The Lego Movie

The Lego Movie, the latest film from writer/directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller is a playful and thoroughly hilarious send up of a childhood toy with very adult themes. This movie will make you laugh out loud and possibly spill your popcorn (I didn't spill mine because I'm a seasoned professional, but you...well just hold on tight). Because this movie was such a delight, I give The Lego Movie three buckets of Killer Korn.












Never in a million years would I have thought The Lego Movie would have been better than RoboCop and yet this movie was better in every damn way. It's a charming, funny, and immensely entertaining story about a nobody who was in the wrong place at the right time. Emmet, voiced by Chris Pratt is a character that can't do anything without instructions and if the instructions tell him to smile and be happy then that's just what he's going to do. He's a construction worker and thinks he's part of a team but he finds out the hard way that he's really not all that special in the eyes of his peers.

One night as the site is closing down he spots someone looking around the site that shouldn't be there. He comes across Wyldstyle, voiced by Elizabeth Banks and she's looking for "the piece of resistance". The one that finds it supposedly fulfills the prophecy of being a "master builder" as well as being "the special", the most extraordinary person in every way and tasked with saving the world. Instead of the more capable Wyldstyle finding the piece, Emmet lands on it and the piece sticks to his back. Side note: Emmet is in love with Wyldstyle who is dating Batman which is voiced by Will Arnett. The hilarity that ensues thanks to that love triangle will make you laugh so hard you'll have a difficult time breathing.

The piece is the only thing that can thwart President Business' plans for destroying the planet. President Business, voiced by Will Ferrell is opposed by Vitruvius, voiced by Morgan Freeman who whenever suits him is either one hundred percent in the corner of Emmet or doubts he can get the job done. The job in question is to stop President Business from unleashing the Kragle on the world. The only thing that can stop the Kragle is the piece of resistance.

I won't get into what the Kragle is, just know it's an hilarious premise. Written by Dan and Phil Hageman, and the directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, The Lego Movie is at times raunchy, bawdy, bold, and always hilarious. It's also a serious commentary on life, conformity, and being so afraid to stick out that you compromise yourself to fit in. It may be a movie made of Lego pieces but it's got a serious theme underneath all the hi-jinks. The Lego Movie in my opinion is worth the price of admission. I'll see you at the theater because everything is awesome.  

RoboCop

RoboCop, the latest film from director Jose Padilha is in my opinion a complete waste of time, especially if you liked the original. This incarnation of RoboCop is a loud movie with a dated idea. In fact the person who green lit this 100 Million dollar fiasco should be looking for a new job. Because of that I give one bucket of Killer Korn.

The genius that put this production in the hands of the relative new comer Padilha, whose previous body of work consisted of four documentaries and two feature films is hopefully unemployed. Now I don't condone anyone losing their job ever, but to give one hundred million dollars to a man who had only previously done four documentaries and two films (Elite Squad and Elite Squad: Enemy Within) obviously has no idea what they were doing.  And while Jose Padilha may one day become an amazing director, RoboCop clearly shows that he was severely in over his head.

There really isn't much to say about RoboCop's story line that you don't already know. Cop is almost killed, get's put into machine by evil corporation, seeks to take down evil corporation, yadda, yadda, yadda. This time however, the so called "updated" idea is the evil corporation headed by genial Raymond Sellars, played by Micheal Keaton (who seems to be on the comeback trail), wants to put robotic personnel in American cities and have them then police American citizens. Backing him is THE right wing talk show host of the day Pat Novak, played by Laurence Fish err Samuel L. Jackson. Senator Hubert Dryfuss, played by Zach Grenier passed a law which won't allow Omni Corp. to police America with robots. 

Undeterred, Raymond thinks what the people want is a machine with a soul. So he sets about putting a man in a machine, enter detective Alex Murphy, played by Joel Kinnaman. He gets blown to bits and his wife Clara Murphy, played by Abbie Cornish signs off on the whole "put my husband in the machine" thing. That allows Dr. Dennett Norton, played by Gary Oldman to do just that. Robo/Alex is then put through his paces by the seedy Rick Mattox who's played by the seedy looking Jackie Earle Haley. In the original film, Alex decides to take down the evil corporation after taking out their henchmen. This go round, Alex is after the dirty cops who were ordered to kill him. 

This RoboCop is tired, dated, and riddled with more plot holes than can be believed. Written by (if you can say that with a straight face) Joshua Zetumer, a man whose previous body of work included...NOTHING! THIS is his first screenplay. Once again, one hundred MILLION dollars handed to a director with no real experience, working off a screenplay by someone with NO experience. Add those two things together and is it any wonder that as of yesterday, this movie has only grossed thirty one million dollars domestically? Do not see this movie unless you need something to inspire you to see the original all over again. I'll see you at the theater.

  

Labor Day

Labor Day, the latest film from the talented writer/director Jason Reitman is a moving, mesmerizing tale of three very damaged and very loving people who need each other in such profound ways. This movie is a joy to watch, the performances are wonderful, and the pacing is superb. That's why I give Labor Day five buckets of Killer Korn.












I initially described Labor Day as "gorgeous", but it's more than that, so much more than that. What this film is/was is flawless. It's the first first of its kind of 2014 and that certainly wasn't what I was expecting going in. I am a fan of Jason Reitman's. Yeah, I said it! I loved Up In the Air, Thank You For Smoking, and Juno so I was definitely going to see this film even though I heard some describe the source material, the novel Labor Day penned by Joyce Maynard as tepid. I had faith in Jason though, and he didn't disappoint. Labor Day was written for the screen as well as directed by him and because of the way he mapped it out, I now wouldn't mind reading the book, just to compare.

This wonderful film stars Kate Winslet as the damaged but fiercely protective mother Adele. Gattlin Griffith is the self aware Henry, her loving, heartbroken young son who takes on the role of man of the house nicely, that is until bleeding escaped convict Frank shows up and demands a ride. At first Adele rebuffs him but when Frank chillingly puts his hand on the back of Henry's neck, she relents because Henry is all she has in the world.

The entire story takes place in a span of only three days, the labor day weekend right before Henry is to start the 7th grade. It also primarily takes place in Adele's house which would be a challenge to any filmmaker but Jason handles it with aplomb. Instead of turning the house into a character, Jason turned it into a maze with turns and twists and off rooms that made the house seem bigger. When all three arrive at the house, Frank helps bring in the groceries, and after having his wound attended to, proceeds to repair things around the house that needed repair. He explained to Adele that she was being shorted by the fire wood salesman, he cooks for them, and while Adele is tied up, strictly for appearances should any neighbors stop by, he slowly feeds her a bowl of chili. And he lays down a path for Henry to follow by showing them how to bake a peach pie.

His plan is to make a run for the train but he's convinced to stay by both Adele and Henry for fear that his stitches from having his appendix removed may reopen. The reasons why they asked and Frank stayed are simple. Adele longed for human touch again, Henry longed for approval by a father figure, and Frank wanted to be needed again.

Labor Day is a wonderfully multi-layered yarn with rich characters who've been through and endured such pain, you wonder how they were able to carry on at times. The story takes place in 1987 so it was in the same time frame as when the film Super 8 takes place. The sets, the clothes, and the cars were era perfect. The film was shot beautifully, cinematographer Eric Steelberg did a wonderful job of capturing this movie just right. Nothing was too garish or too startling. It was never too bright or too dark, and the tones were perfect.

Scored by Rolfe Kent, the creative mind behind the music of Up In the Air, Thank You For Smoking, Reign Over Me and many others helps this movie come alive. The score is pitch perfect and it completes the puzzle beautifully. I highly recommend Labor Day, it is the one flawless film  you would be sorry you missed, and I'll see you at the theater.