The Last Song (2010)

 When it's over, the themes of rebellion, forgiveness, loss, and second chances are nothing new for a film based on another one of Nicholas Sparks' bestselling novels.  The story's about Ronnie, played by singer Miley Cyrus, who spends the summer with her estranged father, played by Greg Kinnear.  In this one summer, Ronnie encounters first love, heartbreak, loss, and the power of forgiveness.  There was two things wrong with this movie.  One, I thought the story was good, but it felt rushed through some how.  Everything seemed to happen so fast - falling in love, reconciliation, forgiveness, loss - that I didn't feel the natural progression of the story.  A tighter script would have helped.  Second, the casting was all wrong, except for Kinnear, who lent charm and humor to his character who would have otherwise been depressing and flat.  Cyrus lacked the ability to transcend the complex emotions that Ronnie endured.  I think the very talented Ellen Page would have been a better choice to portray the rebellious youth who comes of age.  Liam Hemsworth looks great on the beach, but doesn't make the cut as Ronnie's rich boyfriend, Will, who goes from playboy to good boy. 

My rating: 2.5 out of 5



Green Lantern 3D (2011)

When it's over, the Green Lantern's super cool "green" fx makes up for its story's predictability. Actor Ryan Reynolds tries his hand again as a comic book character, and fares decently.  He's in great physical shape for the role, but still lacks enough charm to captivate me as Hal Jordan, a reckless man turned responsible after a mystical ring chooses him to inherit extraordinary powers and a place in the Green Lantern Corps, an intergalactic team whose goal is to maintain peace and order in the universe.  Playing Hal's love interest is Actress Blake Lively as Carol Ferris.  Their relationship's rather static and doesn't really generate any sparks, which is too bad, because a lack of a good love story is a lack of emotional conflict - that tug-of-war in the hearts.  Yes, Hal does have other emotional conflicts including facing up to his fears and living up to his father image, but it's the conflicts of the heart that make viewers either swoon or not.  Actors Mark Strong and Peter Sarsgaard round out the major players in the film.  Although this film has been released in 3D, it's not necessary to watch it in this format.

My rating: 3 out of 5

Gnomeo & Juliet (2011)

When it's over, it's Toy Story meets Shakespeare, because when the humans are away or not looking, the gnomes of the house of Capulet and the house of Montague come out to rage war on each other and fall in love.  The voice choices couldn't have been better.  James McAvoy lends his voice for Gnomeo; Emily Blunt as Juliette; Jason Stathum as the nasty Tybalt; and the incomparable Patrick Stewart as William Shakespeare.  If you're a Shakespeare fan, there's so much to relish in this film, from small details (ei: the street is called Verona Drive, "Tempest" inscribed on a license plate) to the several Shakespearean verses incorporated into the script.  The music and lyrics by Elton John and Bernie Taupin offers a fresh "pop culture" take on the classic.  Plus, scenes of street racing, Juliet getting her legs waxed, and the military covert operation comedy makes this film a lot of fun to watch.      

My rating: 4.5 out of 5

Super 8 (2011)

When it's over, I'm surprised Director/Writer J.J Abrams didn't come up with a more original story.  I mean, he's created some memorable shows (Alias, Lost, Felicity) and written some notable screenplays (Forever Young, Regarding Henry, Armageddon).  He successfully helmed Star Trek in 2009, so, I expected more from him than an anthology of Steven Spielberg films rolled into one, which is basically what Super 8 was - a Goonies meets E.T. extravaganza, plus a bit of Arachnophobia and Close Encounters of the Third Kind.  The film takes place in the late 70's about a group of kids from a small town who encounter a train crash while shooting an amateur film.  Unknown to the kids, but captured on their camera is something that crawls out of the wreckage - something mysterious that brings the Naval Forces into town and a series of unexplained disappearances.  I was intrigued by the story's premise, and thought the mystery surrounding that "something" would be worthy of a sit through.  However, the journey wasn't worth the destination reached. I saw bits of the "something" in the shadows, and a few times as a whole near the end.  This was very disappointing, because it's this "something" that causes such havoc in the small town, and it's this "something" that provokes an emotional response in the characters, re-uniting them on an emotional level (father and son, father and daughter).  If we didn't see E.T. until the very end, would the film still have had the success it received?  Probably not.  The secrecy behind that "something" shouldn't have been a secret at all.  It should have been up front and centre - lets see what we're dealing with.  Aside from the science fiction aspect of the film, there was also the human stories - coming of age, coping with loss, and forgiveness.  These are great themes, but they were poorly presented and supported.   I wasn't sold on the casting of the two main children - Joe, played by Joel Courtney, and Alice, played by Elle Fanning - who are two teens falling in love in the midst of the chaos.  If you're going to have two people fall in love, then you've got to make sure they have chemistry.

My rating: 3.5 out of 5

Pride and Prejudice (United Kingdom - 1995)

When it's over, this faithful BBC version remains to be my favorite.  Running at a good five hours, this production truly captured the essence of Jane Austen's classic story about 19th century society and the pride and the prejudice that constantly comes into play between people from varying classes.  Mr. Darcy, played by Colin Firth, represents the pride, and Elizabeth Bennett, played by Jennifer Ehle, represents the prejudice.  Both characters start out disliking each other, but as they challenge one another in conversation and wit, their relationship evolves into one of mutual respect and eventually, love.  Director Simon Langton did a superb job unfolding the various plot lines while keeping the tension escalating between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth.  This is one of those rare films where the casting is perfect throughout, and the script is flawless, thanks to British writer, Andrew Davies, who transcribed Austen's words with such clarity and flamboyance.  The sets and costumes were true to the time period, and the locations were breathtaking, especially the grounds of Pemberley, which Austen would approve if she was alive today.  This film is truly a treasure, and no matter how many times I watch it, I never tire of Mr. Darcy's pride nor of Elizabeth's prejudice. 

My rating: 5 out of 5

Pemberley