Why would anyone see Eat Pray Love? I saw because I’m a critic, its what I do. But why would anyone have any interest in seeing this film?

In Eat Pray Love, Julia Roberts stars as Elizabeth Gilbert, a woman who, after being fed up with ordinary life in the big city, goes on a year trek around the world. This true story is the tale of one woman trying to find her soul.

Eat Pray Love is well-made film. It is directed with skill by Ryan Murphy and the acting is excellent. Julia Roberts plays her usual character but the real standout is Richard Jenkins. After an Oscar-nominated turn as the lead in The Visitor, the seasoned veteran is back to supporting roles, and this one is fantastic. The film is also shot well, and the four main locations (New York, Italy, India, and Bali) are all shown beautifully. There is no question that this film is a professional Hollywood production, but at the same time there is nothing extraordinarily special about the filmmaking.

What is really worth talking about is the story that is told in the film. Mrs. Gilbert obviously had some issues she needed sorting out, and this journey apparently did a lot for her. Good for her. Now why should I care about watching it? Honestly, I have no clue what the appeal to the film is. Such an introspective story is well-suited to a book because, in a memoir, the author can go on at length about his or her thoughts and feelings. This does not work in cinema, however. Film is a visual medium and therefore showing is always better than telling. In order for such a one-character character piece to function properly, the audience must be able to empathize with the protagonist and this is the key flaw in Eat Pray Love.

Eat Pray Love was not painful to sit through, but nothing really happened, or at least nothing we could see. By the end of the movie, Gilbert has had a large change take place, but we’ve missed it. The third act saves this film from being a complete waste of time. After rejecting her ordinary husband in America, Gilbert meets a Brazilian (Javier Bardem) and struggles with her fear of attachment. This part of the story worked the best, just because there was another character who could interact with the protagonist in a meaningful way.

Eat Pray Love is a film that lacks conflict. Although I am sure that a soul-searching trek across the globe can do wonders for one’s life, it does not make for a good film. If you really want to experience what this movie wants you to experience, go travel around the world instead.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

‘Twilight: Eclipse’ is going to make a lot of young fans very happy. Easily the most well made and thematically satisfying of the three adaptations of Meyer’s popular books, Eclipse boasts better effects, better acting and better direction either Twilight or New Moon. The three leads, Lautner, Pattinson and Stewart, like the leads in the Potter films, have grown as actors and do what they can to give the triangle between Bella, Ed and Jake some kind of weight and pathos. With Bryce Dallas Howard creepily smirking her way through the role of Victoria this time out, there’s plenty in this blockbuster to satiate the raving legions who worship at the altar of all things Ed and Bella.

For everyone else, this one is still a giant bust.

Bella Swan has been back and forth over the issue of whether or not Ed Cullen, the pasty vampire with the hair that won’t quit, is her destiny. At the opening of this film, which includes poetry in a field of wild flowers, Bella longs to be ‘changed’ by Ed, and Ed wants her hand in marriage in exchange for this. Although she’s quite clearly ready to give up her human life and trade it in for an unnatural one (one even Ed seems loathe to give her), she actually recoils at the thought of marriage. Strange that she would find that marriage has a permanence that being undead doesn’t.

On the Edward/Bella front, that’s the film’s main dilemma. Bella, who doesn’t seem to mind leading on two supernatural creatures at the same time, also has to deal with Jacob Black, the Native American werewolf who thankfully traded up his fright wig for toned pectorals. So excessive is her shirtless prancing in this film that even Ed has to ask ‘Don’t you ever wear a shirt?’ Easy for Ed to say. If the series ever saw him without a shirt, audiences would need special order sunglasses just to cut the glare.

Jake believes that he and Bella should be together and he does everything he can to ensure that she won’t be turned at the end of the month, after graduation, where she’s ready to leave everything and everyone she knows behind. Strangely, it’s Jacob in this film who comes off more than a little possessive and creepy. Bella never really calls him on it, but he simply won’t relent. While she does slap him for forward intimate advances, in the end Bella justifies his irrational pursuance by reciprocating feelings. Of course, by this time, she’s already more serious with Ed than she’s ever been.

For those who thought they were showing up to a fantasy adventure and not just the detailed fever dream of a teenage girl, there’s a subplot involving a roaming pack of vampires in Seattle who seem to be amassing an army for the purposes of tracking down Bella. It is suspected by Ed and the rest of his clan that the vampire Victoria, whose mate Ed killed, is behind this army.  As they approach the final showdown, Ed and Jacob, and the vampires and the werewolves, must join forces to protect Bella.

David Slade is a welcome change as a director, and he brings a darker sensibility to the evil vampires that is welcome for a series that has mostly been milquetoast to this point. For the most part, he also gets some mileage from the beautiful wilderness scenery and under his watch, the special effects look markedly better, although those wolves still seem a bit ‘plush’ for my taste. Where he gets hung up is on the romantic relationship which still demands to be taken seriously even though it exists on such a level of imaginary feeling that it could be a satire of itself. Take, for example, the scene in a tent between Ed, Bella and Jake. Bella is freezing and she needs the shirtless Jake to warm her up. So that’s what he does, cuddling and cradling Bella, while sitting there talking with Ed. The scene is ridiculous for any number of reasons and it has no purpose for existing other than to set up a scene where Bella gets to have both men fawning over her.

At the end of the day, that’s where I get off the bus regarding the Twilight saga. It’s poorly constructed as a story, albeit well made as a movie. For its target audience, who made the decision long ago on whether or not to join this world of chaste vampires and amorous werewolves, it might just be the movie event of the season.

Rating: ★★☆☆☆ 

How do you feel about Valentine’s Day?

Are you one of those romantics who buys into it wholeheartedly, anticipating the day so you can lavish your loved one with affection and attention? Maybe you  just enjoy getting caught-up in the kitsch of candy hearts, roses and chocolates? Or are you one of the others, who thinks the holiday is a cheap and shameless ploy by the card companies to cash-in on romantic feeling? Maybe it’s all a scam by couples to make single people feel like crap? Have I hit one of your buttons yet?

Well, if you aren’t in the camp you enjoys the kitsch or wholeheartedly buys into the ethos of the holiday, then you should stay far, far away from Garry Marshall’s Valentine’s Day. It has been created with a singular, shallow purpose; cash in on the moonstruck miasma already associated with the day.

In fact, I can’t even guarantee that if you like the holiday, you will enjoy the movie. There isn’t a worthwhile character or thoughtful sentiment in the entire thing. Marshall has produced by-the-numbers claptrap before, but this is his epic of empty feeling. A mammoth herd of stars show up and tromp through several vignettes following a variety of people living through February 14th from start to finish.

I was reminded of Richard Curtis’ Love Actually, where a formidable and lively cast portrayed characters living and loving their way through  Christmas.  This movie has little of that one’s charm, and none of its substance and wit. Curtis may have packed his picture full of twee sentiment, but he had the courage of his convictions. The only conviction that V-Day has is the unfortunate belief that a well-placed pop song will cure any flat or tedious scene. There’s alot of music here as a result.

Are there any highlights? Well, if you enjoy seeing actors you recognize playing themselves and vindicating all those cheesy romantic feelings you have always had about the magic of Valentine’s Day, then maybe. Otherwise, there are snippets of humor and flashes of feeling, but they are buried underneath the grueling script which feels more like an airline schedule than a plot, making sure each thread is taking off and landing on time.

Among the cast, I found Jennifer Garner to be the most appealing and likable performer. She’s playing a woman named Julia who is circling potential romantic entanglement with her best bud, Reed, who also happens to run a florist shop on V-Day (how cute). There’s not enough here for her to do anything significant with the character, but she has the energy and the sweetness necessary to make something like this work. Maybe if the film had focused solely on her and Kutcher’s Reed it would have stood a better chance. Instead it throws us Julia Roberts, Hector Elizando, Jamie Foxx, Jessica Biel, Topher Grace, Patrick Dempsey, Taylor Lautner, Anne Hathaway, Kathy Bates, George Lopez and Queen Latifah. I could have done without the lot of them. Well, ok, we can keep Latifah. She’s also one of the few bright spots.

Valentine’s Day is a movie without a single surprise. If you watch the trailer right now, you will understand everything that wants to be said, and what will happen to all of the characters. You will also know if it’s a movie you will like. If you find yourself rolling your eyes, you’re better off sitting this V-Day out.

Rating: ★½☆☆☆ 

Utter the words Indiana Jones and immediately everybody knows what you’re talking about.  You’re talking about fast-paced, globe-trotting quests for long-lost artifacts, ancient deathtraps and amazing action sequences.  But most importantly, you’re talking about a cinematic icon who has become a household name for any film buff.  From the fedora hat to the bullwhip, Indiana Jones the character is one whom almost everybody loves.

This year, Kingdom of the Crystal Skull was released after a 19 year-long wait, and the results were for the most part a mixed bag for everyone.  Of course there were those (myself included) who continued to be thrilled and fascinated by everything, however there were also those who were disappointed by it.  All I have to say to those people is were you watching the same movie I was?  Because the “Indy 4″ I’ve now seen a total of five times retains everything that made the original three so great, making for yet another solid entry in the franchise.  Yes, i agree that sometimes it does stretch the boundaries of logic even by Indy standards (i.e. the whole refrigerator scene and a piece of the jungle sequence), but overall it’s a very fun ride that returns us to the world of a hero missing from the big screen for too long.

Without going into great detail about the plot, the fourth film involves a hunt for an ancient artifact that may contain clues to extraterrestrials.  Yes, aliens actually made an appearance in an Indy movie, although they’re commonly referred to as ‘interdimensional beings’ in the movie.  Along for the ride is Indy’s long-lost son, Mutt Williams (Shia LaBeouf), a double-crossing friend (Ray Winstone), and old flame Marion Ravenwood (Karen Allen).  This time, the Russians are the bad guys and they’re led by the cold Irina Spalko (Cate Blanchett).  Everyone’s after the Crystal Skull, which has a mystery surrounding it that has to do ith the mythical Lost City of Gold.

This 2-Disc Limited  Edition is loaded with behind-the-scenes features that detail every step of the filmmaking process.  Along with the film itself on the first disc are two short featurettes:  “The Return Of A Legend” and “Pre-Production”.  “Pre-Production”, of course, gives a brief glimpse into how Steven Spielberg, George Lucas and the others went about developing the idea for “Kingdom” and “Return Of A Legend” pretty much does the same thing, only it focuses more on the collaborative team behind Indy talking about how the dream of a fourth Indiana Jones movie finally became a reality.  The second disc includes more behind-the-scenes goodness, with a detailed 12-part look at the creation of the film.  With this multi-part documentary as well as the one featured on the “Iron Man” Special Edition gives me a renewed faith in the “Making-Of” features for blockbuster DVDs in the future.  Also included are Pre-Visualization Sequences that show exactly how three of the film’s most exciting sequences were conceived, prepped and executed AS WELL AS Galleries, Trailers and a Game Demo for the LEGO Indiana Jones XBOX 360 game.

All in all, this is a must-buy for anyone who enjoyed the film, or any Indy fan period.

“Cloverfield”, the high-profile monster movie produced by Master of Mystery J.J. Abrahms, has been on DVD for a few months now.  And if you were one of the many who caught the film in theaters back at the beginning of the year, then more likely it’s already in your DVD library.  However, for those of you who haven’t caught it on home video yet, then here’s the rundown on how the film itself looks on the small screen and how good the extras are.

The film takes place over the course of one terrifying night, when Manhattan is abruptly attacked by an enormous creature that looks like a cross between a praying mantis and a spider.  We follow a group of twenty-somethings who happened to be throwing a “Going Away” party for their best friend Rob as they embark upon a rescue mission to save Rob’s true love, Beth.  Of course, everybody knows that the movie was filmed in a unique way, namely from the perspective of the viewfinder of an extremely jiggly video camera, one being manned by Hud.  It’s obvious that this idea was inspired by “The Blair Witch Project”, which was another revolutionary thriller during its time because it too employed the use of of the shaky cam.

There were many complaints from people who saw “Cloverfield” during its theatrical run about how the film’s constant camera movements caused uneasiness where their stomachs were concerned, but I personally didn’t have that problem, so I can’t really say if watching the movie on a regular T.V. screen makes a difference where that issue is concerned.  “Cloverfield” is presented in its original theatrical exhibition of the 1.85:1 widescreen aspect ratio, and the transfer is pretty well-handled.  However, I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a guy who pays attention to the sharpness of a movie’s digital transfer, so suffice it to say that for the most part the picture looks good.

The extras on the disc include a feature commentary by director Matt Reeves, deleted scenes and alternate endings, multiple “making of” featurettes, and looks into how the film’s visual effects were done.  The deleted scenes aren’t really that special; just extra fluff that easily leant itself to editing.  The two alternate endings aren’t any better, as they just include the same ending in terms of what happens to the characters, but here the very last scene before the credits is changed.  However, the making of features are particularly interesting, as they show exactly how the monster was conceived and constructed, in addition to how the movie itself was filmed.  Believe it or not, the filmmakers actually let the actor portraying Hud hold the camera as they filmed everything.  Also included is a link to a website called www.cloverfieldfiles.com, which contains some extra secrets about the film.

All in all, I’d say the “Cloverfield” DVD is definitely worth buying for those who liked the movie.  It’s certainly interesting to see how such a unique monster movie was pieced together, and the glimpse of all the behind-the-scenes magic makes you appreciate just how creative this chilling film really is.

Movie Rating: 3.5 stars

DVD Rating: 3 stars

No movie in recent years has poked fun at, mocked and downright dragged the good name of Hollywood through the mud, laughing all the way quite like “Tropic Thunder”.  In a time when theaters are overpopulated by comedies that somehow have Judd Apatow’s name attached to them, “Tropic Thunder” is Apatow-free, but it still retains that gleeful sense of vulgarity that audiences seem to now love so much.  Not only does “Tropic Thunder” work with that vulgarity, it soars with it, easily making this the funniest movie I’ve seen so far this year.

In this laugh-a-second action comedy directed by its star, Ben Stiller, the very idea of Hollywood is taken for a ride.  “Tropic Thunder” also happens to be the title of a war movie being shot in the film, its cast a hodgepodge of movie stars.  There’s the action guy, Tugg Speedman (Stiller), the star of countless special effects-driven films that have gradually lost steam and the star of “Simple Jack”, a box-office dud centered around a retarded farmer.  Next is Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), a comedian famous only for his film flatulence but yearns for more respect for his name.  Then comes the five-time Oscar winner Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), an intense method actor who undergoes a controversial skin pigment alteration procedure in order to play the film’s main black character.  This really ticks off the cast’s real black actor, a rapper who goes by Alpa Chino (say that name out loud).  Anyway, the fed-up director (Steve Coogan) gets the idea from  the writer of the film’s source material (Nick Nolte) to take his actors out into the real “battle zone”, a jungle rigged with hidden cameras and shoot the entire film “guerrilla style”.  The only problem?  Well, the actors are mistaken for D.E.A. operatives and get caught up in a war against Korean drug runners, with good humor all the way.

Well, the real gem of “Tropic Thunder” is Robert Downey Jr., who shines as Kirk Lazarus.  In the hands of any other actor, I think the role could have easily gone off the rails as a result of stereotyping, but thankfully, Downey Jr leaves stereotypes of any kind at the door.  He’s black, but in a tasteful manner as he spews profanity, talks about collard greens and takes offense when Speedman says “you people”.  Downey Jr never overplays it, and his many arguments with Alpa Chino and the other cast members are sure to have everybody in the audience gasping for breath while laughing hard; the audience I saw the film with certainly behaved that way.  Downey Jr has always been one of my personal favorites, despite his personal problems, and I’m happy to see him back on his game.  He’s on a roll this year with “Iron Man” and now this.

However, that’s not to say that everybody else is just mediocre, because they’re not.  “Tropic Thunder” has a lot of funny performances, in addition to great cameos which are really supporting roles.  Matthew McConaughey has a good one as Tugg Speedman’s spaced-out agent, whose primary concern seems to be getting his star a Tivo.  And the other one that I just have to talk about is Tom Cruise as a vulgar, mean-spirited studio executive with no hair and quite a bit of paunch.  Cruise gets great laughs, both from his profane demeanor and his weirdly funny dance moves.  And suffice it to say that this role is one of the highlights of Cruise’s career.

Stiller both acts and directs perfectly for this material, as he amazingly makes us forget that he helmed the god-awful “Zoolander” back in 2001.  Stiller is clearly mocking Hollywood as best he can, and having fun with it.  The way the actors, agents and studio executives are portrayed in this movie will have film buffs such as myself cracking up continuously.  The film opens with clever fake trailers that introduce each actor to us, and they are hilarious.  Ben Stiller really does have a sense of what notes to hit for this movie, and it all winds up being a comedy experience for those interested in the film.

So, would I see “Tropic Thunder” again?  Definitely, because even though you can pretty much catch every joke about the movie industry the first time through, I think there’s still some subtlety underneath the surface of these jokes that cannot be picked up in the first viewing.  What Stiller has done is essentially created a biting commentary on Hollywood itself, one that always has something funny and interesting to say about how the studios operate and how actors can be taken as something they don’t want to be.  But the trick is that Stiller, who also co-wrote the screenplay, does so in a very fast-paced manner, hitting us with jokes left and right as he makes his point.

In the end, I would gladly take “Tropic Thunder” over other crude comedies like “Knocked Up”.  The movie is a laugh-riot with a LOT of F-bombs and other four-letter words, but that works here…somehow.  I know, crudeness and profanity actually working for me is something that rarely happens.  But I guess you could say “Tropic Thunder” is that rare type of comedy that I can say with all confidence that I loved.

Rating: ★★★★☆ 

Well this is some news that I am pretty darned excited about. I loved Iron Man and cannot wait for my Blu-Ray system to blow my mind once again. Below are the details about the Blu-Ray disc and the standard(crappy) version of the DVD.

The IRON MAN Ultimate Edition two-DVD set is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Total runtime is 125 minutes. Bonus features include

Disc 1:

* Feature film
* Deleted/Extended Scenes

Disc 2:

* I Am Iron Man
o The Journey Begin
o The Suit that makes the Iron Man
o The Walk of Destruction
o Grounded In Reality
o Beneath the Armor
o It’s All in the Details
o A Good Story, Well Told
* The Invincible Iron Man
o Origins

o Friends & Foes
o The Definitive Iron Man
o Demon in a Bottle
o Extremis and Beyond
o Ultimate Iron Man
* Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man
* Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test
* The Actor’s Process (scene rehearsal with cast)
* The Onion “Wildly Popular Iron Man Trailer to be Adapted into Full Length Film”
* Image Galleries

Soaring Hi-Def Features on Blu-ray: One of the most anticipated releases of the year, the IRON MAN Blu-ray presentation offers even more exclusive content for an incredible entertainment experience including a “Hall of Armor” that allows fans to enter the Stark database to zoom in on any of the three Iron Man suits – or Iron Monger. They can then activate the digital 3-D schematics to check out every weapon and the full high-definition renders let users fly around each suit to explore each of the armors in comprehensive detail.

The “Iron Man IQ” is a user-friendly web application that lets users create and share new multiple choice quizzes based on clips from the film. Fans can also download other users’ challenges via BD-Live.

The IRON MAN Ultimate Edition two-disc Blu-ray is presented in 1080p High Definition with English 5.1 Dolby True HD, French 5.1 Dolby Digital and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital and English, English SDH, French, Spanish and Brazilian Portuguese subtitles. Bonus features include:

Disc 1:

* Hall of Armor
* The Invincible Iron Man (HD)
o Origins
o Friends & Foes
o The Definitive Iron Man
o Demon in a Bottle
o Extremis and Beyond
o Ultimate Iron Man
* Deleted/Extended Scenes (HD)
* BD Live:
* Iron Man IQ

Disc 2:

* I Am Iron Man (HD)
o The Journey Begins
o The Suit that makes the Iron Man
o The Walk of Destruction
o Grounded In Reality
o Beneath the Armor
o It’s All in the Details
o A Good Story, Well Told
* Wired: The Visual Effects of Iron Man (HD)
* Robert Downey Jr. Screen Test (HD)
* The Actor’s Process (scene rehearsal with cast) (HD)
* The Onion “Wildly Popular Iron Man Trailer to be Adapted into Full Length Film” (HD)
* Theatrical Trailers (HD)
* Image Galleries

Single-disc DVD: The IRON MAN single-disc DVD is presented in widescreen enhanced for 16:9 televisions with Dolby Digital English 5.1 Surround, French 5.1 Surround and Spanish 5.1 Surround with English, French and Spanish subtitles. Bonus features include the deleted and extended scenes.

Which one will you purchase? I for one will only get the Blu-Ray!!

The folks at /Film have gotten their paws on some production notes for Cloverfield wherein we gets us some more clues about the Big Bad Baby in Cloverfield. Really, it’s a baby. JJ says so himself. And the movie is a love story. A fucking love story? Please.

Reeves also skillfully interweaves an important storyline throughout the film, that of Rob and Beth’s (Odette Yustman) earlier relationship. Hud is unknowingly taping over an earlier recording Rob had made with the camera of intimate, quiet time spent with his mate. “You see their loving gaze. It’s this small love story,” says Reeves.

That Reeves would be director Matt Reeves. But you guys want to hear about the monster. Straight from JJ Abrams mouth (allegedly):

The concept for the monster (affectionately known simply as “Clover” in-house) is simple, says Abrams. “He’s a baby. He’s brand-new. He’s confused, disoriented and irritable. And he’s been down there in the water for thousands and thousands of years.”

And where is he from? “We don’t say – deliberately,” notes Goddard. “Our movie doesn’t have the scientist in the white lab coat who shows up and explains things like that. We don’t have that scene.”

Not only is the creature disoriented – he’s downright angry. “There are a bunch of smaller things – humans – that are annoying him and shooting at him like a swarm of bees,” observes Reeves. “None of these things are going to kill the monster, but they hurt it and it doesn’t understand. It’s this new environment that it finds frightening.”

Sooo… it’s a love story with a baby monster in it? Great. But wait, don’t forget the parasites! They’ve gotta be kick-ass right?

And because of that, the idea of the parasites was born. “They’re these horrifying, dog-sized creatures that just scatter around the city and add to the nightmare of the evening,” Abrams says.

Ok, so now it’s a love story complete with a lovable baby monster and it’s pets? Still no word on the Incredible Bloating Woman in the trailer. To read the whole article, which has a lot more info click that little pointer of yours riiiiight HERE.

For more production photos lick the screen HERE. Clicking might work too, give it a try.

Now, if only I could remember that release date…