For those who don’t know, or have managed to avoid television, bookstores, and have been living in a cave for more then a year, the story behind “The Da Vinci Code” is as follows. After he is called upon to help with cryptic messages and symbols left by a murdered Louvre curator, Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks,) is thrust into the middle of a conspiracy that many would and have killed to keep secret. Helped by Sophie Neveu (Audrey Tautou), a French cryptologist, Langdon must decipher the clues and stay alive in the process. They are on the path to exposing a secret that has been kept silent for many years. A secret so big that exposing it would shake the faith of Catholics all over the planet.
As a fan of the book, I went into this movie putting aside all feelings toward the book. I knew that if I went in expecting the same from the movie that I got from the book, then I was destined to be disappointed. The movie left out a lot that was in the book, but I’m not here to nitpick. My job is to see the film as a stand alone piece and not look at where it fails in comparison to the book.
From the first time I heard that Tom Hanks was going to play Robert Langdon, I always thought they could have done better casting. When I read the book, I thought he was younger. Hanks is 50, and starting to look it. I had always thought of Langdon as late 30’s at the youngest to early 40’s. I was asked who should have played Langdon, and I couldn’t answer that. I do think that Hanks did a decent job (feel free to voice differing opinions.) I did feel that he didn’t bring anything special to the role and it was lacking in what Langdon could have been.
No one really impressed me in the film. The only person I really thought embodied the role they were given was Ian McKellen, Sir Leigh Teabing. Teabing, a scholar and friend of Robert Langdon was called upon to help the two fugitives. He has a great knowledge of The Priory of Scion and Holy Grail myth. Now this could just be my bias, I happen to think that McKellen can play any part given to him.
I feel that I have to address the controversy surrounding this movie and the book it is based on. It goes without saying that a film like this was bound to make some people angry. It had been banned in a few countries and condemned by religious groups. I personally don’t see what the fuss is about. IT IS A MOVIE. No one ever said this is the truth and what you know is wrong. The movie leaves everything open to interpretation. You can choose to agree or disagree with it.
At the end of the film Langdon says a line that I’m positive was put in for all the protestors. He tells Sophie that it doesn’t matter what everyone else thinks “What matters is what you believe.” The movie/book is there as a story and never preaches to be the truth. What it gets down to, and as misanthropic as this may sound, is the fact that most people are stupid. There are people who hear things and refuse to question it. They take what they are told as truth and believe it. This movie/book is not for those people, you must go into this film with an open mind and be willing to accept it for what it is. It’s not there to tell you what to believe, it is there to bring up questions. I will echo what I said in my “Vendetta” review. You must see this for what it it-A MOVIE. So please stop saying its bashing Christianity and have an open mind, or just keep your irrational hatred to yourself
7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for disturbing images, violence, some nudity, thematic material, brief drug references and sexual content.
Runtime: 149 min
X-Men; The Last Stand
Having partially read tons of reviews, I was able to see one common thread. They all, good or bad, said that X-Men; The Last Stand could have been better. Now while I agree with that, it was not as lacking as they claimed. One comment I heard was that it lacked character. IT’S A MOVIE BASED ON A COMIC, NO ONE IS THERE FOR THE CHARACTERS! I could sit here and ramble about how the critics missed the point for pages, but that’s not why you opened this attachment. Here is the review.
“X-Men; The Last Stand” had been billed as the last of the X-Men franchise, and if it is, I’m sure fans will be satisfied. In this one, the humans have found a mutant named Leech (Cameron Bright,) whose power is that he can cause mutants to temporarily lose their powers. Using his mutated DNA, they manufacture a “cure” for mutation. They offer the cure for any mutant who wants it. The conflict grows from there. Magneto (Ian McKellen), a man who can manipulate metal is the head of the resistance. He claims that the humans not allow mutants to choose the cure and will force it on all mutants. He gathers a mutant army, including Juggernaut (Vinnie Jones,) a man, who once he gains momentum, can not be stopped by anything, and Callisto (Diana Ramierz,) who can move super fast and detect mutants around her. Magneto starts a war against the humans with the goal being the destruction of the cure and the capture of the mutant who is the source.
Then there is the X-Men. Lead by Professor Charles Xavier (Patrick Stewart,) a physic and head of a school for mutants. There are some new faces this time around including Beast, (Kelsey Grammar) a furry, blue mutant, (they don’t explain in the movie, but he was a scientist who was experimenting with mutation and ended up becoming a mutant,) Kitty Pryde (Ellen Page,) a girl who can walk through walls and Colossus (Daniel Cudmore,) who has the ability to make his skin steel. Back from the first two movies are Wolverine (Hugh Jackman,) with his ability to heal and steel claws and Storm (
Mixed in all of this is the physic, Jean Grey, who “died” in the last movie. There is a focus on her back story. She comes back, this time as “
As a fan of the first two, I loved this one as well. It was just what I was hoping for, minus a few things (if I were to say what those were, it would spoil the film.) Sure, it lacked what an Oscar worthy film would have, like character development, great dialogue, strong plot. It’s a comic book movie, the people who go to see it are not there for all those things. Heck, I went to see special effects, things blow up and people with cool powers fight. I will admit that it is not as good as the first two, but I was not disappointed. I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think many of the critics (at least the 52% who gave poor reviews according to rottentomatoes.com) missed the point of the movie. It’s not meant to be taken so seriously. It is, as I have said at least 3 times before, based on a comic and therefore must be seen as a movie based on a comic book and not a movie that is meant to move people.
7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action violence, some sexual content and language.
Hard to believe, but it has been ten years since the very first
Ignoring the fact that I think Tom Cruise is a complete nut case, I still think he is a good actor and always manages to make some interesting films. He does it again here. I’m a fan of the first Mission Impossible, and didn’t hate the second (which I guess is a complement,) so it was inevitable that I would see this one. It was a good movie, there was nothing special about it, nothing revolutionary in special effects, it was just a well done action flick.
The one performance I feel obligated to mention is Philip Seymour Hoffman. He was born and raised in Fairport NY, one of the suburbs of Rochester, went to high school around here and he won an Oscar for “Capote.” So around here, we have to gloat about him, he’s a great actor that is finally making it big. And it’s well deserved. In this movie, he plays one of the best bad guys I have ever seen. He is cold, calculating and most importantly unflappable. Nothing shakes him, not even being dangled out of a plane at 20,000 feet. Hoffman plays this character to perfection and pulls off a bad guy very well.
There have been three Mission Impossible movie, and three different directors who have brought three very different styles and stories. This time around it was directed and written by J.J Abrams (creator of the television shows Alias and Lost.) The defining feature of his television shows, not including the strange and unexpected twists, is Abrams ability to make these amazing characters and develop them so that the audience has a connection to them. He brings that to this movie. It’s easy to establish characters like Hunt, because they have already been established and we know what drives him. Julia, Hunts wife is where we see a great example of new character development. When she is kidnapped, the audience wants her to get rescued just as much as Ethan Hunt does.
If your up for a mindless, special effects laden movie with plenty of explosions and gun play, then go see this movie. You will not be disappointed that you had to pay $8.75 (my how times have changed) for a ticket.
7 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of frenetic violence and menace, disturbing images and some sensuality.
The Sentinel
Last Monday of the school year. Just finished watching a new episode of “24.” Now what? Go for what I called “Jack Bauer Over Load.” We went to see “The Sentinel” The movie staring Kiefer Southerland as Jack Bauer…I mean David Breckinridge.
“The Sentinel” is about “Special Agent Pete Garrison is convinced that a Neo-Nazi Aryan Disciple has managed to infiltrate the White House. When a White House Agent is murdered, Garrison is framed and blackmailed over an affair with the First Lady Sarah Ballentine. He is relieved of his duties, but Garrison won't stop in trying to prove his innocence, and save the life of the President. While attempting to uncover the person behind it all, he comes into confrontation with his protege, Agent Breckinridge.” (took that from www.imdb.com)
There is really not much to say about this movie. It is just another thriller. There is explosions, gun fights, and some what predictable plot twists. When I went to this movie expecting to see a lot of “Jack Bauer,” but Keifer has a much smaller role in the movie then I thought. (Small side note
I can’t say I disliked the movie, I enjoyed it. It was a good way to spend an hour and a 40 minutes. I wish there were more to say, but there is nothing special about the movie. It is just your run of the mill thriller and is enjoyable enough that you find yourself getting involved in the plot and trying to figure out what will happen next.
5 out of 10
Rated PG-13 for some intense action violence and a scene of sensualityThe Wild
Some quick background before I get into this one. It was Easter weekend at Buffalo State College. Almost all of my roommates had left for the weekend and my parents had decided to ditch me for Easter (no hard feelings mom and dad) I called a friend, also named Matt, and he came over. He said he wanted to go see a movie. We decided on The Wild. So Matt, Shaun (the only other one left in the suite) and I went to the Regal and soon discovered we were the oldest people not there supervising children.
The movie had a familiar plot line, father and son that don’t understand each other come to form a strong relationship through some hard ship. The father in this case is Samson, a lion, voiced by Kiefer Southerland, is the star attraction at the Bronx Zoo. He wants his son, Ryan, voiced by Greg Cipes, to have a roar like him and be a strong lion. After the zoo closes, all the animals gather for the turtle curling championship. Samson and his team, Benny the squirrel (voiced by Jim Belushi,) Nigel the koala (voiced by Eddie Izzard,) Bridget the giraffe (voiced by Jeneane Garofalo) and Lenny, the snake (voiced by Richard Kind) take on the penguins in the championship. Ryan and his friends ditch the game and go scare some gazelles, causing a stampede. The gazelles, spooked by the group, run through the game and cost Samson’s team the championship. Shamed and embarrassed, Ryan runs away. Samson and his friends go to find him. They search the streets of
I’m not going to dwell on the performances because there is nothing note worthy.
The movie has it comedic moments and children will find in funnier then adults. There are all the things there that make it a kids movie. What they needed to do was make it more enjoyable for the parents, who go for their children not necessarily because they want to. Unless you happen to be 3 bored college students left alone on Easter weekend.
I have never seen
The one thing that blew me away was the animation. It was the absolute best animation I have ever seen. If it were any better, it would have been real animals. I heard some critics say how the quality on the animation was almost too real and took away from the film. I whole heartedly disagree. It is a tribute to how far we have come with computer animation. The animation alone was worth the 6.50 I shelled out for the movie.
5 out of 10
Rated G
