Fantasy

The Hobbit: An Expected, and Familiar, Journey

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey
  • IMDB: link

“I’m looking for someone to share in an adventure.”

hobbit-unexpected-journey-posterAfter several delays, including the director and the Tolkien estate both separately suing New Line Cinema and a brief flirtation with Guillermo del Toro taking over the project, Peter Jackson returns to Middle Earth for J. R. R. Tolkien‘s The Hobbit. Roughly one-third of the 300-page children’s fantasy, The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey feels far too familiar, somewhat less magical, and far more expected, than the title would indicate.

Our story, oddly, begins on the same day as The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring with Bilbo Baggins (Ian Holm) beginning to chronicle his adventures for his nephew Frodo (Elijah Wood), while waiting for Gandalf (Ian McKellen) to arrive to celebrate the Hobbit’s 111th birthday. After this somewhat awkward (not to mention completely unnecessary) sequence, our story finally beings in earnest as the younger Bilbo (Martin Freeman) meets Gandalf the Grey and thirteen dwarves for an impromptu dinner which will forever change his life.

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Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost walk into a bar…

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Rise of the Guardians
  • IMDB: link

rise-of-the-guardians-posterBased on William Joyce‘s The Guardians of Childhood children’s series, Rise of the Guardians is an old fashioned tale of good and evil centered around an unlikely hero called to join the battle. The Guardians, a group of mythical beings who are sworn to protect children across the globe, are comprised of Santa Claus (Alec Baldwin), the Tooth Fairy (Isla Fisher), the Sandman, and the Easter Bunny (Hugh Jackman). Despite some infighting, the group works together to keep the magic and wonder of childhood alive across the globe.

When the villainous Pitch Black (Jude Law) returns to introduce nightmares and fear into the dreams of children, while making them begin to doubt the existence of the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy, the Guardians rise to stop the Bogeyman before he can destroy the dreams and beliefs on children all across the globe. To do this they will need the help of the irresponsible Jack Frost (Chris Pine), a mischief maker with a shadowy past and a yearning to be recognized and celebrated the way children love the Easter Bunny and Santa Claus.

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Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost walk into a bar…Read More »

Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, and Jack Frost walk into a bar… Read More »

Beauty and the Beast – Pilot

/ / Television Reviews
  • Title: Beauty and the Beast – Pilot
  • tv.com: link

beauty-and-the-beast-2012-pilot

The CW’s Beauty and the Beast is based loosely, very loosely, on the late 1980’s CBS show of the same name that starred Linda Hamilton as New York Assistant District Attorney Catherine Chandler and Ron Perlman as Vincent, the noble beast whom she fell in love with. Created by Ron Koslow, the 80’s show was a fairy tale love story between a spoiled rich girl turned crusader after a vicious attack and the man who became her protector. The show was filled with some terrific costume and set design including the world of “Down Below” where Vincent lived with outcasts from above. Did I mention how little the new version mirrors the original?

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Journey 2: The Mysterious Island

/ / Home Video
  • Title: Journey 2: The Mysterious Island
  • IMDB: link

journey-2-the-mysterious-island-blu-rayAlthough Journey 2: The Mysterious Island returns only a single character from 2008’s Journey to the Center of the Earth the sequel feels very much like a retread of the same adventure. Once again we get the teenager on a quest to find a lost family member with the help of an older authority figure in the middle of a Jules Vernian landscape come to life.

In an attempt to bond with his stepson, Hank (Dwayne Johnson) agrees to take a trip to find Jules Verne’s Mysterious Island after Sean (Josh Hutcherson) deciphers a code sent from his grandfather (Michael Caine) who went missing a few months ago. The pair enlist the help of a Pacific helicopter pilot (Luis Guzmán) and his daughter (Vanessa Hudgens) and soon the foursome find themselves stranded on the island no one, other than Sean, really believed existed.

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Wrath of the Titans

/ / Movie Reviews
  • Title: Wrath of the Titans
  • IMDb: link

wrath-of-the-titans-poster

I’ll admit to being somewhat surprised with Wrath of the Titans, not because it’s good, but simply because it’s far better than the utter trainwreck the 2010 remake of Clash of the Titans turned out to be. Of course, that’s not exactly a high bar to measure up to.

I’m a fan of the original 1981 Clash of the Titans which gave the story of Perseus (Harry Hamlin) the Hollywood treatment with some terrific stop motion monsters provided by legendary special effects creator Ray Harryhausen. For me, the 2010 supremely awful remake was like watching the entire cast dig up Ray Hauhausen’s grave and with the sole purpose of taking turns defecating on his corpse.

With no direct film to measure up to, Wrath of the Titans is able to craft its own story (such that it is). The story picks up a few years after the end of the first film. Although a legendary hero, Perseus (Sam Worthington) and his young son Helius (John Bell) live simple lives of fishermen.

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