement party (again, refraining from comparing to that from Bridesmaids), as well as a conversation presented in a family friendly fashion later on.

In general, comedy works best, for the most part, when it is at the service to the story, or rather, when it manages to feel natural to the scene, no matter how outlandish it actually is.  This doesn’t mean that there can’t be moments that don’t push it along, like a random few seconds of watching Segel work the physical humor as he scrapes at his frozen windshield.  I just mean that it has to serve a purpose, such as showing how miserable his characters current situation is.

Which is where the problem arises for me when we delve into the dramedy genre.  I found myself asking why they chose to go as far as they did with some ridiculous moments because they were off beats in the tone.  And not only that, but it started to feel as if certain plot points or gags were thrown in simply because they work for laughs (such as the reappearance of Segel’s butt).  A few times as the five years are filled in, a few jokes within this film are overused, and then conventional relationship jokes/problems arise possibly because someone felt it was necessary.  Honestly I think there could have been a more natural progression as they work through the relationship towards the latter portion, instead of going to the extremes that were chosen.

Zac: The film does dip its toes in cliché a bit more than one would like, especially when it is doing a great job at taking a different spin on the romantic comedy/dramedy the rest of the run time.  The relationship between Blunt & Segel is deep enough and full of enough valid issues to cause trouble for them, but Stoller and Segel felt the need to wedge in cheap roadblocks.  Not only would letting their issues cause more problems feel more natural, it might have also allowed the film to trim some of its lengthy runtime.  The film drags on more than one occasion and I don’t think that was because I was expecting a more traditional comedy formula going in.

Lauren:  Exactly.  A toe (or more) enjoys the dirty pool water, but the movie does manage to make it out pre-drowning; it just had a cramp that took it under while testing the waters is all.

All the digs aside, the good does outweigh the bad both pre and post cramping.  And talk about an ending.  I know Zac and I have seen our fair share of movies that are comparable to this, but somehow it managed to create an ending that was worthy of all the great bits.  Not only that, but for all the cliché’s it was pretty original to boot.

Zac: I was worried about the ending about half way through.  I started to think, “Are they going to end this with a potentially happy ambiguity most rom-com’s are going with nowadays?”  Sure this scenario is more realistic than the super happy ending, and in actuality I prefer something more of that ilk then all smiles, but the trope seems to have become tired as it has been used so much.  Color me very pleasantly surprised and happy with the ending.

The Five-Year Engagement isn’t the straight comedy you might think it’s going to be and is a really honest look at relationships at its core.  There is still plenty to laugh at though, so don’t be deterred by the film’s heart.  Just know going in that things are more serious than something like Forgetting Sarah Marshall; which had quite a bit of heart of its own.

Zac: B-
Lauren: B-         Follow @BewareOfTrees

Stop! If you have not seen The Cabin in the Woods and you are about to read this review; don’t.  Go see the movie, immediately if possible, and come back here so we can go over the film both knowingly aware of the greatness that this film is.

I am someone who isn’t particularly fond of horror films, my knowledge of them isn’t terribly deep, and I think the genre as a whole is mostly full of a lot of crappy movies.  The Cabin in the Woods is not a crappy movie.  The creative forces behind the film, producer Joss Whedon and director Drew Goddard, co-wrote the film and they seem to be speaking to me directly with the voice behind this film.  The film is being called a deconstruction of the genre, but I think it might eviscerate it along the way.  It isn’t the first film to successfully play with the genre, Shaun of the Dead and Tucker and Dale pop to mind, but Cabin goes further than both of those films try to go. 

Cabin embraces the utter silliness of the genre, while relishing in the imagination it can sometimes show.  The film is surprisingly epic and is structured around an idea that allows Whedon and Goddard the ability to endlessly play and never be hampered by the genre’s clichés and short comings.  The film openly plays, twists, and subverts the things that hold the genre back, busting out and becoming a powerful beast on the other end.  The film effortlessly builds tension, makes you laugh, surprises at every turn, and feels incredibly original even as it runs through every trope in the genre.

What stinks about the movie is, well nothing really with the film itself, that you can’t talk about things until both parties have seen it.  The film’s ideas and developments are really that precious and should be avoided at all costs, but I can’t wait till people actually see this so I can discuss it openly and we can revel in its awesomeness.  As the film goes on things go as you might expect, but it never tries to act like it is making any crazy revelations.  When the film does take a turn though, it will have you on the edge of your seat and deliver some of the most fun you will have in the theater.  At one point the film introduces a possibility that had me thinking, “If they [blank] this is going to be fucking amazing,” and they do it in a way that still caught me off guard.  I don’t know the last time I saw a third act kill it and take a film to another level like this did. The film is a joy and an absolute blast and I really hope that it excels beyond the simple cult cannon which this already has a firm lock on.

The characters aren’t stereotypes in the slightest at the start, but are turned into them for the sake of entertainment.  It’s a knowing wink at how stupid we make characters in this genre and how no one in their right mind, literally, would act this way.  The blonde isn’t really a blonde, the jock is a sociology major, the virgin is close enough, the brainy guy is the best athlete, and the stoner guy is actually quite smart/philosophical (even if it is half baked).  They are only made to be stereotypes by the control and even that is too weak to work its magic sometimes; a brilliant play against tropes if you ask me and another reason this movie works so damn well.

Technically the film is shockingly competent, featuring great effects, affective camera work, and solid performances from everyone involved.  Richard Jenkins and Bradley Whitford are perfect, Chris Hemsworth continues to show that he is a charismatic star (yes I know he did this before Thor), and all the newcomers know exactly how to play to their parts.  The characters become stereotypes, but the film is skillfully able to work around that and gives enough depth to make mostly everyone compelling and interesting, people we can root for.  Kristen Connolly nails the lead role and I was pleasantly surprised in her performance having never seen her in anything else.  Fran Kranz might steal the show though and will clearly be a fan favorite after more people see the film.  Anna Hutchison is about pitch perfect as well getting to play the sex side of things and she doesn’t miss a beat.  Jesse Williams’ character was the film’s only weak point, but it was not really do to his performance; the character is the one element underwritten in the whole film.

In the end, it’s the big ideas, inventive storytelling, and genre jumping ease that makes The Cabin in the Woods so great.  It is the best film released so far this year, by a long shot, and I can only imagine this film’s enjoyment grows on multiple viewings.  Scary, hilarious, original, and above all else fun, the film has almost no shortcomings. It inspires creativity inside the viewer, a feat that few films can do. The creative force behind the film has me eagerly anticipating their future efforts; Goddard is a talent to watch and I am sure after people get to see this we will see him back in the director’s chair in no time and as for Whedon, you only have to wait a couple more weeks for The Avengers; too bad I don’t think that could top this.

The Cabin in the Woods is an A+

The Cabin in the Woods has had a while of waiting to get through before finally coming to the big screen.  Trust me, I know.  As an avid Joss Whedon fan (he co-wrote this one), I have been waiting for what seems like forever.  We’re talking The Sandlot’s reading of the world “FOR-EH-VER.”  And now, the wait is finally over.

Most people not obsessed with the man at least know Whedon from creating Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which Drew Goddard (the co-writer and director of Cabin) also had his hands in, so it’s safe to say that the comparisons to this series are warranted.  Which definitely is not a bad thing.  Like that cult classic, Cabin is full of what made that series great, from the effectiveness of the ensemble cast (full of individual characters that work just as well on their own as they do within the group), the music cues, the healthy dose of horror, mixed with an even healthier dose of humor, sarcasm, and self-awareness of the genre.

The smart writing in the Whedonverse has always been the highlight that defines the man’s creations (including Firefly, Dollhouse, and Dr. Horrible’s Sing-Along Blog), and Cabin is no different, which I can’t say wasn’t expected.  However, what really amazed me was the structure of the plot and story itself past the dialog.  To tell you exactly what I mean I will point to the big issue everyone has with the trailers in which they believe they reveal too many of the secrets.  Technically yes, they do show glimpses of some stuff, but once you watch the movie you will realize you really had no idea what you were seeing.  What you thought you knew was probably only fractionally correct, if that.  But best of all, there is so much more that you could have never even imagined.

There were numerous moments in the film in which I thought to myself, “I am going to be so ticked off if this movie ends here,” and lesser films might have even done so.  Luckily, Cabin never ends until it reaches the peak of satisfaction for each viewer.  Let me rephrase: the film keeps escalating until it has found the perfect ending for the story told.  And trust me, with each escalation of the story, each moment you think you know what’s going to happen and then something actually does happen, it just keeps getting better and better.

I’m going to keep this write-up short because it’s best just to go see it yourself, and honestly I don’t think I can adequately write a review in such a way to truly make you understand how great this film is.  Yes, I am a fan girl of this genre and the man who started it all for me, but you don’t have to have the same history as me to love this one.  Just ask my sister.  In all honesty I wasn’t expecting her to come out a fan before we saw the film, but upon leaving we were both equally exclaiming just how “awesome” The Cabin in the Woods really is.  It’s a simple word, awesome, but it’s perfect for use here.  Then again, “perfect” might be even better.

Final Grade:  A          Follow @BewareOfTrees

So soon after the dust has settled on the battlefield between Lauren’s positive and Zac’s dissenting opinions of The Hunger Games, the line must once again be drawn for The Raid: Redemption, an Indonesian martial arts spectacular getting quite a lot of attention lately. So whose side will you join, Lauren or Zac?

Lauren:  I don’t mean to brag, but the other night I accidentally kneed myself in the face during the everyday, mundane activity of tucking my legs into my chest in the upright fetal position.  That’s right, I failed at a form of sitting down.  So obviously I know a thing or two about fighting (accidentally self-inflicted or not): 1- Avoid fighting. 2- Play dead.  Had The Raid: Redemption needed to fill a role of a bumbling manatee on stilts then they would need to look no further than past someone with my grace and skill, but there is no room for comedy here (except maniacal laughing at the pain of others, of course).

With the basic premise of a SWAT team infiltrating the towering home of a powerful mobster with throngs of killers at his disposal on each and every level of the building, the film comes off as something between a blood and guts drenched action film with wave after wave of enemies structured like a video game, with a story that is simply as basic of a premise required to pass in movies.  However, the only thing that really matters is the fighting.  Now excuse me while I pass this to Zac so I can get a round of violent martial art noises and chops out.

Zac: That simple story is sadly more than enough to make the film unbearable to watch at times.  Sure the action is solid, even great a couple times, but this doesn’t make up for the painful slog of exposition and completely unoriginal storytelling going on when the fists aren’t flying.  Predictable, preposterous, and pointless are some alliteration friendly adjectives to describe the story and no amount of action is going to change that.

The film’s first thirty minutes plus are so terrible I couldn’t sit still in my seat and that time frame includes the first “action” scene where our characters blindly shoot thousands of bullets in the dark. I think they might be shooting at someone, but the editing is so bad at times and the gunplay so random that everything is just basically boring to watch.  We shouldn’t have to sacrifice basically all quality in character/story then have mediocre action scenes on top of that in what is supposed to be a balls to the wall action flick.

Lauren:  Just say it, you hated the white guy.  His character was definitely forced in there and I think could have actually been done without in order to skip stories of possible corruption, questionable loyalty, etc., because as soon as he showed up on screen even I was just like “ugh…”  But never once did I find the film unbearable, as I was joyously taking it all in.  Yes, all of it.  Even the first thirty minutes that you deem terrible.

Really, what was so bad about them?  The montage of a few of the characters in their daily lives didn’t take up that much time (and let’s face it, the pregnant wife is a staple that cannot be avoided, just ask Battle Los Angeles and Act of Valor).  I actually really appreciated the beginning though because they cemented the fact that these guys were rookies, making how they reacted in the film more understandable (that one guys hand was shaking on his gun as they neared the building, for crying out loud!).  Let’s face it, when you’re new to something it doesn’t matter how well you have been trained, things can get out of hand, and fast.  Which is why the bullet-riddled scene you mentioned worked for me.  My boyfriend mentioned that it was completely unrealistic in how they just unloaded their clips like that, but think of how overwhelming that situation was.  They’ve just been informed that they are on their own against a large number of baddies who just learned where they are located, and they can’t see anything.  It would be like fighting with a strobe light pulsing, and I can’t blame them for not handling it professionally.

And the action, it more than made up for any problem areas.  “Mediocre,” humph, I swat that word away with crippling force.  There were new takedowns in there I have never seen before, as well as stunts that seemed impossible to pull off without killing someone.  I just felt like a little kid watching a magician or illusionist do something completely indescribable in front of my eyes.  Sure, the backbreaking landings, wall smashing, and stabbing could have all been done with movie making tricks and post work, but my suspension of belief was in full swing from start to finish.

Zac: There were some cool action bits and I certainly appreciated some of the effects they were able to pull off, but outside the two hallway sequences with our lead, Rama, beating the shit out of everyone they threw at him, I wasn’t terribly impressed.  The two fistfights with the crazy fighter guy were fine, but both felt long and I just wanted them to get over with already.  If they would have filmed them in longer takes it might have been a bit more cohesive and impressive, though as it stands, meh.

To the film’s credit acting in the film was adequate to pretty good all around, with the lead Iko Uwais doing a pretty great job both physically and emotionally.  I hope that he breaks out internationally and kicks some ass in some American films.  Ray Sahetapy was also a stand out as the crime lord Tama as his crazy eyes scared me on more than one occasion.

I don’t have much else to say so I will just lay out a couple of cool moments that might make the movie worth watching; as long as you can fast forward through the crappy parts.

-Dude getting thrown across a gap and on to balcony ledge.
-Machete meets face.
-Basically everything Rama does or punches.

Nothing else stuck to my brain just a mere three days after seeing it; that’s not good.

Lauren:  OMG… That balcony toss is definitely one of those moments where I was baffled with how they pulled off the landing of the body, and I will agree with Iko Uwais’ Rama being the best by far as the centerpiece of the film and action.  However, there were still other moments away from him that I could not do without.  Even the simple tactical stuff was pretty cool, as well as how they worked around the environment to simply survive: finding alternate routes through the building, using objects found in the apartments, transitions in fights from one guy to the next (such as when one of the SWAT team members tackles a guy and celebrates by continuing him out through the window).

Honestly I can’t even remember all of the moments I loved, and yes, that includes the terminator-like unstopability of “Mad Dog.”  He was a tiny powerhouse, and I would definitely not make any alterations to his first one vs. one battle, though I guess maybe his second fight could be trimmed slightly.  But just slightly!

One last thing before we go, I have to mention the soundtrack by Mike Shinoda (who you might possibly know from a little band called Linkin Park) and Joseph Trapanese.  The scores effortlessly integrate into the drama and action with ease, becoming just as important to the film as the music to Tron: Legacy or Hanna.  You can’t tell me you didn’t enjoy that, at least.

Zac: I honestly have zero recollection of the score and the fact someone from Linkin Park scored it does nothing for me, they are terrible.  Daft Punk has nothing to worry about.

Just give me someone to care about in a movie and I can be far more on board with it, great score or not.  The Raid has no one to root for as it doesn’t even try and connect with its audience on any level; character wise and thematically.

Lauren:  I’ll give you something to connect to [repeatedly slams first into palm].  And the reveal that you didn’t care for Rama at all because of the simple unyielding fight to get out alive is yet another point to note on the list I have created on why you are dead inside.

Zac’s Final Grade: D     @IHavingSaidThat
Lauren’s Final Grade:  B+          Follow @BewareOfTrees

If you don’t know what Warped Tour is, let me explain. The summer-long tour is a showcase of the alternative music scene, including acts that make you mosh, and others that can mellow you out. That’s why I love it so much. In the day when the 200 band tour come to my hometown, I get to watch, and interact, with bands that I love. Every year it is a new experience; you get to see bands that you’ve listened to for years, and find new ones to follow. But obviously, it is a different story. No Room For Rockstars follows four musicians and the head of the tour during it’s 2010 season, and makes an entertaining and eye opening hour-and-a-half documentary.

The people that Parris Patton and company covered stretched every sound found on the tour, as well as some of the crew that is involved in making the tour happened. Each one also brings an opinion and a mind-set, including business, touring, and the music industry as a whole. The first person you are introduced to is Mitch Lucker, frontman for the metal band Suicide Silence. When I first saw (and heard) him, I thought that he was a stereotypical metal head. Yet I was happily surprised by his moments. His music might be violent (there’s a line that’s highlighted here that goes “The human machine will finally bleed”), but he couldn’t be a more down to Earth person. Even his little sister and mother follow him on tour, which makes it almost humerus that he sings the way he does. But, for him, he does it all for his daughter, who wears mega headphones and rocks out with her father.

Next was Christopher Drew, also known as Never Shout Never. Of course, he is all about peace and love, and also the most complicated person interviewed. His easy going style seemed to get in the way of his personal feelings about both success and the actual Warped Tour. He says on multiple occasions that he doesn’t care about how much money he makes on the tour, and slamed Warped for being a money making machine. With a broken foot and suffering from being homesick, Drew comes across as…almost a jerk. He even goes as far as saying that Warped Tour is brainwashing kids to buy their items and music. As someone who follows Drew, I can say that he is no saint here – as his fans are some of the most rabid collection of people at each event.

The last mainstream musician (and I mean mainstream) to be featured is Mike Posner. Yes, THAT Mike Posner. For someone who comes across as somewhat of an ass in the beginning, he eventually started to embrace the Tour and all of its people. It doesn’t help that his single “Cooler Than Me” was taking off as the tour was happening, and as it climbed the charts, his crowds grew and grew. And when he wasn’t singing, he was signing things, or doing photoshoots, or doing another show somewhere else. His busmates, Fake Problems and Anarbor, also get featured in his story; contrasting his rise to fame, and the other bands’ struggles to become popular. His story is probably the most interesting out of the three, which is something that I wouldn’t have thought would be – especially since his music never really does well on Warped.

The last band that is Forever Came Calling – a band that followed the tour from town to town trying to sell their CD’s to anyone who would listen. Starting on ZERO dollars, they make it the entire tour hoping that one day they can grace one of the stages of the Tour. They go through some personal drama, a broken down van, and plenty of signatures to help catapult them onto just one stage for just one day.

Lastly, but definitely not least, it’s everybody who makes it possible, including founder Kevin Lyman. The amount of work that each person puts into making this gigantic tour possible makes me feel lazy, because they are trying to make everything great, fun, and most importantly safe (depending on who you are).

Parris Patton created a great documentary that focuses on both the music, business, and personal aspects of what it takes to be in a band and to be on a tour like Warped Tour. I knew that this was some work to put on, but some of the things that they do is ridiculous. IF you’re looking for a fun documentary that can both inform you and introduce you to some cool music, don’t be afraid to check this out.

Final Grade: A-