Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time :            PG-13            2010            116 mins

Back in my twenties I was a strapping young construction worker. I was involved with building one of the first solar houses in North Carolina. Not far from our work site was a country restaurant called "Fannies Gravy Troft". (Not "trough"; "troft").

On the menu was a delicious hamburger that they had dubbed "The Fannie Burger". It had great appeal to me, especially when served by the attractive young waitress that worked there. The Fannie Burger could also be had with cheese. I am a great lover of cheese. However a "Fannie Burger with Cheese" (as it was listed on the menu), held no appeal to me. One must be careful how one words things, yes?

"Cheesy" is the way movies inspired by video games seem to come across to me. However, putting aside all preconceived notions, I attended the cinema and came away feeling satisfied. So satisfied that I watched "The Prince of Persia" a second time. It was that good.

Jake Gyllenhaal threw me for a loop in '05 when he played in "Brokeback Mountain". To this day, I can't say the name of that film without stifling a laugh. I mean come on, you make a movie about two gay cowboys and you can't think of a better name than that? Apparently the producers didn't see the irony in the title. Oh well. That was then; this is now. Jacob did a great job as "Dastan", a street urchin elevated to royal status at a tender age by the King of Persia, his adoptive father.

"Dastan" has two brothers who love him dearly, but are duped into thinking he killed their father the King, in the aftermath of a great victory in war. The audience is privy to "Dastan's" innocence, but proving it to the heart-broken brothers is a daunting task. "Dastan's" quest to clear his name turns into quite an adventure!

"Dastan" is alternately aided/abetted and then impeded by the stunning princess "Tamina", portrayed by Gemma Arterton. Princess Tamina is renowned for her beauty. She can aid/abet me anytime. (Within the bounds of matrimony of course, after a proper courtship, and betrothal period. What sort of man do you think I am anyway!?)

"Prince of Persia: Sands of Time" is a non-stop true action/adventure from the opening frame until the last.

Look for solid performances from Sir Ben Kingsley (as Dastan's uncle Nizam). Alfred Molina (as Sheik Amar, a man who would love to kill Dastan, but he just likes the darn guy so much, he can't bring himself to do him harm). Check out Gisli Orn Garoarsson as the Hassansin Leader. (His momma should have named him Grizzly. He is one scary dude). Last but not least, look for Reece Ritchie as "Bis". (“Bis” actually rhymes with Reece. His wife is "Obis" and she has a child named "Son of Obis"... Okay, I'm sorry...I made those last two up.) But "Bis" is truly a character in the movie.

"Prince of Persia" is great fun. I think you'll love it!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    The Karate Kid :            PG            2010            140 mins

THE KARATE KID is unbelievable! No, seriously. It's unbelievable.... "Dre Parker's" mother can't get a job in Detroit, but she gets a job in China?

The mother of our young hero could have actually been written out of the script, except for the fact that then there would have been NO semi-plausible reason that the young man would even be in China.

The first friend that "Dre" (Jaden Smith) makes early after his arrival is also irrelevant. He plays a pointless part and after the first couple of scenes we never see him again! Somebody please tell me why that character was in the script?

"Dre's" little puppy-love interest, "Meiying" (Wenwen Han) appears unimpressively throught the film. She has almost no stage presence.

Jackie Chan is no "Mr. Miyagi". The affectionate bond between master and student simply doesn't resonate in this remake the way it did back in the 80's between Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.

The few interesting moments of this flick can't carry the whole film. I really wanted to like this movie. I did like the IDEA of remaking it. But that was before I saw it.

When the film was over, I didn't know whether to "boo", or "boo-hoo".

Unbelievable.

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    Robin Hood :            PG-13            2010            140 mins

An absolute movie-making TRIUMPH! If this were a book, it would be a page turner. You can tell your grandkids about this one folks!

"Robin Longstride"(Russell Crowe) has been ten years gone from his beloved England. As an archer with the army of "King Richard the Lionheart" he has shown himself brave and true in the battles of The Crusades.

Returning home to his country proves to be an even bigger battle. "King Richard" is killed in a side skirmish with the French during the journey home. A knight of the realm and the King's best friend, "Sir Robert Loxley" is also mortally wounded, but presses Robin into fulfilling his dying wish: Return to his father "Sir Walter Loxley" the sword that he had stolen from him ten years earlier. ("Sir Walter" is portrayed magnificently by Max von Sydow).

Reluctantly, Robin agrees to the task. Had he seen "Lady Marion Loxley" (the stunning Cate Blanchett), he might not have been so reluctant. Cate Blanchett threatens to steal any scene she's ever in, simply by her stage presence. She is regal and refined and startlingly sophistiCATEd. And that's when she's still in her trailer just getting ready to act!

There's a treacherous, traitorous, son of a bad woman that I can almost guarantee you'll dislike immediately, and learn to hate later. His name is "Godfrey" and he is the lifelong companion of "King Richard the Lionheart's" younger brother, "Prince John the Weaselheart". (Okay, he's not really called the "Weaselheart", but he oughta be). "Godfrey" and "Prince John" are well and truly portrayed by Mark Strong and Oscar Isaac respectively. Jolly good show by each. (Okay, gimme a break; it's a story based in England and I got caught up in the moment...)

"Friar Tuck" and "Little John" and "The Sheriff of Nottingham" are all involved in this classic tale. You'll enjoy discovering how "Robin Longstride" became "Robin of the Hood".

The acting by all involved is perfect. The turning of some present day woods and fields located somewhere on Earth into 12th century Sherwood Forest and Nottingham village is flawless. The telling of the story is nothing short of brilliant! Ridley Scott is a great director.

Did I say that ROBIN HOOD is a triumph? I did. It is. Take your merry men and maids and make haste. Get thee to the theatre.

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    Iron Man 2 :            PG-13            2010            124 mins

Iron Man is "2" much fun! Better than the first one and better than it has to be, this flick clicks!

Robert Downey's career is on a high note lately, and this outing adds to his rep.

As if Iron Man the robot/man needed any help, he gets some anyway. Don Cheadle (as Lt. Col. James "Rhodey" Rhodes) straps on HIS alter-ego and holds his own as our hot-rod red hero's side kick "War Machine".

Together they battle a very menacing enemy from the old Soviet Block, "Ivan Vanko". Not a nice man, Ivan doesn't let complete insanity get in his way. Along with his benefactor, "Justin Hammer" (another highly disturbed, but very funny guy); they have between them the means and the inclination to pose a serious challenge to Stark industries.

"Pepper Potts" (Gwyneth Paltrow) takes a little more power at "Tony Stark's" request, and almost immediately regrets it. At the helm of Tony's empire, she has the skills, but not necessarily the desire, to steer the ship of industry and national defense.

Will IRON MAN be defeated? Will Stark Industries go down in flames? Will they put too much butter on the popcorn?

Who knows? YOU knows! Why? 'Cause you gonna go find out! "Iron Man 2" is a blast!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    The Perfect Game :            PG            2010            118 mins

1957 was the year General Motors made the totally unique '57 Belair. In the automotive world, the '57 Chevy is an iconic automobile. It was popular when it was new; it's popular to this very day. It's a collector’s dream car.

1957 is also the year that a foreign team won the Little League World Series for the first time. Thirty pounds lighter and several inches shorter than the average American Little-leaguer playing at the time, these young Mexicans legally entered the U.S.A. and pursued an impossible dream.

I haven't given away the plot. The fact that this event took place is in the historical record. The telling of the story is what makes this flick click. By all rights, these boys had no chance. To say that they were UNDERdogs is an UNDERstatement.

As is the case in any situation, it isn't the size of the dog in the fight- it's the size of the fight in the dog.

As is also the case in movie-making, some license is taken with the telling of the tale. That's okay. Most real-life stories have some parts that drag. A 100% factual film is called a Documentary. It isn't uncommon to miss parts of certain documentaries because you are yawning, or are already asleep. Part of the art of cinema is making the flick entertaining. THE PERFECT GAME is very entertaining.

You will not find this film at most theatres in your area. I actually went to what used to be called a metroplex, at a very large mall near where I live. My buddy Scott and I were looking for a movie we hadn't seen yet. There weren't any, except for THE PERFECT GAME. Being movie addicts, we went inside to view it. I am extremely glad that we did.

Occasionally life offers up some unexpected, very pleasant surprises. This underdog sports saga is one of those. Enjoy!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    Green Zone :            R            2010            115 mins

Can you say: Better than HURT LOCKER baby?" WHAT!!? No way...yes way!

Matt Damon stars as a Bourne-again boy scout in a movie that grabs you by the scruff of the neck and doesn't let go. If it did let you go, you'd run after it 'till you caught up just so you could stay with the action!

Forget "imbedded journalists", as an audience member YOU are imbedded with a special military unit searching for Weapons of Mass Destruction. Searching for bad guys. Searching for the truth.

No Hollywood stars looking glamorous, just Warrant Officer Miller (Matt Damon) and the men under his command. Then there's the grizzled old veteran C.I.A. agent "Martin Brown" (played by the grizzled old veteran actor Brendan Gleeson). Agent Brown has been to two goat ropin's and a county fair. He's been all the way around the block at least twice. Brown knows something’s up, and that something bad is about to go down.

In any scheme, there's always a perpetrator and a dupe. I'll let you figure out who the perp is. The dupe is "Lawrie Dayne", a Wall Street Journal reporter who trusts a politician. (As a good friend of mine was once told by a Vietnamese women: "You got diploma on wall, but you not too smart!")

Ms. Dayne was fed a steady diet of "bushwa" (that's "bull crap" to you un-enlightened folk...) by the aforementioned unscrupulous politician. ("Unscrupulous politician" sounds redundant doesn't it? Like saying "and etc." Sorry about that.)

Lawrie Dayne(Amy Ryan) then proceeds to spread that manure through a series of newspaper articles that she believes will give her "the Scoop". Maybe even a Pulitzer! All the articles really do is stink the place up. It is after all, "bushwa".

This flick gives an audience member that "I am there" feeling. The Second Iraq War lends itself handily to this sort of cinematic presentation. Lots of house to house, close-in urban combat.

Our G.I. Joes are street fighting men. Iraqi women are shopping at the open-air markets. Children are playing soccer on the cobblestone streets. The politicos are jockeying for position. The soldiers are killing insurgents ten yards away.

While the excellent film "Hurt Locker" is mostly about one man's story, "Green Zone" is about how the aftermath of the fall of Baghdad affected many people. Told through the actions of half a dozen people with differing agendas and high hopes for different outcomes, GREEN ZONE is compelling.

This film was so real to me, I was tired when it was over! Tired of running through the deceit; the lies. The potential for death down every alley way. I was tired because I was THERE.

I recommend that you be "there" too. You'll be tired, but it's a good tired.

Step up to the firing line. Step into the "Green Zone"!

Thx, Joel

Other excellent performances to watch for:
Yigal Naor as "Gen. Al Rawi"
Greg Kinnear as “Clark Poundstone"
Khalid Abdalla as "Freddy"

    << Close Review

    Alice in Wonderland :            PG            2010            108 mins

3-Delicious, 3-Delightful, 3-Deedledee, and 3-Deedledum, 3-D Alice has finally come! (To a 3-D theatre near you!).

I love a good re-imagining of a time-tested story, don't you? Screenwriter Linda Woolverton has given us just that. With all due respect to the original writer Lewis Carroll, Woolverton takes us BACK to Wonderland several years on. Nineteen year old Alice is about to be wed to a man she doesn't love. She is considered to be something of a flighty girl; undisciplined. Very nearly uncouth.

At Tim Burton's direction, the audience falls down a rabbit hole with Alice (Mia Wasikowska). She wonders, upon arriving in "Underland/Wonderland" if her previous visit had all been a dream. She wonders in fact, if THIS visit is a dream.

Burton is a past and current master of this genre'. His direction or production of "The Nightmare Before Christmas" (1993), "Big Fish" (2003), "Corpse Bride" (2005), and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (2005), leave a searchable public record of his accomplishments. (And that's just a short list!)

Johnny Depp and Mr. Burton felt THE MAD HATTER, as 'crazy like a fox', would be the way that well-known character could best be expanded for this truly multi-dimensional project. They were right. Two masters of their craft collaborating again was exciting to watch. These two fellas go back a long way together. Remember "Edward Scissorhands" (1990)? How about 1999's "Sleepy Hollow"? Oh yeah, these boys make beautiful music together.

Helena Bonham Carter owns roles like "The Red Queen" (formerly "The Queen of Hearts" in Carrol's original story.) She can depict a frightening, maniacal, witch better than anyone working in movies today. (I wouldn't ask her out. She scares me!) "What a regrettably large head you have." THE MAD HATTER observes. "I would very much like to hat it."

Alice eventually discovers why "The White Rabbit" had come to the surface to seek her out on the day she was to be formally engaged to a sniveling member of royalty. She didn't relish the task before her, but eventually realizes that...that...that what? I'm not going to tell you!

ALICE IN WONDERLAND has been a much anticipated film-making effort. When you take every member of your family from eight to eighty to see this film, (and you MUST do that), you'll see why!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    Shutter Island :            R            2010            138 mins

I have two words for you: MARTIN SCORSESE. "Gangs Of New York", "The Aviator", "Shine A Light", "The Last Waltz", "Goodfellas", "Cape Fear", "Raging Bull", "Casino", "The Departed", and of course, "Taxi Driver". ( And that's just a partial list!)

I have two words for you: LEONARDO DICAPRIO. "Gangs Of New York", "The Aviator", "The Departed", "Blood Diamond", "Body Of Lies", and of course, "Titanic"( Notice any collaboration visa vi Scorsese and DiCaprio?)

I have two words for you: BEN KINGSLEY. "House Of Sand And Fog", "Lucky Number Slevin", "Rules Of Engagement", and of course, "Gandhi". (again, just a partial list.)

With those fellas and a host of other well-cast roles, one would almost have to try really hard to mess this project up.

The story goes something like this: A Secret Service agent (DiCaprio), and his partner (Mark Ruffalo) journey to an island off the coast of New England that houses a mental institution for the criminally insane. Almost immediately they are creeped out by the sinister and peculiar actions of the people running the place. Notice I said the people running the place. Of course you'd expect the inmates to be a bit odd, but the Doctors?

The purpose of the lawmen's visit is to investigate the mysterious disappearance of one of the patients- a woman who drowned her three children and still thinks she lives at home.

The web gets more and more tangled; the fear level rises. It seems that perhaps the TRUE lunatics ARE running the asylum. Something is going on at SHUTTER ISLAND that just doesn't add up. Is it secret government experiments? Torture of patients? Avant-garde scientific techniques? And why is EVERYBODY so darn evasive? They can't (or won't) answer the simplest questions!

As the twisted, psychotic storm rages inside the institution, a fearsome Nor'easter threatens to drown half the population and tear the old Civil War prison turned looney-bin off its foundation.

My wives used to hate it when I'd figure out what was going on plot-wise about fifteen minutes into a movie. Folks, I was completely taken by surprise by SHUTTER ISLAND. I never did figure out what was up until the very end!

In conclusion, let me just say that I have four words for you: GO SEE SHUTTER ISLAND!!!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    The Wolfman :            R            2010            102 mins

Benicio Del Toro had a leg up in the casting department- he sorta looks like a werewolf in real life doesn't he?

I held out high expectations for THE WOLFMAN. Solid cast, great previews, cool subject matter. Lots of horror material that in the past was done in silly, campy fashion has been recently updated to reflect a more serious, and consequently more enjoyable approach to the genre'. I thought this would follow suit.

THE WOLFMAN developed line upon line into what started out to be a superb film, and then almost collapsed into "I Was a Teenage Werewolf", then almost TOTALLY collapsed into a slasher film!

It looks like they shot everything in one take, and then no matter what it turned out like, just spliced it all together in one crazy quilt.

Sir Anthony Hopkins, playing "Sir John Talbot", is an actor whom I have never seen display any weakness in his craft prior to this outing. It's kind of sad really... like watching Brett Favre in his most recent playoff game. Sir Anthony portrayed a really malevolent psycho, and then later on, portrayed a really silly one. They were both the same character.

There were elements of this film that were exquisite. Then at other times it was floundering around trying to transition from truly interesting "old school" horror, to new wave movie-making. It didn't make it.

The straw that finally broke this projects' back was the gore. It's like the director was saying: "How can we make cheesy gore not look like cheesy gore?" (I know teacher...I know! You can't!)

I don't know how one film can have so much good stuff in it and almost simultaneously have so much junk. Parts of this I gave my highest rating; others a mere 2.

If I learned anything from my misspent youth it's that you never dilute Jack Daniels with city water.

In conclusion let me say: "Sit Wolfie, sit....bad dog!

Thx, Joel    << Close Review

    Edge of Darkness :            R            2010            117 mins

Everybody in the cheap seats: DUCK! Mel Gibson just hit one out of the park.

EDGE OF DARKNESS is a suspense filled, powerful, attention-grabbing whodunit. Mr. Gibson can apparently take on any role that he sees fit. Speaking with a very good Massachusetts accent, (remember, he's Australian), he can only keep his grief-stricken mind and heart together for one reason: he intends to find his daughters murderer if it kills him.

"I'm the guy with nothing to lose" he informs one high-powered official who is a vital link in a seemingly endless chain of dirty politicians, thugs for hire, and government contractors who are apparently untouchable.

He's helped by a man named "Jedburgh" (Ray Winstone). A shadow figure, who under different circumstances, would be Thomas Craven's (Mel Gibson) worst nightmare. You'll be surprised why JEDBURGH helps Detective Craven. And glad that he did.

Danny Huston portrays "Jack Bennett”, a devious coward that I wanted to kill myself. Huston played the head vampire "Marlow" in a little heralded, but great flick entitled "Thirty Days of Night" back in 2007. (Pick it up at the video store next time you're out; it's worth it.)

EDGE OF DARKNESS is a classic thriller. Not depending excessively on computer tricks and action; primarily depending on good acting and directing, DARKNESS doesn't ignore the details, or get bogged down in them.

Favorite line: "Everything's illegal in Massachusetts"

Thx, Joel    << Close Review