X-Men Origins: Wolverine Review

Since the early 1960s, the X-Men franchise has reigned supreme as one of the most successful series of comic books to come out of America. Beginning in 2000, the series has received multiple movie adaptations, the most recent of which being X-Men Origins: Wolverine.

This installment in the series is a prequel to the first film, returning to the past to follow the main character, Wolverine, through his very long and slightly disturbing life. Logan (Wolverine’s real name), played by Hugh Jackman (Australia, Van Helsing), is a mutant, or someone with a genetic mutation that gives them special abilities. His “gift” is the ability to withdraw three bone claws from between the knuckles on both of his hands. In addition, he has an incredible regenerative ability, and ages much slower than a normal person. He and his older brother Victor, a fellow mutant who will eventually become Sabretooth, go through their lives fighting in every major war since the mid 1800s. Fast forward to the present, when the pair is approached by a man in the Canadian government with a special place for “people like them.”

Origins was an above average film, boasting a good cast, very good acting, and a respectable amount of action. The only place where the movie faltered was with its rather sub-par display of special effects.

The movie followed through with what it intended to do: it chronicled Wolverine’s pre-X-Men life to the chord. From the discovery of his powers to his past relationships, from his fights to his flights, everything is here, at points in excruciating detail. The movie wastes no time in jumping into the action, either: in the first ten minutes of the movie, Wolverine has already impaled a man and fought in 3 or 4 wars.

One of the hidden gems in the movie was Wade Wilson, the wise-cracking, sword-toting mercenary who eventually becomes the mutant Deadpool. Fantastically played by Ryan Reynolds (Van Wilder, Just Friends), the character’s humorous personality is allowed to shine. So much so, in fact, that FOX has confirmed the production of a Deadpool spin-off, simply due to Reynolds’ interest in the role and the incredible amount of positive reception of the part from the fans.

Of the four X-Men movies to date, Origins is the most suited to the casual-viewing audience. The first three films were geared more towards past X-Men fans, staying relatively true to the characters but also attempting to put a new spin on the series. Origins, however, can be enjoyed by anyone, whether fanboy or not. Most of the story unfolds in a relatively easy-to-comprehend way, being completely understandable to someone with no prior X-Men knowledge.

In the movie, the special effects appear to bounce back and forth between acceptable and just plain bad. There were scenes that had fairly good special effects, such as numerous explosions and many of the fight scenes. There were others, however, where the effects were uncharacteristically low quality for a movie of such a high caliber; they appeared to be the effects of a mid-budget B-movie.

Due to an unfinished version of the movie getting leaked onto the internet approximately one week prior to the film’s release, the movie did not perform quite as well as people had originally predicted, though still topping the box office after making approximately $85 million. All $85 million dollars were well deserved, too; Rebecca Murray of About.com says “The action is eye-popping and in your face and the acting is spot on.”

X-Men Origins: Wolverine was a very good movie, with its fair share of action, comedy, and drama. The stereotype of “I shouldn’t see that because I’m not a comic book fan” is completely false in this movie: if you like action, Origins is a good choice. With summer 2009 so close, this is a good way to start the season.

Adventureland Review

A comedy from the director of the 2007 hit Superbad would be surrounded by high hopes for another comedic masterpiece. Sadly, Adventureland falls short of these expectations. Very short.

Adventureland is a comedy set in 1987 Pittsburgh centered on James Brennan, played by Jesse Eisenburg (The Education of Charlie Banks), a college student with a desire to go to Europe for the summer. After his father is demoted, James’ parents can’t afford to send him on the trip, or even pay his next year’s tuition. To finance his schooling, James is forced to take a job at the local amusement park, Adventureland. There, he meets a wide variety of characters, including Kristen Stewart’s (Twilight) Em, an emotional shell of a human being. Unfortunately, these characters are nowhere near enough to save the movie.

The sheer lack of humor in the movie is its greatest shortcoming. The movie, labeled as a comedy, is utterly unenjoyable. Its few comical parts were truly wasted, used as a filler to help the movie retain its “comedy” genre.

An all-star cast is Adventureland’s only strong point, and even their performances linger on the line of sad. Ryan Reynolds (National Lampoon’s Van Wilder), Bill Hader (Saturday Night Live), and Kristen Wiig (Saturday Night Live) were all drastically underused, with Reynolds not even uttering a single laugh-inducing line the whole movie. Had these three been utilized to their full comedic potential, the movie could have been much better; enjoyable, even. Their lack of use comically crippled the movie.

Being deprived of a plot did not help Adventureland’s appeal. After James is hired at the park, there isn’t much else to the movie. His ups and downs with several girls (mainly Em) are the main point of the movie, and even that takes a backseat the rest of the pointlessness.

Reading between the lines in the movie reveals the subtle moral of the story: “a friend with weed is a friend indeed.” The repetitive use of marijuana throughout the entire movie was completely unnecessary: it didn’t contribute to the humor whatsoever, and it was used by most of the characters just out of sheer boredom. Had the producers spent as much time making the movie comical as they did having the characters pass joints, the movie could have had potential.

Not much of a critic pleaser, Adventureland failed to put a smile on many people’s faces. Steve Anderson of ScreenHead.com says “despite Adventureland’s best efforts, it can’t manage to pull itself off the kiddie coaster and become a full-fledged high-flier.” The movie didn’t even shine in the Box Office: it only raked in $5.7 million over the course of one week.

Advetnureland fails in almost every field; the saddest part is how hard it tries to get there. The effort put into the movie is clear, but the finished product is nothing short of a train wreck. This movie actually tarnishes the reputation of its director, Greg Mottola; after releasing a movie as good as Superbad, directing Adventureland is basically a career slump. Mottola’s next movie will have to surpass Superbad in order to make up for such a disgrace.

Pride and Glory Review

“We have four cops down; two dead, two likely.” These words strike fear in the heart of any cop, fictional or not.

In Gavin O’Connor’s Pride and Glory, an Irish family of New York Police Department cops, who share a very close bond with one another, suffer from the thin line between loyalty and betrayal.

The movie begins with a drug bust that has gone horribly awry. Four cops in Jimmy Egan’s NYPD unit go to a drug dealer’s apartment to make a bust, only to discover that the dealer had been tipped off about their arrival, and are all shot to death. Jimmy, played by Colin Farrell (In Bruges, Miami Vice), is destroyed about losing four of his closest friends, and vows to exact revenge on the murderer.

His brother-in-law, Ray Tierney, is an NYPD detective who is currently taking a leave of absence. His father, one of the higher-ups in the department, tries to convince him to take up investigating the case for the sake of Jimmy’s safety and sanity. Ray, played by Edward Norton (American History X, Fight Club), is originally reluctant to take the case, still recuperating from the one that gave him a deep scar etched into his left cheek. Seeing the validity of his father’s words and how much Jimmy is suffering force him to get involved.

Pride and Glory is, in a nutshell, phenomenal. Everything about the movie is wonderfully executed: the casting made the characters feel alive, the use of the city itself makes everything seem realistic, the almost constant plot twists keep you guessing up until the final scene, and the multiple action sequences give the drama-thick movie some aesthetically pleasing elements.

The film treads on familiar territory: cops (usually NYPD or LAPD) deal with some sort of case and throughout the movie have problems with dirty cops. Pride and Glory utilizes these themes, but delivers them in such a fresh way that the movie doesn’t seem at all old or overused.

Possibly the most enjoyable thing about the movie was its integration of every character’s back story into the main storyline. Each character’s unique personality traits impact the story, whether positively or negatively. The interactions among the characters themselves is nothing short of priceless, many of which draw out more details of Ray’s very secretive past.

Pride and Glory was received well among critics. Michael Sragow of the Baltimore Sun, for one, gave the movie 88 out of 100 percent, saying “it overflows with a combustible blend of street sensitivity and testosterone.”

Fabulously executed in every way possible, Pride and Glory redefines the Cop Drama genre. While the storyline is its best aspect, the superb acting adds to the progression of the story and the incredible amount of character development. Even to someone who is not interested in Cop Dramas, Pride and Glory is a fantastic movie that should not be passed up.

Push Review

To any action movie lover, gun fights, corrupt organizations, and flashy visuals would definitely catch the eye.

Push is a sci-fi action flick about people with telekinetic abilities (specifically nine different groups, each with a different name and power) being hunted by a government agency known simply as “Division.” Division attempts to capture these people in order to turn them into weapons for the government. Upon their capture, they are administered a drug that is meant to enhance their powers, yet also put them under Division’s control. This drug has some massive side effects, however: everyone it has been administered to has died.

The only person to ever survive the drug is a pusher named Kira, played by Camilla Belle (10,000 BC, When a Stranger Calls). Upon escaping Division, its borderline tyrannical leader Carver, a fellow pusher, played by Djimon Hounsou (Blood Diamond, Never Back Down), sends out multiple search teams to recover her.

Enter Chris Evans’ (Fantastic Four, Not Another Teen Movie) character Nick Gant, a mover living in Hong Kong in an ultimately unsuccessful attempt to hide from Division. His father, having been killed by them a decade or so prior to the start of the film, has him living in a constant state of fear. After he encounters Division, he meets Cassie, a watcher, played by Dakota Fanning (I Am Sam, War of the Worlds). Due to similar motives, they join forces in an attempt to find and rescue Kira, and take Division down once and for all.

The movie’s acting was better than expected. All of the actors were well in character, and made the viewer believe that they really were who they pretended to be. Some of the banter between the characters was a bit cliché at points, though not unbearably so.

While the plot of Push is fairly overused in modern-day Hollywood, the movie stays alive with an engaging and original story. One of the main highlights of the movie is the powers themselves, with the many different types keeping the action alive and the story going.

Despite these high points, Push was received rather negatively with critics. RottenTomatoes.com only gave the movie a 23 out of 100%, saying “The sci-fi thriller Push is visually flashy but hyperkinetic and convoluted,” but Jeffrey M. Anderson of Cinematical.com said “…I was endlessly impressed by how thoroughly the filmmakers incorporated its Hong Kong location. …It felt great, like someone was alive behind the camera, actually thinking about ways to make the movie.”

Push shows us that being cheesy isn’t always a bad thing. Good action, an intriguing plot, and an excellent cast will keep you thinking about it long after you leave the theater.

Gran Torino Review

Get Clint Eastwood mad at a group of people, give him a gun, set him loose, and you have a wonderful movie.

Actor/director Clint Eastwood’s low growl of a voice reaches deep into your mind and pulls out pure intimidation in his latest epic, Gran Torino. Eastwood (Million Dollar Baby, Dirty Harry) stars as Walt Kowalski, an unabashedly racist Korean War veteran, living in a less-than-ideal Detroit neighborhood.

In Gran Torino, Clint Eastwood doesn’t just play Walt Kowalski. He embodies him. Even though he plays such a different character from such a different era, someone of any age can sympathize with him.

Recently widowed, Walt spends most of his time on his front porch, throwing back can after can of beer and petting his yellow lab, Daisy, all the while shooting his trademarked scowl at passersby. His most prized possession, a 1972, mint-condition Gran Torino, after which the movie is named, plays a large role in his character’s personality. The car, being so rare, is targeted by an Asian gang, who tries to steal it as an “initiation.”

While Walt is incredibly prejudiced, he has an intense hatred of Asians, using some unprintably vulgar slurs for them. Most of the movie consists of Walt dealing with the Hmong family that moves in next door to him, whether it be through the use of fear or humor.

Gran Torino is a rather dark movie through and through. The first three minutes of the movie set the dark, depressing tone with the funeral of Walt’s wife. At several points in the movie, various bits of humor are used to lighten the mood, particularly Walt’s “real man talk” with his barber.

Torino is a fantastic movie in almost every aspect. While the beginning was a bit slow, it is made enjoyable by the witty banter between Walt and his family. The movie quickly picks up upon Walt meeting the Asian family next door, thus intriguing the audience.

The movie was received extremely well with critics, with Manohla Dargis of the New York Times saying “Clint Eastwood has slipped another movie into theaters and shown everyone how it’s done.”

Rotten Tomatoes.com gave it a 76% out of 100%, or “fresh.” The movie even made IMDb.com’s “Top 250 Greatest Movies Ever Made” list, placing 82.

Despite being a rather dark movie, Gran Torino is an excellent portrayal of an older generation. Clint Eastwood brings his already sterling acting career to a close with an excellent performance, even earning him the award of Best Actor of 2008 by the National Board of Reviews.

I Am Sam Review

Ask any parent, you will get the same answer every time: losing your children is the deepest fear they could have.

Sean Penn (Milk, Dead Man Walking) and Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds, Man on Fire) show us the darker side to parenting in I Am Sam, written and directed by Jessie Nelson.

Sam Dawson (Penn) plays a Beatles-obsessed, mentally handicapped Starbucks employee who, after having a daughter (Fanning) with a homeless woman that abandons them immediately after the birth, is thrust into the world of parenting with nothing more than an apartment and some close friends. Despite the dark, grave tone to this film, Penn pulls it off wonderfully.

After a legal run-in with child services, Sam has no clue how to deal with everything that has happened. All he knows is: he loves his daughter, Lucy, and wants what’s best for her. Enter the flustered, foul-mouthed lawyer Rita, played perfectly by Michelle Pfeifer (Dangerous Liaisons, The Fabulous Baker Boys). As a fellow parent, Rita finds it in her borderline closed-off heart to help Sam, despite lack of payment.

While the movie did very well at the Box Office, the critics’ ratings were rather diverse. Charles Taylor of Salon.com gave the movie an F, saying it was “hideously manipulative.” Kevin Thomas of the Los Angeles Times gave it an A-, saying it was “warm, hard to resist.”

RottenTomatoes.com gave the movie an uncommonly low 34 out of 100%, because “Not only does the manipulative I Am Sam oversimplify a complex issue, it drowns it in treacle.”

I Am Sam may be a dark movie overall, but the acting is phenomenal. Sean Penn plays Sam with perfection, connecting with the audience in every way possible. Dakota Fanning’s adorable performance turned her into an instant A-list celebrity, not only for her cuteness, but also being one of the most promising young actresses in Hollywood.

Loaded with its fair share of trials, tribulations, and hardships for Sam, I Am Sam delivers in a unique way. Throughout the film, emotions juggle up and down in heart-wrenching ways. At times you may laugh, and at times, you may cry. Through it all, I Am Sam will definitely touch your emotions in a deep way.

My First Post: Everything I'll Say About Yours Truly

For those of you reading this who don't know me, my name is Jordan Barbeau (something you probably noticed by now just looking at the top of this page). If you're here, it's probably because I know your personally, you're interested in my reviews, you love movies, or some combination of the three. I'm your typical teenage guy. I listen to music, I like girls, I play video games, and so on. One thing that separates me from other teens, though, is my writing. I love writing, and specifically, I love writing movie reviews. I started writing my reviews in January of 2009, and like any amateur, they started off a little rough (to say the least). I was told by dozens of people, however, that I had potential, a critical "gift." Who would've thought a nice guy like me would be so good at ripping movies a new one? So I wrote. And wrote. And wrote some more. Every review I wrote I did my best to improve what I may not have liked about the previous one, my writing style constantly evolving. I wrote so many movie reviews that my Journalism teacher and all the other kids in my class thought it would be a good idea for me to be the Head Editor of my school newspaper, something I had dreamed of since I joined the staff. My goal in life is to be a professional movie critic for a huge newspaper or magazine, and after much persuasion by friends and family alike, I realized that a good way to get a head start on that dream is to create a blog for all of my reviews. So you, whoever may be reading this first post (which turned out to be significantly longer than I originally planned), are helping me immensely simply by visiting this site. You do your part by reading my works, I'll do my part by keeping you entertained and informed about the goings-on of the cinematic world. That sounds like a pretty good deal to me, don't you think?