Flight (2012)

Flight follows the story of a airline pilot who saves most of the passengers from certain death and the aftermath of the incident. The twist: though no one could possibly successfully land that plane other than that captain, the pilot was drunk and intoxicated during the hour of heroism. 

Denzel Washington delivers a terrific performance as Whip Whitaker, the pilot of the ill-fated plane. As authorities begin to investigate the incident and that alcohol was found in the cabin, we get to see Whitaker's true character. He is a hopeless alcoholic. The film and Washington's performance do paint a true and hopeless picture on just how dire Whip's case of substance abuse is. As all of the right actions were done to protect Whitaker from prison and preserve his image as a hero, all that was necessary to save face was the slightest amount of willpower. Unfortunately for Whip, he did not have it. During the final court case towards the end of the movie, Whitaker can get off free as he is in the clear. However, Whip chooses the path of justice as he declares he is a drunk. He is convicted.

Washington's outstanding performance and portrayal is not meant to be sympathized with. Whitaker is an unlikable man who has led an unfortunate life and as a result, he doesn't deal with his emotions well. However, at the end of the film when we realize Whitaker has been sober in prison for a signifiant time, we see that his inability to tell a lie corrected his inability to will himself away from alcoholism. A fitting conclusion to a powerful film. Conclusion: Worth A Watch

Rating: 7.75/10

Cloud Atlas (2012)

Cloud Atlas is not your everyday film. It is something different that demands your attention and focus for 172 minutes. With six different stories intertwined into one general history, the plot is at times difficult to follow; however, it examines the general truths of life that we see in love, living, deception, and death.

This movie was directed by three different people and used the same cast for all six stories. In doing so, each actor had a theme that they brought to each character they portrayed on the screen. For example, characters played by Hugo Weaving and Hugh Grant were consistently antagonists, characters played by Jim Sturgess were continually victimized, and characters played by Tom Hanks displayed the many follies of man. 

The plot itself has too much to address in just a blog post; however, I will say that it is very important to follow the well-crafted montage set at the beginning of the film. The film also does have a collective and fulfilling resolution, which should satisfy even the confused audience members once they are down with the film. All in all, I would say that this is a visual experience that not everyone will enjoy, but it is a marvel and I commend everyone involved for taking on something wholly original. Conclusion: Watch It

P.S. The Cloud Atlas Sextet is beautiful

Rating: 8.75/10

Prometheus (2012)

Prometheus was one of the biggest summer disappointments that I saw in theaters. As prequel to the Aliens franchise directed by Ridley Scott, I expected a film that would do the series justice. Instead, I got a film that asked too many questions and had too few answers.

Prometheus is the name of a ship headed by a crew searching for the answers of human origin. No xenomorph in this plot, so I can accept the Scott's claim that this is not exactly a prequel to the Aliens films. So why is it that they find some huge white guy who is supposed to be the ancestor to humans IN the same spaceship that had the Alien. 

On the surface, it seems like a different franchise, but it might be the same. There is a little identity crisis, but it doesn't have to ruin the film. So as it turns out, these large white people are storing weapons in their ships. Still no Alien. These weapons are organic and can develop around their surroundings. Still no Alien. Eventually, a worm gets into one of the main male characters before he impregnates the main female character. She then gives birth to a gigantic face hugger. Still no Alien. The face hugger then latches onto the large white guy. Bam. Alien out of his chest. So I guess Aliens, xenomorphs, the horrific acid bleeding monsters with mouth-tongues come from humans. Makes sense I guess.

The movie has a cliffhanger as the female protagonist leaves for the home planet of the large white people and the alien is left on the deserted planet. So there is a possibility of a sequel; however, this prequel didn't provide any answers, just assumptions and questions. If Scott does intend on creating a prequel trilogy, I may look back on this film more forgivingly. However, as of now, I am an unsatisfied viewer. Conclusion: Disappointing

Rating: 6.75/10

21 Jump Street (2012)

I have never seen the TV show that 21 Jump Street, but that didn't hinder my enjoyment in this film as it had several great laughs, tapping into Jonah Hill and Channing Tatum's comic ability and potential. 

The story follows Schmidt and Jenko, polar opposite cops who have become great friends through circumstance. As younger looking cops, the two get promoted to an undercover mission to infiltrate a high school as fake students. The two both experience the ups and downs of reliving high school, delving with the nerds and cool kids. 

Along the way, there are several hilarious scenes. My favorite, which I think is the most memorable, is the stages of high scene. Watching the entire movie is worth it to just get to that scene because it's ridiculous but also alarmingly relatable.

In the end, the two find their niche, but not in the sense that we may presuppose and suspect. That being said, the film's story rides its inevitable waves and returns safely to shore with an intriguing story to tell. I think this movie will appeal to any teenager watching it as it's loaded with crude humor, but I think it's quite an enjoyable comedic experience. Conclusion: Worth A Watch

Rating: 7/10

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close (2011)

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close is one of the most touching films released in 2011. I am thoroughly puzzled as to why such an emotional story and well made film garnered a 6.9/10 rating on IMDb. The only thing sadder than parts of this film is that rating.

The story follows Oskar, a young boy with autism. Oskar's father just passed away during the September 11th terrorist attacks, so in order to keep the memory of his father alive, Oskar goes on a quest throughout New York to find the keyhole of a key his father left behind. Through this quest, Oskar is assisted by the renter, a mute who happens to be his grandfather. In the end, Oskar is forced to realize that not everything is an adventure and that not everything has a meaning.

Well this film had meaning. Beautifully directed by Stephen Daldry, emotions run high in this film as the audience is drawn to sympathize with this troubled character. The poor kid was exposed to real life in an unrelenting, forceful manner and we can't help but sympathize. Conclusion: Worth A Watch

Rating: 8.5/10

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011)

Dragon Tattoo is a brutal and unrelenting film that stays true to the book. That being said, this film was nearly identical to the original adaptation, making this movie nothing special at all.

The plot to this film is complex and disturbing as a journalist is aided by a young computer hacker in search for the whereabouts of a girl who disappeared 40 years ago. Daniel Craig's performance in this film was better than most anything he has displayed on screen before. Rooney Mara, a newcomer on the scene, may have had better fortune if she had a different early role. Nonetheless, she performed extremely well, delivering an equally convincing performance compared to Noomi Rapace as Lisbeth Salander.

This film is not for everyone. It is dark and has its moments of extreme brutality. If you can put up with that, the film has an intriguing plot that is different and original. So if you don't like subtitles (I actually like them) and want to see what all the fuss is about with the book series, I'd suggest this film. Conclusion: Worth A Watch

Rating: 7.75/10

Real Steel (2011)

Real Steel was honestly a lot better than I had expected. I thought it would be an interesting action movie about fighting robots. It actually turned out to be a feel good story about a man down on his luck who seeks redemption and ultimately attains retribution. Okay, maybe the film wasn't that deep, but the point is that it was better than I thought it'd be. 

The story follows Charlie Kenton, an ex-boxer who now undertakes underground robot fighting. He is a loser who is eventually brought back to his son who despises him. The two then find a scrappy dummy robot in a scrapyard that can take a beating. So essentially, this movie is kind of like Warrior: down on his luck underground fighter, poor father-son relationship, main fighting tactic is to take a beating. Anyhow, that is besides the point.

As in all feel-good stories, the underdog emerges victorious. However, one thing that separates this film from other fighting films is that it does not focus much on the actual fighter. Instead, the two people in the corner are the true focus on the film. This takes away some of the emotional connection with the fighter, but it also draws more attention to Charlie and his son.

If you can get over the excessive product placement and a healthy dosage of cheese, this film is an enjoyable action, feel-good, underdog tale. Conclusion: Worth A Watch

Rating: 7.25/10