Safety Not Guaranteed

A film called Safety Not Guaranteed doesn't sound reassuring, does it? But really, there's a good time guaranteed in this indie dramedy.

Conceived by writer Derek Connolly, and realized by director Colin Trevorrow, their debut feature was inspired by this real-life joke ad that appeared in Backwoods Home Magazine in 1997:

Wanted: Somebody to go back in time with me. This is not a joke. You'll get paid after we get back. Must bring your own weapons. Safety not guaranteed. I have only done this once before.

In story, this ad gets the attention of Jeff (Jake M. Johnson), a writer at a Seattle magazine. He and two interns, the protagonist Darius (Aubrey Plaza) and Arnau (Karan Soni), go on a road trip to find the mystery writer of the ad. He turns out to be Kenneth (Mark Duplass), a meager clerk and a seemingly paranoid nutcase. Darius's personality wins him over, and thus, a story is certain. But it's not actually the story they think they're gonna get.

What makes the film work is its writing and acting working together. Its ensemble, particularly Plaza and Duplass, are all likable people. Even if they're eccentric or irresponsible, they behave like real people you might like to meet. When several plot twists derail their expectations, the audience is just as surprised as they are. But at the end of the story, the payoff to the premise is wonderful. It's only 86 minutes long, which means that it gets to the point with quick precision.

Overall, the point is that the impossible can be possible. That point is made so appealing that one can't help but smile after they see the film. That's why Safety Not Guaranteed is worth the time if you can find it in a theater.

The Dark Knight Rises

It has now come to this.

The third of director Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, The Dark Knight Rises, has finally arrived. And overall, it's one of the best Super Hero adventures of this or any other year.

Bruce Wayne (Christian Bale) is no longer Batman. Ever since he thwarted The Joker and the maddened D.A. Harvey Dent, our millionaire hero has also retired from life in general. Now it's been eight years since his last adventure and Gotham City is actually safe for once. So what'll get Bruce Wayne back into the suit?

Bane (Tom Hardy), a criminal genius in a wrestler's body, comes to town. Commandeering the League of Shadows, the very organization Bruce once trained with, Bane plots the destruction of Gotham in memory of the League's fallen former leader, Ra's al Guhl. Not unless Batman and his allies, including Catwoman (Anne Hathaway), can stop him.

Even at a near three hours in length, this wasn't a boring film at all. It keeps its audience guessing how, if at all, Batman will fare at the end of the story. A few scenes, including a brutal fight with Bane, seem to indicate it's the end for the Caped Crusader. But how it actually turns out is kept in great suspense. It's all thanks to writers Nolan, his brother Jonathan and David S. Goyer and editor Lee Smith.

As a summer blockbuster, it also keeps its audience attentive with many astounding scenes. Among the best feature Batman's new flying machine, The Bat. It's especially astounding to know that it was one of the film's heavily practical effects, instead of total CGI. While some scenes use CGI out of necessity, those effects blend well with the on-camera imagery.

One minor complaint I have is that it has some story elements that one can easily miss. It's something I've noted with Nolan's previous Batman films and Inception. But fortunately, there's such a small number of them that one won't get lost completely if they miss them. My other one is that, at times, Bane's muffled voice behind his mask is quite incomprehensible. To understand him certainly requires a lot of attention, that's for sure.

But still, The Dark Knight Rises has been well worth the wait. It maintains its predecessors' verisimilitude quite perfectly, something rarely seen with these super trilogies. As a result, the conclusion of Batman's latest cinematic incarnation is both satisfying and fulfilling.

Ice Age: Continental Drift

Anyone looking for an excuse to get the kids in the theater have a new one now in Ice Age: Continental Drift, which is the fourth Prehistoric cartoon comedy. I'm guessing that it'll be a hit with kids. For everyone else, it's the equivalent of a once funny joke now old.

Want to know what I mean?

Scrat, the nutty Sabretooth Squirrel, has gone too far. In an opening sequence that debuted as a stand-alone cartoon (which played with such films as Rio and Mr. Popper's Penguins), the little rodent chases his beloved acorn into the Earth's core. He inadvertantly causes Pangea to split apart into the current continents.

And he has no idea of the apocalypse he caused.

But Manny the Mammoth (Ray Romano), Diego the Smilodon (Denis Leary) and Sid the Sloth (John Leguizamo) do. Now seperated from their friends and family, and on a tiny iceburg as a raft, their mission is to get back to land. Their mission is impeded by the pirate baboon Captain Gutt (Peter Dinklage) and his crew.

There were at least a few funny moments. One of them was a silly musical number for Gutt and his crew. But a lot of the funny stuff was already shown in the ads. On screen, they weren't supremely funny. Just average.

Available on both 3D and Flatscreen, this film's animation is its best asset. The scenery, and the characters who inhabit it, are greatly colorful and detailed. Its animated set pieces, such as the heroes' travel through a storm, were meant for the big screen. This is a good film to look at.

Either format you choose, you still get to see Maggie Simpson in a 2D short, The Longest Daycare. That was the best part of an otherwise formulaic film.

The Amazing Spider-Man

Apparently, the planned story for Spider-Man 4, with Sam Raimi directing Tobey Maguire, was such a mess that it scared Sony. Scared them back to basics. After ten years.

So now, with a new director (Marc Webb), a new web-head (Andrew Garfield) and leading lady (Emma Stone as Gwen Stacy) and 3D effects, Spider-Man's story is now told once again in The Amazing Spider-Man.

Once again, we have nerdy Peter Parker, who gets super-powers after getting bit by a genetically altered spider. Peter uses his powers for selfish reasons, until it indirectly kills his Uncle Ben (Martin Sheen). To find the killer, Peter comes up with his iconic suit and mechanical web-shooter gadgets.

Peter's spider bite inspires one-armed scientist Dr. Curt Connors (Rhys Ifans) to come up with a regenerative formula from Lizard DNA. The formula works, but it has the nasty side-effect of turning him into the rampaging Lizard. The Lizard plans to spread his formula across the city, unless Spider-Man can do something about it.

While Spider-Man 3 was overwrought with melodrama, this new Spider-Man finds the right tone between humor and seriousness. On one hand, Peter's new powers cause some hilarious property damage. On the other, they initially leave him highly disadvantaged against gangs of thugs. It's this balance that helps keep the audience interested for the hour or so before Spidey gets his suit on.

As Peter, Andrew Garfield is both likable and believable as the dual-sided teenage superhero. His supporting cast is made up of actors well-chosen for their roles. Among them are Denis Leary, as Gwen's police captain dad, and Martin Sheen and Sally Field (as Aunt May). 

And of course, there's the visual effects. Whether in 3D or flatscreen, Spidey's acrobatics'll thrill and excite his 2012 audience just as he did in 2002. Meanwhile, Connors's scary transformation makeup is the best of the film's practical effects. 

It may sound like a pointless rehash, but really, that's because Raimi's films are so fresh in audience memories. However, its new spin on the basics make this new adventure a fun ride. And hopefully, it'll leave the audience anticipating where Spidey'll go next.

Moonrise Kingdom

Update: almost 11 years, and I have no idea why I wrote "Swito funny." Fixed as of 6/28/23.

Moonrise Kingdom is perhaps the first movie I've reviewed where my biggest problem was the film print. The inconsistent sound levels wrecked the viewing experience quite a bit.

Which is a shame, because Wes Anderson's latest film is quirky fun. Especially when it was at its audible best. But for now, let's review the film and not the theater.

Two kids from the island of New Penzance, Sam Shakusky (Jared Gilman) and Suzy Bishop (Kara Hayward), meet one summer. They instantly like each other, and both feel restricted by their home lives. So, the next summer, they run away together on a camping trip to a secluded cove to stay together forever.

The eccentric adults in their lives, ranging from Police Captain Sharp (Bruce Willis) to Suzy's parents (Bill Murray and Frances McDormand), embark on a crazy search party to find the young lovers. But what'll happen when they find them?

Co-written by Anderson and Roman Coppola, Moonrise Kingdom is dramedicly charming. Its eccentric characters are all crazy, but they're still likable. Even without understanding their words, it's quite easy to understand their body language. Its 94 minute run-time ensures that not a single moment is wasted on-screen. And for that, it's great.

Its cinematography, by Robert Yeomen, has a distinctive use of color and exaggeration. Assembled together by editor Andrew Weisblum, these create some of the most "shockingly" funny scenes this year. You'll wonder how they came up with them.

If you can find a theater, and the time, then use it to see Moonrise Kingdom. You won't be disappointed; at least, if all goes well with your theater experience.