Wanted
The plot in director Timur Bekmambetov’s movie is a bit thin. In-fact, a lot of it doesn’t make any real sense. Yet, this is probably the most exhilarating action movie you will see this year! James McAvoy plays a mild-mannered accounts manager, prone to anxiety attacks, who is recruited into a secret society and trained as an assassin. James gets to indiscriminately kill a lot of people, while he seeks vengeance for an injustice done to his father. Based on a series of comic books, the movie is full of spectacular car chases and crashes, extraordinary photography and editing, and heaps of exaggerated ‘Pop’ images. Of course, one of the major attractions of the movie is Angelina Jolie, as the recruiting officer, and she will not disappoint you. Thankfully, she doesn’t use one of her silly foreign accents in the movie. Come to think about it, she doesn’t say all that much after all. But, she really doesn’t need to. She just throws herself around looking absolutely stunning!
Meet Dave
American comedian Eddie Murphy has had a rather checkered career. Movies like ‘48 Hours’ (1982) and ‘The Golden Child’ (1986) were terrific. However, the less said the better about movies like ‘Coming to America’ (1988) or ‘Vampire in Brooklyn’ (1995). Eddie’s latest comedy, ‘Meet Dave’, totally redeems him. Eddie plays two roles in the movie, which are sorta the same, but kinda different. In one role he is an alien spaceship, engineered to look like a human being. In the other role he is the miniature captain of the spaceship, who, along with his crew, has come to Earth to steal all of its salt. Arriving in New York, the aliens soon encounter difficulties operating their spaceship in human social conditions. Eddie Murphy is fantastic in the movie. He is controlled, and never falls out of character, or resorts to vulgarity or crudeness. He gives a well-modulated, well-nuanced, and very funny performance. Meanwhile, the movie continually pays homage to such classics as ‘The Incredible Shrinking Man’ (1957), ‘Fantastic Voyage’ (1966) and ‘Honey, I Shrunk the Kids’ (1989). The comedy is simply great entertainment from beginning to end.
Hancock
Will Smith is an American Leading Actor who also has had a career full of ups and downs. High point: ‘Independence Day’ (1996). Absolute low: ‘Wild Wild West’ (1999). In his latest movie, ‘Hancock’, Will plays a Superhero with really bad attitude. He can’t help making a mess of everything he tackles. The City of Los Angeles is fed up with him. Eventually, he meets a Public Relations expert who decides to change the Superhero’s public image. Naturally, there is much more to the movie than that, but, I don’t want to give too much away. The movie has a rather intriguing plot. Will Smith is pretty good as the Superhero everybody loves to hate, and Jason Bateman gives good support as the enthusiastic PR guy. Charlize Theron is also very interesting as Will’s somewhat unusual love interest. The movie is Top Notch mainstream American escapist nonsense.
The Happening
Writer and director M. Night Shyamalan’s amazing movies include ‘The Sixth Sense’ (1999), ‘Signs’ (2002) and ‘The Village’ (2004). Like Alfred Hitchcock (1899-1980), Shyamalan has taken to making brief appearances in his own movies. But, he has much more in common with Hitchcock than cameo performances. Shyamalan displays an incredible ability to conceive movies with an extraordinary amount of mystery and tension. These movies are visualized through a firm knowledge of cinema techniques. Like Hitchcock, Shyamalan can also be called ‘A Master of Suspense’. ‘The Happening’ would have to be Shyamalan’s most controversial and perplexing movie to date. I am not going to tell you anything about it. Why spoil it? And, please, don’t read the notes on the back of the DVD cover. It is much better to come to this movie unprepared, and allow it to surprise you! Okay, just a little hint: What do you think would happen in this world of Global Warming, if the Environment suddenly decided to fight back?
The Love Guru
Yet again another American comedian with a shaky track-record. Mike Myers came to fame in his movie ‘Wayne’s World’ (1992), and it still remains one of his very best. The ‘Austin Powers’ series were appalling and tedious. His latest farce is an hysterical, over-the-top, completely outrageous comedy, which sends up the whole ‘New Age’, ‘Spiritual Leader’, ‘Indian Guru’ type of thing. Mike is hilarious as ‘The Love Guru’, and he has a delicious twinkle in his eye throughout the entire movie. Justin Timberlake is also great as a Canadian Ice Hockey Pro, with an amazing anatomical appendage! Intentionally or not, the movie succeeds in ridiculing ‘The Beatles’, and that silly 1960s fad of journeying to India to find spiritual enlightenment. The movie will offend, and amuse, just about everyone.
Mamma Mia
This must be the worst movie musical I have ever seen. The plot, or what there is of it, is trite. It concerns a young bride-to-be, and her quest to find her birth father. If this wasn’t bad enough, every five minutes some geriatric like Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Julie Walters or Christine Baranski break into ABBA songs! I am telling you, watching Meryl Streep warble ABBA tunes is a life-altering experience. The whole point of the movie, apparently, is to give more importance to the music of ABBA than it really deserves!
