DVD Review: "The Book of Eli"

"You sacrificed so much for that book. So many men. More than you can spare."

With the exception of a few projects, Denzel Washington usually chooses movies very wisely. Unfortunately that's not the case with his last movie The Book of Eli. It had a strong premise, though not original--in a post-apocalyptic America one lone guy Eli (Washington) tries to save the world all by his lonesome with the help of his shotgun and a sacred book, which he's convinced is the key to save mankind. Trouble is, of course everyone wants to get their hands on this book, and will do anything to grab it from him, even if it means killing anyone who gets in their way.

The Dark Knight's Gary Oldman plays Carnegie, the scariest mobster in the desolate land, and Eli's biggest nemesis. When he gets word that Eli's got the much sought after book, he and his gang stop at nothing to take it from him. Mila Kunis plays the damsel in distress Solara, who has managed to survive in this violent world on her own. She meets Eli who reluctantly takes her in and together they try to save humanity and themselves.

The problem with The Book Of Eli is that the script gets a little lazy towards the end and you easily get disinterested. Jennifer Beals's character Claudia, Solara's mother and Carnegie's lover, is to ally useless as the one who tries to convince her daughter to trick Eli into succumbing to Carnegie for the book. The Book Of Eli is just one hot mess with choppy biblical undertones; it may have been better off perhaps as a comedy a la From Dust 'Til Dawn or something. The filmmakers just tried to get too deep with something that was not fully developed.

Reel Talk rating: D+

"Inception"

"Dreams feel real while we're in them. It's only when we wake up that we realize something was actually strange."

Awesome doesn't even begin to describe the sleek, clever, mind-blowing madness that is director Christopher Nolan's aptly titled psychological (read: trippy) thriller Inception. Borrowing some of its stylish special effects from The Matrix, Inception follows one man's harrowing journey from reality to dreamworld, and back again.

If Inception is any indication, crime in the future is amped up a notch when the most skilled thief in the game, Dom Cobb (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), becomes even more valuable when he adopts the very rare ability to sneak into people's minds while they're dreaming to steal valuable secrets for his own gain. But when he gets an offer he can't refuse from his latest victim (played by Ken Watanabe)--the chance to reunite with his estranged family in exchange for devising a scheme that allows him to plant a secret into the mind of another victim (played by Crispin Glover), then travel inside that person's dream to capture it--he was more than ready for the challenge. But what happens when your own subconscious invades the dream you've invaded? Collision, mayhem and even entrapment.

As Cobb, along with his gifted team of specialists (played by Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Ellen Page), travel deeper into this very dangerous operation, problems arise when he becomes plagued by his inner demons that interrupt his own dream state, which causes the team to have to unexpectedly wrestle with his subconscious, while also having to navigate the rapidly changing world of the subconscious they're already in. Thus, this creates a dream without a dream. The further the team sinks into this dream world, the further they are from their own realities, and the further they--and the audience--are able to define what's real and what's a dream.

Inception is jarring, twisted yet amazing but demands a second viewing to make you've sure fully understood what you just saw. Chances are, after the second viewing, you may think you've just seen two different movies. Or maybe you just dreamed the first one up.

Reel talk: A

First Look: Ben Affleck's "The Town"

It may be time to face the fact: Ben Affleck is a far better director and writer than an actor (sorry, Ben, you understand). In his latest directorial effort, in which he also stars, The Town, the Oscar winner plays a thief who's so wrapped up in the game that he almost doesn't realize that his new love interest may be the one to take down his and his co-conspiring friend's (played by Jeremy Renner) whole operation. The Town is scheduled to hit theaters September 10.

First Look: "Due Date"

All Peter Highman (played by Robert Downey Jr.) wants to do is be there as his new baby is being born in the upcoming comedy Due Date. But while on the road he's forced to hitch a ride with wannabe actor Ethan Tremblay (played by Zach Galifianakis, of course) whose silly antics don't bode well with Highman's high-strung, by-the-books personality. Sorry, folks, this looks lame. How did Robert Downey Jr. get mixed up with this mess? Due Date, which reunites Downey with his The Soloist co-star Jamie Foxx, hits theaters November 5.

First Look: M. Night Shyamalan's "Devil"

Though M. Night Shyamalan is riding high from the box office success of his latest flick The Last Airbender, I for one am still suffering post traumatic stress from the sheer wretchedness of several of his previous films (read: The Happening, Signs, The Village, etc.). Needless to say, when the trailer for his latest film Devil hit the web today, I cringed. So now we've got a few unsuspecting civilians trapped in an elevator with none other than the Devil himself (or herself?). Seeing this, I've decided to write a a list of requirements for future Shyamalan films below:

1. If you're going to have a plot twist, let it actually be twisted, not silly.
2. Don't play your audience for fools. There's no coming back from that.
3. No more aliens! Enough said.
4. Stop trying to scare your audience. We're more annoyed than scared.
5. Know that The Sixth Sense was great because you didn't commit any of the previous four sins.




Should you dare see it, Devil hits theaters September 17.

"Despicable Me"

"We are going to pull off the TRUE crime of the century... we are going to steal the MOON!"

Don't you hate when you're the baddest villain in the entire universe and some yuppie (and younger) villain tries to steal your thunder? Yeah, so does Gru, the most hated evildoer ever to step the face of the earth. He gets knocks off his pedestal when Vector, the newbie villain in town, intercepts his plan to steal the moon to remind people who's really boss. Gru goes through desperate measures to reclaim his throne as the most deplorable man in all the universe--even if it calls for using three innocent orphaned girls--in the new flick Despicable Me.

Gru was never able to impress his mother during his long history of badassness, until the day he came across three little orphans who helped him concoct his greatest scheme--unbeknownst to them--and changed his wilted heart in the process. With the help of his trusted yet decrepit sidekick scientist Dr. Nefario, and a host of teeny tiny (and trouble-magnet) minions, Gru's latest venture sends him back on top.

Gru is voiced by a cast of hilarious actors, including the barely recognizable funnyman Steve Carrell, Jason Segal (as Vector), Russell Brand (as Dr. Nefario), and Kristen Wiig (as the horrid Miss Hattie, orphanage owner). Charming, touching, and surprisingly funny, Despicable Me showed one man's journey to being the most hated to finally finding love--thanks to three little girls. Despicable Me is anything but despicable.

Reel Talk rating: B+

First Look: Robert Rodriguez's "Machete"

"He was given an offer he couldn't refuse..."

As we eagerly await the sequel to 2005's Sin City, director Robert Rodriguez is whetting our appetites with not one but two movies out this year. The first is the remake to Predators, and the second is Machete, the blazing hot action-suspense flick starring Danny Trejo in the title role as a wronged ex-Federale who goes on a rampage after his ex-boss sets him up. With an all-star cast consisting of Jessica Alba, Michelle Rodriguez, Robert DeNiro (yes!) and Lindsay Lohan (downgrade), Machete is scheduled to heat up theaters on September 3. Check out the exclusive new trailer below.

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DVD Review: "The Wolfman"

"Darkness comes for you."

Remakes can either be really good, or dreadfully bad. In the case of this year's remake of the 1941 flick The Wolfman, thankfully it's the former. Just as the classic tale unfolds, New York nobleman Lawrence Talbot (played by Benicio Del Toro) rushes back to his homeland after he receives word that his brother has vanished and is thought to be dead. Estranged from his family for many years, Talbot for the first time meets his brother's fiancee (played by Emily Blunt) and is reunited with his father (played by Sir Anthony Hopkins). But, in the midst of investigating his brother's mysterious disappearance, the town is plagued by a grizzly creature who is believed to be the cause of the Talbot vanishing.

While being tormented by nightmares from his own troubled childhood, and coping with his brother's disappearance, Lawrence gets attacked by the frightening wolf. And that's when a horrifying tailspin of events occur.

The normally low-key nobleman begins to transform into the creature he once hunted down complete with fangs, claws, a killer instinct and a bone-chilling howl at moonlight. He's scared of what he's turned into but even more terrified by the fact that he can do nothing about it. He goes on the run from villagers who fear him, and officials who want him dead. On top of all that, his father reveals a shocking new twist in the story that sends Lawrence into an even deeper rage.

If you've seen or heard about the original story, The Wolfman doesn't disappoint. Sure, it's more sinister and gory (ridiculously so at times), but Del Toro's acting is a standout. Check it out.

Reel Talk rating: B+

4th of July Films

Before you put the steak on the grill and watch the fireworks on Sunday, Reel Talk remembers some of the holiday movies that kept us on the edge of our seats while celebrating independence and heroism on the big screen:

Born On The Fourth of July (1989): Easily one of Tom Cruise's best performances on screen, the Oliver Stone-directed Born also shows a side to patriotism that many didn't get to see too often on screen at the time--the pitfalls of a soldier so scarred by his experience that he resented the very thought of his own patriotism. Born On The Fourth of July is dramatic, thought-provoking and kicked off the career of one of Hollywood's most magnetic stars.


Independence Day (1994): This blockbuster spawned a host of July 4th million-dollar box office juggernauts when Fresh Prince of Bel-Air star Will Smith exploded onto the big screen in a career-making role as Captain Steven Huller, who tackles the daunting task of fending off alien lifeforms that threaten to devour planet Earth as we know it. Awesome special effects, hilarious banter and major star quality make Independence Day blast to watch.


Armageddon (1998): We've all seen movies about the end of the world, but add Ben Affleck at the top of his game, action dynamo Bruce Willis and a monster ballad from the Bad Boys of Boston, and you've got the makings of a summer hit. When an asteroid the size of Texas terrorizes the Earth, it is up to the brilliant (albeit adrenaline-fueled) minds of NASA scientists (led by Willis, along with Affleck) to stop it in its tracks. Armageddon is like a joy ride to the end of the earth. And we couldn't get enough of it.

What's your go-to July 4th movie?