Robin Hood

Ridley Scott has done it again. The man knows how to make big movies, and he’s scored with “Robin Hood,” starring the ever-powerful Russell Crowe as Robin Hood, or more accurately Robin Longstride, because this is a prequel to the familiar story, and I liked it.

And with Cate Blanchette as Marion Loxley, we have another marvelous actor.

Both Crow and Blanchette have 12th century faces – hard and good, intense and strong, kindly, with steel!

It’s gritty and it’s 12th Century – life is dark, damp and short.

Be sure to stay for the credits – it’s a million-dollar sequence – the most exciting credits I’ve ever seen.

Acting is superb … great cast ... the cinematography captures the 12th Century – the mud and the warfare. Like was hard, indeed. Music is typical for a movie of this caliber – powerful stuff for a powerful story.

The story is massive, and there are some editing jumps, but the audience can follow along ... and did the French have landing craft?

The relationship between Robin and Marion could have been done a bit more effectively, but it works.

Don’t wait for Netflix – see it now.

Iron Man 2

Written by my good friend and accomplished writer, Michelle Welker Scott!

The Iron Man with the Heart of Flesh

Sometimes, the most interesting thing about super heroes is not their strengths, it’s their weaknesses. And Tony Stark, aka Iron Man, is a flawed human being of epic proportions. Not only is he physically dependent on the Arc-Reactor in his chest, he’s also vain, egocentric, and ridiculously impulsive. In short, he’s a fascinating character.

Iron Man 2 picks up where the first Iron Man ended, with Stark openly proclaiming his identity. Unlike Superman or Batman, Tony Stark flaunts his superhero alter-ego. At the beginning of the movie, he lands his Iron Man suit, rock-star like, in the middle of his adoring fans.

But while Tony revels in his fame and fortune, his life is crumbling. The Arc-Reactor in his chest, the thing that keeps him alive, is slowly poisoning him. The son of an old family enemy has come back to seek revenge. Justin Hammer, a corporate rival, is building a fleet of iron man suits of his own. And the US military is breathing down Stark’s neck, demanding that he release his technology to them.

For all his panache, Tony Stark is a flawed man, and his biggest flaw (other than the faulty core of his heart) is his determination to remain alone. Throughout the movie, he attempts to tackle all of his problems solo. It’s only when he gives in and accepts the help of his friends that he is able to move forward.

Unfortunately, Iron Man 2 doesn’t possess the same degree of tension that the first movie had. Stark’s inner battles, though fascinating, just do not carry the same impact as a prison break from a Middle East terrorist camp. Yet, this movie offers much more than the average sequel. The plot is intriguing, the characters are interesting, and the special effects are, of course, dazzling.

It goes without saying that Robert Downey, Jr. makes the movie, but the other actors aren’t without talent. Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Stark’s personal assistant Pepper Pots, has wonderful on-camera chemistry with Downey. And Tony’s rival, Justin Power (played by Sam Rockwell), is perfect as an annoying wannabe who will never be Tony Stark any more than the dowdy PC guy will be Mac in those Apple commercials.

If the movie gets off to a slow start, it’s offset by the high-impact ending. After all, every great pitch begins with a windup.

~ Michelle Welker Scott

"Kick-Ass"

I went in expecting a comedy about teen-aged angst and got it, and then some.

What I didn’t expect was the powerfully dark story woven in and around the comedy.

Hats off to the director, Matthew Vaughn, who has skillfully woven the two threads together. Many a film tries its hand at this and fails. But “Kick-Ass” more than succeeds, which makes for a delightful and thoughtful movie-experience.

Based upon a comic book of the same title, (written by Mark Millar and illustrated by John Romita Jr., and published, of course, by who else, but Marvel), it clearly has that comic-book feel – striking images, powerfully developed characters with a lot of quirks, teen-aged angst, of course, some masturbation humor and plenty of well-choreographed violence – “sickening violence just the way you like it” (as it says on comic-book cover).

The story is basic: a geeky, nerdy, highschool boy wonders why no one has evertried to be a super-hero. His equally out-cast buddies tell him, “Only in the comics – and besides, they have super-powers.” David Lizewski (Aaron Johnson) fires back, “Batman didn’t have super-powers.” They rejoin, “Yeah, but he had all that money to buy what he needed.”

Oh well … so David orders a green and yellow wet-suit, some Ninja clubs, performs powerfully in front of his bedroom mirror, and then off he goes to set the world right, only to be stabbed in the stomach and get the crap beat of out of him in his first effort of crime-fighting – trying to stop a couple of punks from breaking into a car. He staggers into the street and is slammed by a car. Not wanting anyone to see his costume, he asks the medics to throw it away before they whisk him off to the hospital for a series of operations to implant a variety of metal parts and a long rehab, with some interesting results: he’s sort of a bionic man and some damaged nerve endings inure him to pain.

The medical report notes: “Naked when he entered the hospital” – and that sets up and interesting scenario. His not-to-bright father wonders if he’s gay, and when the word gets back to school, the girl he’s always wanted takes and interest in him because he’s safe. Oh well …

As soon as he’s out of the hospital, he dons the costume again, hits the street to right all wrongs, and stops a beating – but it’s videoed by an-looker who posts it to the internet. Yup, you guessed it – it goes viral.

David d

evelops his own “Kick-Ass” website, and pretty soon “Kick-Ass”is the talk of the town. “If you need help, contact me.”

It isn’t long before he’s tangled up in some pretty rough stuff, and who should come to his rescue, but a 10-year old girl who knows more about guns and knuckles that anyone - well-trained in martial arts and weaponry by her sweetly loving, but slightly deranged, father, who’s also an ex-cop and (oh yeah), a comic-book illustrator, known as Big Daddy, played as only Nicolas Cage can deliver!

Her name, Mindy Macready (named after the country-western singer and reality star of the same name?), or Hit-Girl, played with amazing aplomb by Chloe Moretz. With her Eastwood-snarl, and cheap purple strip-club wig, she’s one tough cookie, a force to be reckoned with. Her father “shoots” her with a big-caliber handgun, knockingMindy off her feet. What? Oh, but she’s wearing a bullet-proof vest, and Big Daddy is training her to take a hit.

The bad guys are bad – Mark Strong captures the cold, venomous, demeanor of a high-end drug kingpin on top of the city’s drug trade, and his slightly geeky son who wants in on dad’s business, played well by Christopher Mintz-Plasse.

On the road to the end, lots of mayhem and death, a hot car, subterfuge and betrayal, a fire and a gatling gun. Hit-girl does her stuff, gets into trouble, and is saved by Kick-Ass. What a team. Oh yes, did I mention the geeky son of the drug dealer? He’s going to be the next super-hero, bad guy, Red Mist! Seeking revenge. Can we wait for the next installment?

It’s all rather complicated, as comic-book stories usually are, and as life mostly is. Yet at the core of the story, it’s all about identity and a young man’s dream to make a difference.

I went expecting good afternoon entertainment and found a gem of a story well-told.

Worth seeing, for sure!

How to Train Your Dragon

By Michelle Welker Scott - FilmNut's good friend.

Hiccup is a teen-aged boy who lives in a place where, “it snows nine months of the year and hails the other three.” Berek Island, his home, is nearly uninhabitable. But one of the biggest challenges facing the Vikings who live there isn’t the weather or the terrible food. No, it’s the marauding dragons.

In order to keep their village safe, everyone on Berek Island slays dragons. Everyone, that is, but Hiccup.

In some ways, How to Train Your Dragon resembles another high-grossing film that recently came out. Think of it as Avatar lite. In both movies, the establishment fights against an unappreciated alien race until a single individual speaks out against the mindless slaughter. Like its Oscar-winning predecessor, How to Train Your Dragon is about questioning what others take for granted. It’s about opening your mind to new possibilities. It’s also about how utterly cool it would be to tame and ride a winged creature, be it dragon or mountain banshee.

Although this movie’s straightforward plot doesn’t offer many surprises, the animation is a marvel. From the spectacular scenes of soaring above the clouds on dragon’s wings to the final battle scene, How to Train Your Dragon is a visual wonder. Additionally, the character’s facial expressions and gestures are charmingly rendered. Toothless is a wonderfully expressive creature with mannerisms so realistic that any pet owner can surely identify. And the dragon’s relationship with Hiccup is as timeless as that between Travis and Old Yeller.

It’s nice to know that Hollywood finally got the memo: it’s okay to make a funny, family-oriented movie that will not only delight the kids but make the parents sit up and enjoy themselves as well.

Hot Tub Time Machine

By my good friend and avid movie reviewer: Michelle Welker Scott

Maybe the only thing more fun than a parody of angst-ridden teenagers who struggle with their adolescent insecurities is a parody of angst-ridden, middle-aged adults who struggle with their mid-life crises. Combine those these two in the same movie and you get Hot Tub Time Machine.

Just reading the title of the movie pretty much gives the plot away. Three middle-aged men and one post-adolescent boy take a trip to a mountain ski resort in order to escape their miserable lives. During the trip, the four of them inadvertently get into a hot tub that takes them back in time to in 1986. Hilarity ensues.

Okay, so it’s not Tender Mercies. But it is, surprisingly, funny.
Reminiscent of those rollicking party movies like Animal House and Porky’s, Hot Tub Time Machine is full of stupid, tasteless humor. But it’s humor with unexpected appeal.

For starters, there’s always something hilarious about the 80’s; with its Kid ‘n Play hairstyles and Miami Vice fashion sensibilities, it’s a decade that’s just begging to be mocked. Additionally, actor and producer John Cusak lampoons his own early career in such movies as Better Off Dead and Tapeheads, by playing the same kind of earnest, lovable everyman (er, boy) that made him a heart-throb nearly three decades ago. Crispin Glover puts in an appearance as well, playing the straight man against a very funny running gag. And Craig Robinson (who plays the character Darryl Philbin in the TV show, The Office) holds his own as the wannabe musical star cum doggie athletic trainer.

Be warned, however. Hot Tub Time Machine is rated ‘R’ for good reason. It’s crude, offensive and vulgar. There are jokes about drugs, alcohol, vomit and – of course – sex. Viewers who are offended by foul language or nudity should not even venture in the door.

But despite its crassness, obscenity and utter lack of a moral message, Hot Tub Time Machine is a very funny movie.

Short Reviews: "Alice" and "Green Zone"

"Alice in Wonderland" is delightful, zany, entertaining and just plain fun to watch. Johnny Depp captures the madness of the Mad Hatter, and Mia Wasikowska is terrific as Alice. All in all, a lot of eye candy with the wonderful story of a young girl with dreams, who's "gone around the bend?" as she wonders with her imaginative father, and who later becomes a young lady determined to chart her own course in the face of social and family pressure to knuckle under and marry the young man everyone expects her to marry.

For entertainment value, "Alice" is high on my list, with plenty of laughs and a fine message for young women.

I saw it in old-fashioned 2D (sorry about that) - friends tell me that I should see it in 3D - I may just do that.

Worth seeing, for sure, either way.

But don't wait for Netflix - see it soon.

"Green Zone"


If you want a kick-ass message, please see "Green Zone" starring Matt Damon as Chief Miller, a soldier doing his duty - looking for WMDs in Iraq, coming up empty-handed at every site, beginning to wonder what's up with intel. He begins to raise questions and finds himself enmeshed in a deadly clash between Bush Administration officials and the CIA.

Greg Kinnear, as point person for the Bush Administration adds another brilliant role to his resume. Playing a political slime-ball more interested in PR than truth, Kinnear brings a deadly rationality to a blood-thirsty role. God save us from such evil monsters. I couldn't help but think of ultimate slime-ball, Paul Reiser, in his brilliant performance in "Aliens" as Carter Burke, a man who would gladly sell his grandmother, his mother and everyone else to promote his rise to power and wealth. Or the latest Mr. Corporate Slime Ball, "Avatar's" Giovanni Ribisi as Parker Selfridge.

One the classic roles goes to Brendan Gleeson, a Michael-More look-alike, the CIA guy on the ground, who sees through the Bush Administration lies, as does Chief Miller. They hook up and seek to bring some truth to the whole mess, but ultimately, they fail, as we did in Iraq. The Bush Machine plowed on, telling us one lie after the other, and we were were helpless to stop it.

Another must-see film ... but, be prepared; it'll make ya' angry!

"Edge of Darkness"

MUCH better than I expected and receives my highest rating. Director Martin Campbell has brought off a darkly moving story.

Entertainment Value: High.
Acting: Terrific.
Music: supportive, interpretive.
Plot: full of twists and turns.
Message: power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Social Relevance: High

I expected a more formulaic story, but all the twists and turns kept me riveted to the screen ... I didn't wanna miss anything.

Mel Gibson portrays a loving single father who's daughter is shotgunned and killed on his front porch. At first, every one thinks Gibson (Boston cop Thomas Craven) was the intended victim. But why was his daughter so ill, and why had she come home so unexpectedly, and why, on the very night she was killed, did she have a bloody nose and then vomit blood?

Clearly, there's more to the story then meets the eye.

Craven's daughter, Emma, is played, with a deceiving innocence, by Bojana Novakovic. She's a top-notch graduate of MIT, now working in research for a shadowy company maintaining America's nuclear stock pile - huge amounts of money involved, of course. Though Emma is killed up front, her "presence" in Craven's mind fills out the absolute horror and sense of loss that grips a father's heart. In the end, there's a tender scene that some might consider a distraction, a sentimental flourish (think: John Tavolta's 1996, "Michael"). But it works for me; it touches on the final reality and the final hope!

Following his daughter's murder, Detective Craven goes to work, digging around where he shouldn't, finding out the story - it seems that his daughter discovered certain irregularities, and was about to go public, working with friends to gather evidence. But the company kills her friends and poisons Emma.

All the acting is superb, but one character truly stands out: Jedburgh, Captain Jedburgh, a man of the shadows, working on the edges of corporate power and government intrigue, a man responsible for cleaning up messes and putting the story straight. You wouldn't want to be on the wrong end of a stick held by Captain Jedburgh. Ray Winstone captures perfectly the ambiguity of this man who never asks moral questions, yet possesses a conscience that, in the end, ends the affair, so to speak. Elegant, in his own brutal way, working alone, he does the job, but faced with his own mortality, some decisions have to be made.

As the story unfolds, power at every level is involved.

As I sat there, I grew more and more edgy, thinking about power and wealth in this nation, and the Reagan-Bush legacy of unregulated big biz taking us down a blood road to hell. These Republican administrations have us worshipping the Market as if it were god and adulating power and wealth as if this were the pinnacle of human achievement.

Ask children today what they want to do when they grow up, and the answers are all-too common: be a star and make tons of money. What the hell have we done to ourselves?

In the end, the film asks, "Is justice possible?" when wealth can buy protection at the highest level?
When senators are in the pockets of the powerful, and the powerful can do anything they want. When government itself fails to remember The People!

In many ways, this film reminded me of "The Departed" ... and that's all I'm going to say right now about that.

Bloody and violent, but such is life all around us, and a film like this helps us think a little more deeply about the world we've created in the last 50 years.

A distinction can be made between violent men and men of violence. Violent men hang around in bars, drink cheap beer and look for a score. But men of violence wear expensive suits and live in expansive homes, drinking fine wine and looking pristine and smiling confidently, sitting in Congress and manning corporate helms, making us feel safe and comfortable with them. They gather in the world's finest hotels and spas, fly first-class and ride in limousines; they give orders to kill and then order flowers for their girlfriends. They send young women and men to their graves without a moment's thought (see "Avatar" - "When someone is sitting on some shit you want, you make them your enemy.")

A deeply moving dark story with a highly relevant message.

"Edge of Darkness" is definitely worth seeing!