A few weeks have passed since my last compilation post of movie rentals, and I should be ashamed at my lack of movie watching, but I have still spent a large percentage of my time wisely!  We’re talking playing The Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword on that stupid Wii and rewatching all three previous seasons of Parks and Recreation on Netflix.  So yeah, all was not for naught.  With that said, I knew you guys would be wandering around your favorite rental store, kiosk, or internet site without my help in possible choices, so here we go.

Friends With Benefits (2011)

This was the last of the films on this list that I watched, and I was really hoping that it would give me some great fodder as a film that in no way would get yet another B.  But no, apparently this holiday season has me seeing the good in everything, so here goes.

One reason that I can think that I ended up liking it more than I did was because it is impossible to not compare this to No Strings Attached.  And let’s face it, the ending of that one did quite the number on the rest of the film, really ruining the viewing experience on the whole.  And though Friends With Benefits’ ending is just as predictable and somewhat cheesy, I still couldn’t stop smiling throughout it.

A lot of it probably has to do with Justin Timberlake’s loveable character, as well as the appearance of Woody Harrelson’s gay and proud coworker to Timberlake (though I will say that most of his best moments were spoiled by their use in the trailers), especially because the story is full of clichés that we have come to know and sometimes love.  Then again, they also spend a great amount of time mocking the clichés because of their “unusual” relationship; granted mocking clichés could be equally cliché by now.

Friends With Benefits is in no way a spectacular film, but if you are looking for a fun romantic comedy then this will get the job done.

Final Grade: B-

Our Idiot Brother (2011)

Paul Rudd stars as the sole brother of three sisters.  You guessed it, he’s the idiot the title is calling out.

Rudd plays this optimistic brother with an innocent child’s look at the world with such quiet glee that it is hard not to love him even for his faults.  He may trust people way too much and might not be the sharpest pencil in the box, but he remains the heart of this family that keeps them together even when they want nothing to do with him.

The cast is definitely up there on the list of great ensembles this year with Emily Mortimer, Elizabeth Banks, and Zooey Deschanel playing Rudd’s sisters, who just so happen to be messed up in their own ways that make them look far worse in comparison to Rudd’s pot smoking idealist.  Plus it is always hilarious to listen to Deschanel spewing out the F word as often as she does here.  Adam Scott and Rashida Jones swing by from Parks and Recreation for some supporting cast time in this as well, and it is often within these non-family members that I found myself loving the film the most.  Granted, it could be because more often than not Ned was unknowingly sticking his foot deeper and deeper into his mouth while with them.  However, even with these people already mentioned, the gold star performance goes to T.J. Miller as an equal to Ned, and I probably could have watched a whole movie involving the story between these two.

Long story short, see it for the actors you have come to love as they do what they do best.

Final Grade:  B

Sarah’s Key (2010)

Be warned going in: this movie is about the Holocaust, and not in a cheery, crush the skulls of Nazis, sort of way that Inglorious Basterds is.  Instead, Sarah’s Key follows two separate timelines, weaving together in a simplistic way as the woman in present time searches for answers about a little girl who lived during the war.

Kristen Scott Thomas gives a fine performance as the woman digging into the past, but the ending of the film weakens her part in many ways (as well as the movie).  Instead, it is the young actress playing Sarah (Mélusine Mayance) who gives the stand out performance.  Her character is already heartbreaking enough as she is taken into a camp with her two parents after the French police have removed the Jewish citizens from their homes.  But what is worse is that in her child’s mind she locks her brother in a closet to keep him from being found, not knowing that the family would be taken far away from him.  Long story short, her dedication and unwavering hope to get home to him will catch you off guard in its strength, until you are at her mercy as she crushes your heart with her little key-holding hands.

Obviously not a feel good movie, the tone and few problems with how the two stories weave together (granted the transitions are done really well) should not keep you from watching Sarah’s Key.  Just be sure to bring the tissues to wipe the tears away so that you can read the French subtitles.

Final Grade: B

Water for Elephants (2011)

Let’s get this out of the way first.  This elephant did not drink water once in this movie!  You have not fooled me at all title!  Instead she drinks a lot of alcohol, which may have led to her adorable, obstinate side of spraying water at the evil ringleader (Christoph Waltz).  Oh, ok, she did at least use water.

Technically about the circus, Water for Elephants is more about the people within the big top and not the events that transpire in the final year of this particular traveling circus’s ring.  In other words, if you want to see the circus then go to one, unless the circus has been caught with their pants down in concern to animal abuse like one particular big name that shall remain nameless.  Instead of the acts that take focus briefly every now and again, the story that takes front and center is the building relationship between Robert Pattinson’s veterinarian and Reese Witherspoon’s star performer, so this film is definitely more for the romance fan than anyone else.

It may not be Big Fish, but there is still something beautiful and magical about the circus when it is captured on film, and Water for Elephants does manage to pull this off every now and again.

Final Grade: B-

Two nights ago I had a dream that winged creatures were attacking my school, which for some reason looked like a castle.  As my friends were devoured in front of my eyes by hungry jaws (RIP Cassidy), I could not cower in fear because I had a mission.  That’s right, thanks to weeks of seeing Breaking Dawn – Part 1 trailers on TV, my dreams were being infiltrated, this time with Kristen Stewart.  As I did everything in an attempt to save her, I ended up sacrificing myself.  Clearly I should have gotten her to promise that she would not waste her life, because after seeing Breaking Dawn Part 1 I am really afraid I dream died in vain.

With the 4^th book in the Twilight series coming to the big screen, or as I like to call it Breaking Dawn: Bella Contemplates Life in Mirrors, we find our vampire / human couple of Edward and Bella on the day before their wedding.  With only one day left to save Bella from a lifetime with a monster, Edward reveals a monstrous past he has kept for her, becoming forced moment #1 of the film.  I am no stranger to vampire brooding, and this is a nice idea in theory, but no matter how well the flashback worked on it’s own, it was far too forced in this moment.  Which begs one to wonder, why the heck are these two getting married?

Yes, they are in love, but this movie seemed to be bringing the relationship into question far more than necessary.  Starting with the wedding itself.  As Bella (Kristen Stewart) walks down the isle, she looks as if at any moment she is going to start sobbing and pulling away as her father drags her kicking and screaming by the wrist into a forced marriage.  As someone familiar with the Team Edward / Team Jacob divide, I understand the importance of the love triangle for this series, but once Bella has made the choice in marriage I think it is time to have this resolved more than it has been.  But instead of having the loving marriage starting off as such, it almost felt as if through it all she was more happy to see Jacob than her own husband, happily jumping into his arms as he arrives at the wedding (as opposed to the hardly visible smile when she sees Edward at the alter), or by later telling Jacob that with him there she is complete.  Come on Bella, stop being such a ho.

This sums up my biggest complaint as far as story content presentation goes, but the whole film felt like a lot of potential was just being ruined by poor choices.  Starting with the choice to break the film into two.  Because of this, this portion of the story feels rather stretched thin as the director reaches for anything that will help create something film length, throwing every movie making technique into the mix.  Here are a few of the biggest problem moments:

1. As I mentioned before, the Edward flashback seemed rather forced into the story instead of being given the time it was due (such as Jasper’s flashbacks in the previous film).
2. One more horrible choice prior to the wedding was shooting a dream sequence where Bella pictures the alter resting on a mound of bodies of her friends and family.
3. We finally get to hear the wolves talk to each other telepathically.  Unfortunately the voiceovers just seemed so ridiculous in this moment as the wolves angrily paced around each other that this high intensity conversation of conflict came off as laughable.
4. An imprinting sequence is shown through a series of images, such as a teen girl and rolling clouds.  I always wondered what this would be like, and I now know it is something similar to a perfume commercial parody.
5. The use of CGI in order to physically show a change to a character was completely unnecessary, and in all honestly removed all of the impact of the final shot before the screen goes black.

I never thought I would say this, but in addition to Billy Burke and Anna Kendrick as the highlights of the majority of the film, Taylor Lautner actually pulled through far more than I ever expected him to.  Let me just put it this way, as a character I have always found Jacob to be extremely annoying, but for the first time I actually enjoyed his time on the screen.  I’d like to believe that it was just because he is improving as an actor, but that does not help me forget just how mediocre the inclusion of some of the other characters were (who will now be considered the “sit quietly in the background characters.”  I’m looking at you, Cullens).

Other than the expected great soundtrack to these films, Breaking Dawn – Part 1 brought the series back down a notch, or seven.  The series has always fluctuated in the level of satisfaction with the films, but following Eclipse I really thought they were heading for improvement.  But no, with a mass of misused opportunities, I can do nothing but wait for Part 2 to fix the mistakes of this film.

Final Grade: D+

(If this was Jacob she would be looking at him far more longingly)

Follow @BewareOfTrees

The Twilight Saga is coming to an end with Breaking Dawn: Part 1 and while some are counting away the days till it is out of their lives it should be remembered as a series that missed opportunities to actually be interesting.

The film is an extended look at the first few weeks of Bella and Edward’s marriage and it stresses under the attempt to split the single book into two films.  Easily broken into three parts, the film encompasses the wedding, the honeymoon and the speedy pregnancy, giving us no real plot until it barely scrapes one together in the third act.  There was clearly no real reason to split this into two and the film’s quality is certainly sacrificed because of it.  The film is supposed to be the culmination of these two’s long delayed sexual desires and the results just fall flat.

From what I have heard about the books this chapter of the saga was supposed to be rather R-rated and the film is certainly PG-13.  The film practically glosses over the first time between the two and doesn’t get very sexy on top of that.  The film could be steamy without being graphic, but Bill Condon chooses to just let us see the aftermath of this supposedly epic sex romp.  Also being short changed due to the rating is the alleged graphicness and craziness of the birthing scene.  Through the hazy gaze of Bella’s POV they imply some nasty work by Edward, but had it been more graphic it could have made the moment far more interesting.

The film’s structure is also quite odd in that it races through plot and lingers on scenes of nothing.  The honeymoon sequence is a bloated mess, the wedding (while mostly quite good) runs a tad long, we see Bella looking miserable forever, and then when they reintroduce plot to the proceedings they rush through every element.  The plot didn’t have to be great; I just want to think about something once in awhile.

The movie also, again, has questionable CGI which is completely uncalled for in a billion dollar franchise.  Summit, why are you cutting corners anywhere with these films?  Sure some of the effects look good, but don’t short change a money shot (the baby’s face during the imprint) if you want us to have any sort of a reaction. No excuse.

The film also glosses over just about every interesting bit the story throws out there and I really miss getting to know the supporting characters’ pasts; like in Eclipse.  They tease us with one such flashback here, Edward’s human hunting days, and it is by far the most interesting thing introduce; too bad we only get a whole minute in this scene.

What did work for me?  The fight at the end was pretty good.  The music and score are great.  Condon and his cinematographer make sure this is the best looking film in the series and take full advantage of the Cullen home’s awesome architecture.  There is also a scene that would have been awesome, had the atrocious wolf pack voiceovers not made it almost terrible.

Acting wise everyone is consistent with the other films so I am not going to bother getting into it.  A house keeper on their honeymoon is a forced and horrible bit of acting though and none of the newcomers get time to do anything.  The wolf pack is also over exposed, even though they are only in a third of the film, and the film is tone deaf as it tries to interject humor at the most inopportune moments throughout the runtime.

In the end, leaving the theater I didn’t hate the film, but I was disappointed at the many missed opportunities.  Overly long and aimless, the film shouldn’t have been split in two and writing it up only makes the film’s shortcomings shine brighter.  I bet after seeing Part 2 it will be clear there was a solid movie in Breaking Dawn as a whole, but as it stands Part 1 has a lot of problems standing in its way from being able to stand on its own.  Awesome credits though!

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part 1 is a D+

P.S. Please more Michael Sheen in part 2

Water for Elephants is a sharp looking and acted classic romantic tale that is hampered by a pretty awful script that feels like we are missing large chunks of the story.

The film opens in the present day with an old man named Jacob lost at the circus as his son has failed to meet him there.  Jacob heads inside with the circus manager to help him find his way home when they begin to discuss Jacob’s background in the circus.  Flash back to depression era America where we see Jacob about to graduate from vet school at Cornell when a family tragedy leads him onto the rail road tracks looking for a new direction in life.  Stowing on the first train he sees, Jacob finds himself on the Benzini Brothers Circus transport and is quickly thrust into a job shoveling dung in trade for a night on the train.  When introduced to the ringmaster, August, Jacob reveals his veterinary background as he is about to be escorted off the train and is immediately taken under August’s wing as a smart and decent friend to have around the circus.  Jacob and August’s relationship becomes a complex one as Jacob is introduced to shady ways of the circus and as Jacob and August’s wife, Marlena grow closer.

The film’s biggest issues lie in its script which relies far too much on voice over and easy unearned emotional hooks to build character sympathy.  Anyone aware with circus conditions and the treatment of animals shouldn’t be surprised by some of the cruelty on display here but the film greatly relies on this for any sort of reaction from the audience over the course of the first half of the film.  The film also moves fast and loose with time and seems to just glance over things and never really digs into some of the issues it has to dissect.  From the cruel circus culture, the treatment of employees, and the odd cast of characters you find at a circus, the film just never really explores any of this interesting material.  The film instead relies on the three way relationship between Jacob, August, and Marlena for its emotional hook and that only works to varying levels of success.

August is played by Chritoph Waltz and he creates an interesting portrait of a disturbed and troubled man that seems truly at odds with his actions.  He can be incredibly kind and sincere one second and threatening to throw you off the train the next and Waltz captures it perfectly.  For most of the film we feel sorry for August as he tries to redeem his outbursts and I think the story cheats a bit by villainizing him so strongly in the end.  Waltz works wonderfully with Robert Pattinson and Reese Witherspoon as well as all three actors turn in some fine work.  Pattinson and Witherspoon don’t get as many big moments as Waltz but I think they both capture the characters quite well for how underdeveloped the script is.  The film’s third act hinges on such a drastic instance of misunderstanding to spark the drama of the end that you can’t help but call it a stretch which also leads the film’s attention away from its most compelling storyline, Rosie the elephant.

The scenes with Rosie are the ones that work the best, no matter kind or cruel, and the film’s final act leaves it all behind for the half baked and unbelievable romance of the picture.  Rosie is a wonderful character, full of life, and everything surrounding her works pretty great.  And while it is a shame that we get away from her and the circus, the film’s climatic scene at the circus is fantastic.  Director Francis Lawrence nails the insanity and terror of the moment that serves as an excellent conclusion to our story.

In the end, Water for Elephants is a fine enough picture but I feel like it could have been something more.  Having not read the novel it is based on I don’t know if the script cut out some of the more interesting material, i.e. circus conditions, life and characters, or if the story simply used the setting as a back drop for a rather run of the mill classic romance.  Either way, the film feels uninventive and a tad dated the instant is over and while I was pleasantly surprised with the outcome I can’t say I am going to be in a rush to see this film again.  Finely acted and wonderfully shot, there is material to enjoy here, just don’t expect some grand adaptation of a story many hold dear.

Water for Elephants is a C

When I speak of my love of the vampire genre I always throw out references to Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Underworld, 30 Days of Night, True Blood…the list goes on and on.  However, unless directly asked I would never admit to having read all of the Twilight novels in a week or owning one of the two prior films.  Maybe it is the mushy soap opera nature, or maybe it is how much the fanatical Twihards creep me out; but no matter the case, I was embarrassed to admit that I find some level of enjoyment from these stories.  But after watching The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, I can now say with no shame that I am a fan of the Twilight series.

This entry into the series sees a lot of established storylines built into the previous films coming to a head as Bella moves closer to graduating high school.  As far as the love triangle is concerned, Bella has yet to answer Edward’s proposal of marriage and Jacob is still stubbornly persisting in his hopes of convincing her that he is the right supernatural being for her.  Also, Victoria has yet to give up her grudge over the Cullen family making a bonfire out of her life-after-death mate at the end of the first film, constantly trespassing into their territory. Though she is a common enemy for both the Cullens and werewolves, the proximity of the two groups is still causing some tension.  However, when a nearby spree of violence in Seattle starts to grow out of hand, the two groups are forced to form a truce to defend their home of Forks and the secrecy of their existence.

In the first Twilight film the love story between Bella and Edward was as awkward as it was cute, but when Edward left Bella in New Moon things spiraled out of control.  It was an emotional rollercoaster for Bella, and in all honesty the extent of the melodramatic nature of her breakdown was far too uncomfortable for me to enjoy playing witness to.  But now I am happy to say that third time is a charm, as Eclipse has been able to find a bearable representation of this heightened love story.  Don’t get me wrong, it is still as mushy as it ever was, but now instead of rolling my eyes at it I am back to giggling like the teenage girl these films usually cause me to revert back to.

Though this is a dangerous situation for the characters, it is not as dire and depressed as the previous film, with a lot of lighter moments that make it far easier to connect to the characters and enjoy the performances of the actors.  Not to bash on her previous performances in any way because I have never had a problem with Kristen Stewart’s acting, but she is best off with this change.  She seems to be fully comfortable in the role, mirroring Bella’s growth as a character as she gets more comfortable in her own skin.  And let’s face it, it’s far easier to connect to her character this time around because she is no longer an emotional wreck defined by the loss of her boyfriend.  Robert Pattinson gets the same boost to his character by being allowed to relax his face from an agonized brood with scenes between the two in which they are allowed to act like a happy couple. And to round out the love triangle, it is fun to watch both he and Taylor Lautner play off each other as they butt heads over their mutual love interest.

Something that I have always been happy about is the inclusion of the smaller characters in these films, and Eclipse is no exception.  Stewart gets to show even more depth in some heartfelt and fun scenes with Sarah Clarke and Billy Burke as her parents, with Burke continuing his part as one of my favorite characters of the films.  The high schooler friends are back briefly, and they take full advantage of having Anna Kendrick by giving Jessica a speech at their graduation.  As for the Cullen family, special mention must go out to Jackson Rathbone and Nikki Reed who both take advantage of their brief moment in the spotlight thanks to flashback sequences for their respective characters, and though Jasper’s seems much more relevant in the context and flow of the film, Reed provides my favorite comedic bit in Rosalie’s flashback.  My only complaint is that there is far too little Alice in the films, who is easily my favorite character of the books.  Here’s hoping Ashley Greene gets her moment as Rathbone and Reed did here.

The trailers definitely over-exaggerate the amount of action in Eclipse, but what little is included is quite amazing to watch.  In addition to this, the CGI werewolves look pretty good and as realistic as I expect from computer generated creatures.  Their addition into the culminating battle alongside the Cullens adds a great change of pace from usual fights scenes, as well as another level of viciousness.  The violence is more than I expected, with vampires’ bodies being audibly shattered as they are torn limb from limb, and it is quite the sight to see.

With the fan base and history that these films have already had, there is no doubt in my mind that Eclipse will do really well in theaters.  However, this entry into the series is stronger in every way that the previous films, making it far more deserving of the success.

Final Grade: B+

The third film in the quadrilogy (yes Breaking Dawn is splitting in two, but it is really one movie) known as The Twilight Saga, Eclipse is actually good, in fact it is really good, and is a huge step forward for the franchise before the finale.

Now, the film takes no time to try and catch up the outsiders and I won’t try to do so either.  Bella and Edward are busy going back and forth over the vampire’s marriage proposal while Alice sees a vision that will set the film’s plot into motion.  A growing threat in Seattle threatens the supernatural, and human, inhabitants of Forks and while the Cullens try and figure out what is going on up north in Seattle they must also try to keep Victoria and the Volturi from Bella.  The circumstances force the vampires and werewolves of Forks to form a loose alliance for the best of all of them and Jacob makes one last attempt at the heart of Bella whom he loves.

Now, if that paragraph didn’t make sense to you then you shouldn’t be seeing this movie as you should probably check out the first two films first.  And even if you think those two are just average to awful films, I would still implore you to give this film, Eclipse, a shot as it is a solid fantasy adventure that takes advantage of all of the best qualities of the series source novels by Stephenie Meyer.

If you are still unwilling and going to complain about watching a teen romance then there is no hope for you liking these films anyways and while there is still plenty of swooning and attempts to sweep each other off their feet in this film it is made much more realistic and watchable do to tighter writing and better performances.  Stewart and Pattinson have a great chemistry in the film and Taylor Lautner shows signs of growth as an actor, even if he is still the film’s weakest link.  The average romance dialogue is one of the few weak points you will find on this film and maybe a few scenes linger a minute or two too long.  Other than those issues though, I can’t really find a lot to complain about.

The films pacing is mostly solid, always moving forward and never stopping to really spell things out.  David Slade’s direction lays its confidence in its audience that it will be able to follow along and this film never tries to pander too the uninitiated.  And even when the film does slow down a bit, these are some of the best moments of the film as slow spots in Eclipse usually give us more background on the Cullens as we flash back into a couple of the family members early days as a vampire.  The action scenes are also superior to everything else in the series and the final fight is easily a contender for one of the best action beats of the year so far.  The brutality on display is also quite surprising at times as vampires are beheaded and dismembered left in right in the end.

The films look and effects are also the best the series has seen and Slade really shot a very attractive picture here.  The film just looks like it should for the amount of money it has made and it seems that Summit has spared no expense and it really has paid off.  Slade’s “darker” resume helped the picture mature and be much more accessible beyond the target audience and this could have reached a very broad viewer ship if it was an original property and didn’t have the first two films in the series keeping most anyone but fans away.  The first film was a solid origin and base for a series that sadly pandered too much to its target audience.  The second film was a step back from the first, mostly because the most interesting aspects of the series, the vampires, were non-existent.  Here, the Cullens are front and center, the mythology is greatly opened up (and I hope they flash back even more in Breaking Dawn), and the action is really given a fair shake; lets just hope these themes carry over into the finale.

The cast continues to do fine work here, Stewart shows a lot more life and energy in Bella and this is her best turn yet in the role.  Pattinson continues to be the best of the young bunch and doesn’t deter at all here.  Lautner gets better but there is still room to grow and Niki Reed and Jackson Rathbone both take full advantage of their much greater roles in this film.  Lastly, Billy Burke continues to provide a great real world rock for us to connect with and gets that he is supposed to remind us that we are ultimately watching a silly fantasy film.

In the end, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is a gigantic step forward for the series and blows the other two films out of the water.  If this wasn’t a Twilight film it would have a lot of people excited that will never touch this sometimes great entry into the fantasy adventure genre.  Eclipse is a fast, fun, and action filled romance that obviously is never going to appeal to everyone, but I think this film really could if it was ever given the chance by the non-Twilight audience.  Eclipse is about as good as a Twilight film its fans, and non-fans, could hope for and  is a summer blockbuster that does just about everything right.

The Twilight Saga: Eclipse is a B+ or A-; I can’t decide.

Allen Coulter’s new family drama/romance works pretty well for the most part and while it does nothing terribly new for the genre it is a solid and entertaining entry that avoids cheesiness at almost every turn.

The story’s protagonist is, Tyler, a 21 year old in a bit of a rut who doesn’t really care about anything right now in his life besides his younger sister.  His older brother committed suicide when he was 22 and Tyler’s approaching birthday is causing quite a bit of distress in his life as he wonders if said fate is awaiting him around the corner.  Enter Alyssa, a 21 year old student at the school Tyler’s roommate attends and that Tyler works at who also happens to have a cop for a dad that busted the two of them out on the town one night when they tried to break up a fight.  The two awkwardly dance around one another before quickly falling for one another with circumstances forcing them to be closer than they could have imagined.

The film isn’t just about Tyler and Alyssa though, Tyler’s relationship with his family, specifically his father and little sister get as much of the films focus as the romance.  In fact, the best parts of the movie are Tyler’s interactions with his sister Caroline who is an artistic prodigy that finds herself a bit of an outsider at school.  Tyler comes alive with her unlike anyone else and they are the emotional core that will pull you into the picture.  Tyler’s issues with his father is where most of the drama will be found in the picture and while it might be back loaded on to the picture it works as surprisingly well as the sister/brother stuff.

Another strong point for the film is that the romantic side of the picture is handled fairly realistically and avoids almost all cliché, besides the obligatory third act rift.  Robert Pattinson has plenty of charm and cute awkwardness to go around and he has a working chemistry with his co-star Emilie de Ravin.  Both show off that they can play more than their roles in Twilight and Lost, respectively, and it is nice to see both of these young actors getting a chance to do something different.  So don’t shy away from the picture if you think it is going to be a sappy Twilight romance for tweens, it is much more than that romantically and story wise in the picture.

The film is also helped by a pretty solid cast outside the two romantic leads.  Pierce Brosnan plays Tyler and Caroline’s tough nosed corporate father who doesn’t spend as much time in their lives, especially Caroline’s, as he should.  Pattinson and Brosnan do some great work together, the board room scene being the highlight, with Brosnan playing the part just right so as to not just be an all out villain of a father.  Chris Cooper plays de Ravin’s father and while he doesn’t have a whole lot to do, he is scary when he needs to be and delivers just as fine of work as you would expect from a great actor like him.  Ruby Jerins is also very good as Caroline and she shows some real promise as to being a child actor to keep an eye on.  The weak point of the cast is the character of Aidan played by Tate Ellington.  He has a couple of moments that work, but he finely walks the line of funny/annoying and too many times falls on the wrong side of that line.  Yeah the character was supposed to be that way, but he can be annoying in the film without annoying the viewer and he transcended that difference on too many occasions.

In the end, Remember Me is a solid family drama/romance that should have very few people complaining.  Not a chick flick in the slightest, the film is a nice look at family and the effects tragedy plays on our lives and figuring them out.  Full of good performances from just about everyone there isn’t a lot to complain about as Coulter’s film is fast paced and feels rather authentic.  I have heard some people cry serious foul about the ending of the film, and I won’t spoil it here, but I will say that people need to lighten up and realize that this story was true for far too many families and I didn’t have one problem with it.  With that said Remember Me is worth your time if you are looking for a solid drama that pleases even if it doesn’t blow you away.

Remember Me is a B

*Spoiler alert*

I’m personally a fan of the books, and I have high hopes for this film. This trailer however, is crappy just as I expected it to be. They decide to focus on the love triangle between Bella, Edward, and Jacob instead of anything else. There were no shots of Victoria’s new vampire mate, her vampire army, or the wolf pack. And did anyone notice the cast change for the role of Victoria? Despite her fake red hair, I thought Rachelle Lefevre was perfect for the role of Victoria. Now they’ve replaced her with someone I find far too ugly to be a vampire.

There can only be one reason why they focused on the love triangle in the trailer, more viewers. Personally, I think it’s a very stupid marketing strategy. People who are already Twilight fans will see this movie no matter what. They should spin Eclipse as an vampire action movie to broaden the audience spectrum. Anyone with any common sense should know Bella is going to end up with Edward. Twilight is a book series about vampires, NOT werewolves. I guess we’ll have to wait until June 30 to find out how good this movie turns out.

Even with director Catherine Hardwicke’s take on bringing the first book of this series to screen, Chris Weitz fails to do little more than use her vision as a guidebook on how to direct The Twilight Saga: New Moon, and therefore, recreates a lot of the problems that plagued the first film while simply trying to appease the salivating masses of obsessed fans.

If you have read the books of this series, then you know exactly what happens in this ridiculously faithful adaptation. For those of you who haven’t, New Moon begins with Bella’s 18^th birthday, which proves to be just as traumatic as she believed it would be.  While at a party the Cullen family chooses to throw her, Bella (Kristen Stewart) gets a paper cut of epic proportions, sending one vamp into a blood hungry state of mind. Brooding over the opinion that this is all his fault, Edward (Robert Pattinson) chooses to take his family and run away from Forks, promising to never interfere with Bella’s life again. Falling into a pit of lonely despair, Bella eventually resurfaces, only to attach herself to Jacob (Taylor Lautner), who just so happens to be a werewolf.

Following the lead of most of the characters in this film, or rather, the actors’ interpretations of their characters, this film tends to take itself way too seriously, making it hard to relate to the story and characters more often than not. Let’s start with the most obvious: Bella’s dependence on the males of this series is a little excessive, and I half expected her to end the film early by slitting her wrists. Instead, we just get to witness her complete dedication to teen angst and depression, complete with night after night of screaming into her pillow as she contorts her body in agony. And once she finally decides to return to the land of the living, she continues to mope as she competes with the others over who can be the most melodramatic and brood in the corner with the most intensity.

With that said, because the main characters seem to have little expected of them in their range of acting, this film easily goes to the supporting cast, who often only appear in a couple of scenes. First, there is Jessica (Anna Kendrick), who shines in her hilarious rant about the true meaning of a film Bella forces her to sit through, becoming a much needed burst of fresh air in this overly suffocating film. Harry Clearwater (Graham Greene) follows her lead with more comedic relief, along with Bella’s dad, Charlie (Billy Burke), who proves to be a saint for putting up with that child. And finally, the Volturi coven, the oldest clan of vampires, is fleshed out with a lot of great people, including apathetic Marcus (Christopher Heyerdahl), creepily enthusiastic Aro (Michael Sheen), and pain invoking Jane (Dakota Fanning). But lets face it, Dakota Fanning is Dakota Fanning, so no surprise there.

Continuing on this path, the supporting cast is not the sole item in the pro column fighting against the cons. For starters, though a lot of the music and camera work still proved to be over the top at times, there were a few moments when all the elements actually came together beautifully, such as when the wolf pack chases Victoria (Rachelle Lefevre) through the woods, showing that Weitz actually may have some talent after all. Speaking of the music, though the orchestral scores were a little much, the soundtrack to the film is full of many strong selections. And finally, though I complain a lot about how melodramatic the film is, this actually proved to be a great source of unintentional hilarity, and made the film more enjoyable than I am letting on.

Overall New Moon fails to expand on what was expected of it following the first film, proving to be a disappointment to me, but still enjoyable in how easily one can make fun of it. And let’s face it, my complaints will more likely than not go unnoticed by the screaming girls this movie is aimed at.

Final Grade: B-

PS – when you have incredibly ripped boys taking their shirts off left and right, at least try to pretend there is a reason for this happening.

The Twilight Saga returns with a new director, a new set of monsters, and a New Moon, but the film feels rather rehashed and far to similar to previous film instead this time it is girl meets wolf; compare to girl meets vampire.
Everything starts off alright, in fact it was making me feel quite positive about everything unfolding. Chris Weitz’s direction is far stronger and more confident than Twilight’s Hardwicke, with the camera doing far more interesting things. The focus seems to be solely on Bella, her father, and Edward and the Cullen’s as it should be and pushing all the unnecessary characters to the background. The actors seem to be doing better; everything seems to be going in the right direction and then the Cullen’s leave. The most, and almost only, interesting thing about these films is taken away for the majority of the film and only return in the final few scenes to save the film from being a fairly bad experience.
The story mirrors Bella’s path in the first film with a weird killer in the woods, a budding romance with a boy with a secret, and a secret group of creatures living secretly right under her town’s nose. The new boy is Jacob, Bella’s old friend from her childhood who lives on the local reservation as he is a Native American. A bit younger than Bella, he has always kind of had a thing for Bella, and now with Edward out of the picture, he makes his move. Bella and Jacob slowly bond, but her desire for Edward can’t fade as they become closer friends and his secret is revealed. While the two have chemistry, we have seen this song and dance before in the previous film. Plus, all of the things Bella does to cut her adrenaline going to “see” Edward gets a bit ridiculous and never lets us really buy into the whole love triangle as Bella really shows no signs of leaving Team Edward.
Besides the romance not really working and Bella’s bitching getting a bit to much to bare, the effects work was a real disappointment. The few set pieces in the film were pretty well crafted, it’s just the effects work was only adequate and not awesome A+ stuff. These films make so much money there is no excuse for a shotty effect shot or blue screen work in this picture and there are a number of nasty takes. The wolves look good, could look better though, but I guess the target audience of this film isn’t that worried about that; though every shot of the cliff was border line horrendous. The film also jumps around quite randomly at times and feels like we are missing huge plot points or they get glossed over with a sentence. The first film had this issue as well and as in the first film as well it stays away till the final act which all of a sudden rushes forward and seems a bit too convenient.
But, there were some things that worked in the film. Everything with Edward, vampires, and the Cullen’s was very good and the best part of the film. The dynamic of Bella and Edward arguing over turning her is also a nice little thread, but the most promising element of this film is the introduction of the Volturi family in Italy who are the sort of deciders of the Vampire race. Michael Sheen and Dakota Fanning will provide some solid actors for their future plots and they are as interesting and engaging as Edward, Alice, and Carlisle Cullen. Looking forward to more of them and the high point of the series so far is the encounter with the Volturi.
In the end, New Moon is sadly neither a step up or down for the series but continues to serve as a sampling of intriguing ideas and characters that they can’t flesh out into a fully engaging story. I don’t know how the wolf/vampire dynamic will play out in the last two films, as the wolves seem to be almost useless now even with the half assed attempt to keep the threat alive in the final scene. Though, if they can keep the dynamic alive, lets hope they make it interesting and compelling and same for the rest of the story, focus on the Cullen’s and Volturi and this series good eventually become a good franchise instead of an average one.
Twilight Saga: New Moon is a C+