The latest release by The Weinsten Group and View Askew, brings Kevin Smith back to the directing helm. Zack & Miri (as I may refer to it through out this review) is a love story wrapped around a backdrop of a porn shoot.
When Zack & Miri's power and water are shut off because their minimum wage jobs are not cutting the bills the night of their high school reunion, the friends decide that if they were to make a porn to sell to their former classmates. But in typical Kevin Smith fashion, things don't go to plan, and hilarity ensues. Watch as relationships are forged, men are pegged and coupling is confused.
The best intentions were made when going to see this film. It was written and directed by Fred Wolf, who has previously written Dirty Work, Dickie Roberts, Without a Paddle, Black Sheep and Joe Dirt. All very funny movies, so why not expect his directorial debute would be the same? I was about to find out that Strange Wilderness will be one of, if not THE, worst film I have ever seen. How can this happen? We have a funny writer, a great staff, including Steve Zahn, Allen Covert and Jonah Hill. But from the moment the movie began until the end credits I laughed half a dozen times, as the funniest OTHER parts were in the trailer. Nothing disappoints a movie goer more than making all the best pieces be in the trailer. Where you feel cheated out of your $10 or so for tickets to only laugh on the pieces you laughed at for free on Apple's Trailers Page. This film was a juvenile attempt at entertainment that worked against itself through out the film, never sure when to end a joke, and rarely exiting said joke at the appropriate time.
Rambo is the fourth film in the First Blood series and sees the star working in Thailand catching dangerous snakes for a local snake handler's show. John is introduced to a group of missionaries looking to bring medical supplies and religion to the embattled Burma. When there, of course they are attacked and John and a group of mercenaries are on their way to rescue the group and bring them safely back home.
Cloverfield, the new film by Producer J.J. Abrams, shares with the viewer the story of four New York residents as they are caught in a city wide siege by an unknown creature. One of the most unique features in this film is that the entire film is shot from the perspective of the main characters. They use a camcorder to chronical the night of a going away party when the attack occurs.
What I find great about this film is it using the characters camera footage as the film's footage. It gives the film an entirely new perspective. Not since 'The Blair Witch Project' has a film so uniquely captured the participants in a true to form method. No score is featured in this film until the end credits and allows the visuals and atmosphere to build your anticipation and your thrill levels rise with each passing moment.
This film is well worth the time, 84 minutes of it, and you will enjoy the thrill ride of emotions. This film gets an 8 1/2 out of 10.
Nicholas Cage reprises his role as Ben Gates, along with Jon Voight as Patrick Gates, Justin Bartha as Riley Poole, Diane Kruger as Abigail Chase and Harvey Keitel as Sadusky. As expected new characters are introduced. A new villian (Ed Harris as Mitch Wilkinson) and Ben's mother (Helen Mirren as Emily Appleton). The movie opens by showing Ben and Patrick recounting the tales of Thomas Gates (Joel Gretsch) doing his part to stop the KGC from finding treasure and continuing the war against the Union, which part of this ends in Lincoln's assassination. Our heroes are put into jeopardy to find the treasure similar to the previous film, and come out the end having found the treasure (I won't spoil what or where) and changing the history of man for all time. If this sounds familiar it should, they did this once before, in nearly the same situation. What is different? For one, they must find the "President's Book of Secrets" which can ONLY be read by the current president.
