Oldboy (2013) Review

Rated R (Strong Brutal Violence, Disturbing Images, Some Graphic Sexuality and Nudity, and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes

Cast-

Josh Brolin-Joe Doucett

Elizabeth Olsen-Marie Sebastian

Sharlto Copley-Adrian Pryce

Michael Imperioli-Chucky

Samuel L. Jackson-Chaney

Pom Klementieff-Haeng-Bok

James Ransone-Dr. Tom Melby

Max Casella-James Prestley

Linda Emond-Edwina Burke

Lance Reddick-Daniel Newcombe

Hannah Ware-Donna Hawthorne

Richard Portnow-Bernie Sharkey

Hannah Simone-Stephanie Lee

Lizzy DeClement-Amanda Pryce

Elvy Yost-Mia

Directed by Spike Lee

Hammer time.

Note: Screened on Monday, November 11, 2013 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13 (Red Carpet Premiere).

The quickest and easiest way to offend a hardcore cinephile is to utter the word 'remake' in front of them. Of course, not every remake is created equally; some have even managed to transcend their source material and provide a richer viewing experience but the label continues to have a negative connotation among moviegoers. Just look at the IMDb rating for Spike Lee's "Oldboy." It currently stands at a low 4.5 and is apparently worse than "Grown Ups 2." Whether "Oldboy" actually deserves that score is irrelevant because I guarantee you that many of the users on that site are deliberately down-voting Lee's film solely for the fact that it's a 'remake.' I bet some of them haven't even bothered to see it yet. That being said, I do admit that I wasn't very receptive to the idea of remaking "Oldboy." The second installment in the informal "Vengeance Trilogy" from South Korean auteur Park Chan-Wook (who made his English-language debut earlier this year with the little-seen but brilliant "Stoker"), the original "Oldboy" was released back in 2003 and is loosely based on the 1996 Japanese manga of the same name from Garon Tsuchiya and Nobuaki Minegishi. A baroque masterpiece, this intensely violent revenge thriller is certainly not for the faint of heart as it explores the darkest depths of the human soul while two men hell-bent on retribution apocalyptically clash. Given the film's taboo themes, the idea of a remake for American audiences not only seemed pointless but counterproductive considering our country's puritanical reaction toward sex in film. With all the trouble it took to get to the big screen, I was expecting the worse when I finally sat down to watch Spike Lee's "Oldboy" but to my surprise, it's actually pretty decent. While the often-controversial director is clearly slumming in genre territory here, Lee's stylish remake retains the raw emotional power of Wook's film and the perverse material is fortunately not watered down but for all that it manages to gets right, "Oldboy" just seems too afraid to step out of the shadow of the original.

An alcoholic deadbeat dad and all-around sleazebag, advertising executive Joe Doucett (Josh Brolin) finds himself drugged and kidnapped while wandering the streets one night in a drunken stupor. He wakes up in a dingy, windowless hotel room and learns from a news report on television that he's the primary suspect in the brutal rape and murder of his ex-wife. Desperate to reunite with his three-year-old daughter Mia and clear his name, Joe tries to escape but to no avail. Fed a constant supply of vodka and Chinese dumplings from an opening at the bottom of the door, Joe remains in solitary confinement for twenty years. While he is held in captivity, he decides to quit drinking and creates a long list of everyone he has wronged, as well as putting himself through an intense training regimen. In a series of letters, Joes pours his heart out to Mia and begins planning an escape attempt. However, he is suddenly set free before he can enact it, waking up inside a trunk in the middle of a grassy field. Joe rushes to see his old bartender friend Chucky (Michael Imperioli) and reveals his twenty year imprisonment to him. Setting out to seek revenge against those who kidnapped him, Joe runs into Marie Sebastian (Elizabeth Olsen), a clinician's assistant who takes pity on him and decides to help in his search for answers. The two eventually work their way up to a wealthy stranger named Adrian Pryce (Sharlto Copley), who not only wants Joe to find him but also to figure out why he was locked away in the first place.

The idea of an "Oldboy" remake stretches back to 2006, when Justin Lin revealed in an interview that he was interested in directing but wasn't ready to sign on until he was sure that Universal would not water down the ending from the original film. At the time, Lin was shooting the third installment in the "Fast and Furious" franchise, a series that would occupy the next seven years of his career. By 2007, Lin seemed less enthused about the project and admitted that he would 'probably move on,' which he did. A year later, it was reported that DreamWorks was in the process of securing the rights to the remake, with director Steven Spielberg and megastar Will Smith expressing interest. The film would directly adapt the Japanese manga, which departs from Park Chan-Wook's version in significant ways. However, legal issues led to the whole project being declared dead in 2009. Fans breathed a collective sigh of relief…until a sudden announcement in 2011 revealed that the remake was back on and would use the original film as its source of inspiration. I have to wonder if anyone involved in this decision asked, 'Why even bother with it?' In fact, this same question repeatedly popped up during the panel at this year's New York Comic Con. Writer Mark Protosevich seemed to be at a loss and ultimately just threw in the towel by saying that he wasn't here to force anyone to see it if they didn't want to. Spike Lee's name on the poster gave me some hope. His voice had a bluntness that other directors lacked so if anyone was going to bring something new to the table, it would be him.

Yea, I was wrong. Lee's "Oldboy" isn't as bad as most critics are making it out to be but the whole affair just seems redundant, as if he and Protosevich were afraid of deviating from the original too much. One of the more noticeable changes in the remake is that we get a fuller backstory of who Oh Dae-Su/Joe Doucett was before he gets drugged and kidnapped. When we first meet Joe, he's yelling at his ex-wife on the phone and later, makes a sleazy pass at his client's girlfriend. He is, by all accounts, a total asshole. The details of his imprisonment remain largely the same, with the length of time Joe spends in confinement increased from fifteen to twenty, but it's here that Lee's "Oldboy" strikes its biggest emotional chord, finding our main character devolving into a pitiful shaggy mess before transforming into a honed weapon of revenge. Unfortunately, the film is almost half-over by the time he's set free, forcing Lee to barrel through the story in a rush. The romance between Joe and Marie is one area that the remake seriously bungles. They meet by chance like in the original but Protosevich's script never provides Marie with a compelling reason why she's drawn to Joe other than the fact that she feels sorry for him. The lyrical weirdness that permeated Wook's film is also absent here, replaced with a more straight-forward, thriller-like tone in order to appeal to a mainstream western audience. The only time it recaptures the original's strangeness is when Joe hallucinates a bellhop laughing at him. I am glad that Lee chose to replicate the iconic, one-take hallway fight and even though he does absolutely nothing new with it besides make it longer, the scene is still highly engrossing and just plain awesome to watch. However, this exposes a problem that repeatedly crops up in this remake: it's unable to step out of the original's shadow, especially with the constant callbacks like the octopus in the fish tank.

The bulk of the differences lie in the film's climax and the ending has been completely rewritten by Protosevich. The perverse twist—given a few slight tweaks—still packs a shocking punch, even if I saw it coming already but the final minutes of Lee's "Oldboy" just doesn't work and even goes against its themes in an attempt to provide some sort of redemption for Joe. In Wook's film, Oh Dae-Su is accused by his mysterious captor of 'talking too much' and there's a sense of poetic justice to the bodily mutilation he commits at the end. The last scene was also rather ambiguous as to the fates of its characters but it hinted at a bleak outcome. Sadly, all that has been stripped away, replaced with a manufactured finale that wants the audience to leave with an implausible sense of hope. Honestly, it feels like a cop-out that was mandated by the studio. In spite of all these problems, Lee's "Oldboy" remains a compelling film. The material has an irresistible rawness to it, a grimly violent edge that's absent in many Hollywood films today and people who haven't seen or heard of the original will likely come away impressed.

Definitely the strongest aspect in this remake is the performances. Josh Brolin's transformation from an alcoholic, selfish prick to a disciplined weapon of revenge is utterly believable. Not only does Brolin capture the gamut of emotions that Joe experiences but he also has the physicality to pull off the violent action scenes, although it should be said that besides losing weight and shaving his hair, the actor doesn't physically age at all despite his character being imprisoned for two full decades. Still, it's a minor nitpick that's quickly forgotten thanks to Brolin's intense commitment to the role. Without his talent, much of the film's emotional power would've been lost. Elizabeth Olsen grounds the picture with an empathic supporting turn as Marie, even though her character feels shoehorned in by the script. Samuel L. Jackson and Sharlto Copley give wildly over-the-top performances, which might turn off some viewers. With his garish wardrobe and faux-mohawk, Jackson lives up to his on-screen reputation, delivering one expletive-filled rant after another while Copley is suitably creepy, sporting an odd, effeminate British accent as the mysterious Adrian Pryce. Rounding out the cast is Michael Imperioli as Joe's best friend Chucky, James Ransone as a doctor who works with Marie, and Pom Klementieff as Pryce's silent bodyguard Haeng-Bok.

Released on November 27, 2013, "Oldboy" has received largely mixed reviews with 43% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics found it 'suitably grim and bloody yet disappointingly safe and shallow, Spike Lee's…remake neither surpasses the original nor adds anything new to its impressive legacy.' It doesn't seem like FilmDistrict was all that confident about the film because it's being dumped into 583 theaters with little fanfare. So far, it's only grossed $212,826 and will likely disappear by the time Christmas rolls around. It just feels like a waste considering the time it took for the remake to reach the big screen. No, Spike Lee's "Oldboy" isn't the cinematic abomination that some were expecting it to be and makes for a decent watch yet the whole endeavor never fully justifies itself. Newcomers and those who have an aversion to subtitles will likely be impressed, which might inspire them to seek out the original on their own but the rest of us will be asking the same question that pops up for every remake: 'Why bother?'

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"If you would like to see your daughter alive again, you must answer me two questions. One: Why did I imprison you for twenty years? And two: Why did I let you go?"

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Frozen 3D Review

Rated PG (Some Action and Mild Rude Humor)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 48 Minutes

Cast (voice)-

Kristen Bell-Anna

Idina Menzel-Elsa

Jonathan Groff-Kristoff

Josh Gad-Olaf

Santino Fontana-Hans

Alan Tudyk-Duke of Weselton

Ciarán Hinds-Pabbie the Troll King/Grandpa

Maia Wilson-Bulda

Stephen J. Anderson-Kai

Edie McClurg-Gerda

Chris Williams-Oaken

Directed by Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee

Disney's "Frozen" is by far the best animated film of the year.

Note: Screened on Tuesday, November 19, 2013 at AMC Loews Village 7.

I've lost count of how many times I've watched Disney's "Beauty and the Beast" as a kid. If you were to ask my mother, her answer would be an exasperated 'must've been close to a hundred times.' It's not just a great animated film; it's a great film, period—the kind that redefines the word 'timelessness.' I grew up during the so-called 'Disney Renaissance' and many of the films that were released during that ten-year period, such as "The Little Mermaid," the aforementioned "Beauty and the Beast," "Aladdin," and of course "The Lion King," mean a lot to me. These are films that have withstood the test of time, transcending age groups and becoming true classics in the process. Besides having great stories, lovable characters, and colorful animation, one aspect that made the Disney Renaissance films stand out was its music. They were like full-on Broadway musicals and it was what gave them that timeless 'Disney magic.' Unfortunately, the rise of Pixar and CG animation led to the decline of the Disney musical and with it, traditional hand-drawn animation. For the last decade or so, Disney has struggled to adapt to a markedly different playing field. Between Pixar's countless award-winning achievements and DreamWorks' continued global box office dominance, not to mention increased competition from upstarts like Illumination and Blue Sky, the house that Walt Disney built looked like it was slipping into irrelevance. The answer to their revival was surprisingly simple: go back to their roots. What began with 2009's "The Princess and the Frog" has culminated with "Frozen," a CG animated film with big musical numbers, just like the ones that Disney used to do during the 1990s. It's too soon to label Disney's latest as a 'classic' but "Frozen" is by far the best animated film of the year, a dazzling technical marvel that's backed up by memorable music, wonderful voice acting, and a story that cleverly subverts its own princess fairy tale tropes. This is Disney acknowledging its own past while forging a bright new path for its future.

"Frozen" is preceded by a hilarious seven-minute short film titled "Get a Horse!" Starring Mickey Mouse and all his friends, it celebrates Disney's rich heritage in a witty and inventive manner. Living in the idyllic, Nordic-like kingdom of Arendelle, royal sisters Elsa (Idina Menzel) and Anna (Kristen Bell) used to be close, but a childhood incident involving Elsa's burgeoning ice powers forced their worried parents to isolate their older daughter while her younger sibling's memories were altered. The two are eventually orphaned when their parents meet a tragic accident on the high seas. Locked away in her room, Elsa's attempts to control her abilities strain her relationship with Anna, who grows up confused at her sister's sudden emotional distance. When Elsa finally comes of age, she is crowned the queen of Arendelle during a summertime ceremony attended by many. Meanwhile, Anna falls in love with a handsome prince named Hans (Santino Fontana), with the pair hastily agreeing to get married despite it being their first meeting. Elsa, however, refuses to give her blessing to their marriage, leading to an argument between the two sisters. The emotional distress causes Elsa to accidentally unleash her powers, plunging Arendelle into an eternal winter. With the community turned against her by the arrogant Duke of Weselton (Alan Tudyk), Elsa decides to go into self-imposed exile up in the mountains, where she resides in a massive fortress made of ice. Desperate to make things right, Anna sets off to find her sister and is eventually joined by an unemployed ice cutter named Kristoff (Jonathan Groff) and a strangely cheerful living snowman named Olaf (Josh Gad), who dreams of experiencing the delights of summer.

Although it shares the same title as Adam Green's 2010 psychological thriller, Disney's "Frozen" obviously has nothing to do with a group of people who suddenly find themselves trapped on a ski lift and forced to survive against sub-zero temperatures. Rather, the film is loosely (and I must really emphasize this word) based on Hans Christian Andersen's classic 1845 fairy tale The Snow Queen. Development on the film that would eventually become known as "Frozen" stretched as far back as 1943, with the project being halted on-and-off for close to seventy years due to the difficulty in adapting the Snow Queen character into someone that modern audiences could relate to. The critical and commercial success of 2010's "Tangled" inspired Disney to give it another shot and the solution was to rewrite Anna, who was based on the Gerda character from the original fairy tale, as the Snow Queen's younger sister. Establishing this family dynamic finally allowed the project to escape development hell and move forward. You really have to admire Disney's persistence here. What studio today would stick with a concept for close to seven decades in order to make it work?    

What sets "Frozen" apart from previous Disney films is that the female characters aren't defined nor are they entirely dependent on the men around them. However, this is still a princess fairy tale, a fact that directors Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee fully embrace without apology. There are love-at-first-sights and happily-ever-afters but the screenplay from Lee also includes a subtle modern touch, with the writer cleverly subverting the story's princess tropes without fully resorting to the winking self-awareness of Disney's competitors, namely DreamWorks with their "Shrek" franchise. While the pairing of Anna and Kristoff is reminiscent of Rapunzel and Flynn from "Tangled," "Frozen" recognizes the fact that 'true love' comes in different forms and so the focus is always on the sisterly bond between Anna and Elsa. Anna doesn't understand why her elder sister has grown emotionally distant due to her memories being altered and is hurt by this loss while Elsa, afraid and filled with self-doubt, just wants to be left alone. Arendelle's initial condemnation of her mid-way through the film not only stands as a potent homosexuality parable, it also provides a rich feminist subtext of a woman being punished for not conforming to a man's definition of how females should behave. You could even argue that Elsa's long isolation in her room is symbolic of a male-dominated, repressive society that forces women to hide who they truly are.

In addition to playing with genre conventions, the CG animation in "Frozen" is absolutely gorgeous and sublimely captures the magic of its wintry setting. Even small details like the freckles on Anna's face and shoulders shine through. The only complaint is the 3D, which is fine but fails to really add much to the experience. It's the only element in the film that feels obligatory and workmanlike. However, the real standout is the music. Written and composed by the husband-and-wife duo Robert and Kristen Anderson-Lopez, the songs push what is already a great film into something truly special. Hell, the first thing I did when I arrived home from the advance screening was to download the soundtrack off Amazon. Unfortunately, I was faced with disappointment when the order page revealed that its release was still a week away. Catchy and exceptionally well-written, each song encapsulates the characters' emotional states wonderfully but the most unforgettable, show-stopping number is the power balled Let It Go performed by Idina Menzel. I've already listened to it close to twenty times since I brought the soundtrack and it still continues to send chills down my spine. There's a cover version from Demi Lovato as well which is just as good, even if it is a little too 'pop' for my tastes. Other memorable songs include the delightful Love is an Open Door, a duet from Kristen Bell and Santino Fontana, and the hilariously endearing In Summer from Josh Gad's Olaf. The music pretty much defined the Disney Renaissance and I'm glad that the Lopezes went to such great lengths to recapture that 'Disney magic.'

The voice acting is excellent, with Kristen Bell delivering a lively performance as the plucky and adorably charming Anna. The way Bell conveys her character's optimism and bubbly personality is infectious, and I immediately fell in love with her. Anna may just be my favorite Disney princess yet. Idina Menzel, who's had a long and successful career on Broadway, beautifully captures Elsa's inner fear and vulnerability despite the great power she wields. Not only do they shine in their vocal work but both actresses are outstanding when it comes to their music numbers. I have no doubt that "Frozen" will be walking away with at least one golden statue in the Best Original Song category. Jonathan Groff is affable and down-to-earth as mountain man Kristoff while Josh Gad, who honed his singing chops on Broadway's "The Book of Mormon," is consistently hilarious as the naïve yet kind-hearted snowman Olaf. It's hard not to laugh as he longingly voices his wish to experience summertime, completely oblivious to what the heat will actually do to him. Santino Fontana brings an appropriately princely appeal to Hans and finally, Alan Tudyk disappears into another voice role as the shifty Duke of Weselton.

Released on November 27, 2013, "Frozen" has received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 88% on Rotten Tomatoes. Noting that it was 'beautifully animated, smartly written, and stocked with singalong songs,' critics hailed it as 'another worthy entry to the Disney canon.' Given its prime Thanksgiving release date and its position as the last animated film of the year, "Frozen" is pretty much a guaranteed box office success and should easily cruise to $200 million domestic by the time it exits theaters. Disney has had its fair share of ups and downs over its ninety-year history but the house that Walt built has proven to be surprisingly resilient as the animation studio continuously adapts to new trends while embracing its rich heritage. As Forbes' Scott Mendelson so eloquently puts it, "Frozen" is 'both a declaration of Disney's renewed cultural relevance and a reaffirmation of Disney coming to terms with its own legacy and its own identity. It's also a just plain terrific bit of family entertainment.' Of all the films I saw this year, this is the one that left me with the biggest smile on my face.

Final Rating: 5 out of 5

"Some people are worth melting for."

There's a fun little scene after the end credits if you choose to stick around.

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Delivery Man Review

Rated PG-13 (Thematic Elements, Sexual Content, Some Drug Material, Brief Violence and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 43 Minutes

Cast-

Vince Vaughn-David Wozniak/Starbuck

Cobie Smulders-Emma

Chris Pratt-Brett

Andrzej Blumenfeld-Mikolaj Wozniak

Simon Delaney-Victor Wozniak

Bobby Moynihan-Aleksy Wozniak

Dave Patten-Adam

Adam Chanler-Berat-Viggo

Britt Robertson-Kristen

Jack Reynor-Josh

Amos VanderPoel-Taylor

Matthew Daddario-Channing

Sébastien René-Ryan

Kevin Hopkins-Andrew Johansson

Jay Leno-As Himself

Bill Maher-As Himself

Directed by Ken Scott

My 533 children...I AM YOUR FATHER!

Note: Screened on Tuesday, November 12, 2013 at AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.

Screened at the 2011 Toronto International Film Festival, writer/director Ken Scott's French-Canadian dramedy "Starbuck" received only mildly positive reviews (65% on Rotten Tomatoes) when it was finally given a limited release in the U.S. back in March but by that time, the crowd-pleasing film had already inspired two other remakes, "Vicky Donor" from India and "Fonzy" from France. A mere eight months later, Hollywood has decided to grace us with yet another remake, "Delivery Man" starring Vince Vaughn. Helming this do-over is none other than Scott himself, who's making his American debut here and is currently hard at work on his third film "Business Trip," which reunites him with Vaughn and is set to be released next October. Seventeen years since his star-making turn in Doug Liman's "Swingers," Vaughn's career has all but stagnated, with his last three films, "The Dilemma," "The Watch," and this past summer's "The Internship," all disappointing at the box office. Part of the problem is that the actor tends to play the same role over and over again, that of a fast-talking, irresponsible man-child. While it isn't quite a return to form for the comedian, Scott's "Delivery Man" allows Vaughn to step outside his comfort zone, revealing a more sentimental side in this predictable yet surprisingly charming dramedy.

Working as a delivery truck driver for his family's meat business in Manhattan, fortysomething-year-old David Wozniak (Vince Vaughn) is an affable slacker who's happy to coast through life without any responsibilities whatsoever but that all changes when he finds himself owing $80,000 in loan shark debt while at the same time, his newly-pregnant girlfriend Emma (Cobie Smulders) decides to cut him off from her life due to his constant laziness and unreliability. Just when things couldn't get any worse, David is visited by a lawyer who informs him that due to an administrative fluke, his many anonymous donations to a local fertility clinic twenty years prior has resulted in him being the genetic father of 533 children—142 of whom have filed a class action lawsuit in order to force the clinic to reveal his identity. An overwhelmed David turns to his lawyer pal Brett (Chris Pratt) for help even though the man has never argued such a big case. While Brett sorts through all the details and tries to make sense of this unusual lawsuit, David is handed a packet containing his children's personality profiles. Despite being explicitly told not to look at them, he does so anyway and begins anonymously helping out his biological children with random acts of kindness. As he gets more involved in their personal lives, David begins to wonder if revealing his identity wouldn't be so bad after all.

It's rather ironic that Vince Vaughn is once again starring in what is essentially a shot-for-shot remake. Following his critically-acclaimed performance in 1996's "Swingers," Vaughn tried his hand at a number of dramatic parts and audaciously took on the role of serial killer Norman Bates in Gus Van Sant's 1998 remake of Alfred Hitchcock's 1960 masterpiece "Psycho." Although it received a negative reception (37% on Rotten Tomatoes), with many critics labeling Van Sant's version as 'pointless,' I still admired Vaughn for daring to step into the shoes of the great Anthony Perkins. Unfortunately, that kind of risk-taking went out the window once Vaughn hit it big at the box office with 2005's "Wedding Crashers" and like his character David Wozniak in "Delivery Man," he's been coasting along in the same role ever since. It is only now that the actor is taking his first steps outside his comfort zone.

If you've already seen "Starbuck" earlier this year, then much of what happens in the remake won't come as a surprise since writer/director Ken Scott has opted not to mess with success, only changing a few minor details like switching the action from Montréal to Manhattan and streamlining the dialogue to a more box office-friendly PG-13 rating. The high-concept premise still strains credulity (not any random man off the street can be a sperm donor and there's a rigorous screening process) and it doesn't address the risk of having two of the children unknowingly fall in love and reproducing themselves but Scott does a good enough job in making sure that such lapses in logic don't visibly intrude on the story he's telling. Although there are some funny moments, such as David's futile attempts to fool the aforementioned lawyer into thinking that he doesn't speak English, "Delivery Man" is more of a drama than a laugh-out-loud comedy. Of course, the drama is all very surface-level at best, finding the amiable underachiever anonymously meeting his kids and fumbling around as their so-called 'guardian angel.' This includes subbing in as a barista while one son rushes to an acting audition, helping one of his daughters beat her heroin addiction, and spending time with another son who is sadly autistic. Some of his encounters however are a little too coincidental, finding a few of the kids dealing with major life issues just as David appears but the film's sincerity is never in question, even when Scott goes overboard in pulling our heartstrings. "Delivery Man" paints a decidedly upbeat picture of fatherhood even as it deals with some pretty heavy subject matter and the journey that David goes through is formulaic to a fault but its heartfelt charms allow the film to overcome its numerous faults.

Vince Vaughn's David Wozniak doesn't stray too far from the other man-child roles that he's played in the past but it still remains a nice change of pace from his usual boorish comedic persona. The actor instills the character with an inherent likability and is convincing as a lovable loser who just wants to do the right thing by his family and friends. Vaughn's range may be limited and he isn't always successful in selling the deeper ideas in Scott's script but he's clearly invested in the material. Given that David has 533 children and the story only focuses on 142 of them, it's impossible to afford them all equal screen-time but the ones that we do get to see, played by Dave Patten, Adam Chanler-Berat, Britt Robertson, and Jack Reynor, manage to shine thanks to the sheer enthusiasm they instill in their roles. Polish actor Andrzej Blumenfeld exhibits a genuine warmth as David's father while fan-favorite Chris Pratt (who'll appear as Star-Lord in Marvel's "Guardians of the Galaxy" next summer) delivers some of the film's biggest laughs as a buffoonish lawyer who's barely able to manage his four kids. He insists (as a joke obviously) that they 'know they're too old to get an abortion.' The one cast member who fails to make an impression is Cobie Smulders. She's not bad as David's long-suffering girlfriend Emma but the script gives her very little to do besides looking exasperated at Vaughn.

Released on November 22, 2013, "Delivery Man" has received largely negative reviews with 36% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'it has an undeniably sweet charm, and Vince Vaughn is eminently likable in the lead role, but [the remake] suffers in comparison to Starbuck, the hit Canadian comedy that inspired it.' The film is serving as counterprogramming against the highly-anticipated sequel "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and while such a move isn't a guaranteed death sentence, it's unlikely to do Vaughn any favors given his recent box office slump. In fact, early estimates are putting "Delivery Man" with an opening weekend debut of less than $10 million, which is way below Vaughn's last three films. It's an unnecessary remake that suffers from being overly schmaltzy and predictable but there's a sincere charm to "Delivery Man" that manages to win you over despite its unevenness.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"This could be the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me. These kids need someone to look out for them. They need a guardian angel."

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The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence and Action, Some Frightening Images, Thematic Elements, a Suggestive Situation and Language)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 26 Minutes

Cast-

Jennifer Lawrence-Katniss Everdeen

Josh Hutcherson-Peeta Mellark

Liam Hemsworth-Gale Hawthorne

Willow Shields-Primrose Everdeen

Paula Malcomson-Mrs. Everdeen

Elizabeth Banks-Effie Trinket

Woody Harrelson-Haymitch Abernathy

Lenny Kravitz-Cinna

Philip Seymour Hoffman-Plutarch Heavensbee

Stanley Tucci-Caesar Flickerman

Toby Jones-Claudius Templesmith

Donald Sutherland-President Coriolanus Snow

Patrick St. Esprit-Romulus Thread

Sam Claflin-Finnick Odair

Lynn Cohen-Mags

Jena Malone-Johanna Mason

Bobby Jordan-Blight

Jeffrey Wright-Beetee Latier

Amanda Plummer-Wiress

Alan Ritchson-Gloss

Stephanie Leigh Schlund-Cashmere

Bruno Gunn-Brutus

Meta Golding-Enobaria

Elena Sanchez-Cecelia

John Casino-Woof

E. Roger Mitchell-Chaff

Maria Howell-Seeder

Directed by Francis Lawrence

Katniss Everdeen finds herself fighting for survival once more in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire."

Note: Screened on Monday, November 18, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.

'Hope—it is the only thing stronger than fear. A little hope is effective…a lot of hope is dangerous. A spark is fine, as long as it's contained.' After winning the 74th Annual Hunger Games alongside fellow tribute Peeta Mellark, Katniss Everdeen inadvertently becomes a symbol of hope among the twelve oppressed districts of Panem in "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire,"  the highly-anticipated sequel to Gary Ross' critically-acclaimed 2012 hit. Based on a trilogy of dystopian science fiction novels from author Suzanne Collins, the original "Hunger Games" was made for only $78 million, a relatively low production budget compared to other would-be blockbusters but the odds managed to be in Lionsgate's favor as the film had devoured a gargantuan $691.2 million worldwide by the end of its theatrical run. Its $152.5 million opening weekend easily eclipsed (pun definitely intended) all of the "Twilight" films, setting a new record for highest debut ever for a non-sequel. With excellent reviews (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), the studio fast-tracked "Catching Fire" (which had already been green-lit eight months prior to the first film's release) into production but the tight schedule forced Ross to drop out as director. Replacing him is Francis Lawrence, whose work has been somewhat of a mixed affair. Out of the three films he's made, only 2007's "I Am Legend" stood out due in large part to Will Smith's strong performance. Fans were rightly concerned but they can put their worries to rest now. Excellently expanding on the source material's thought-provoking and subversive themes while also upping the stakes, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" is one of those rare sequels that manage to surpass its predecessor in almost every way.

Emerging as the victors of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, fellow tributes Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) and Peeta Mellark (Josh Hutcherson) return home to District 12—the poorest sector in the totalitarian nation of Panem, which rose from the ashes of a post-apocalyptic North America following an unspecified catastrophic event in the far future. However, Katniss and Peeta's reunion with their family and friends proves to be short-lived as the two must then embark on a 'Victory Tour' across all of the districts. Before the tour officially begins, President Coriolanus Snow (Donald Sutherland), the ruthless autocratic leader of Panem, pays Katniss a visit and expresses his outrage for her act of defiance that allowed her and Peeta to win. As he leaves, Snow makes a veiled threat toward her best friend, Gale Hawthorne (Liam Hemsworth), whom she has feelings for. Pretending to be madly in love for their adoring public in the Capital, Katniss and Peeta reunite with their alcoholic mentor Haymitch Abernathy (Woody Harrelson) and gaudy chaperone Effie Trinket (Elizabeth Banks) during the Victory Tour but unrest brews within the oppressed districts. Knowing that Katniss has become a beacon of hope, Snow plots to destroy her with the aid of new Game Maker Plutarch Heavensbee (Philip Seymour Hoffman). As the 75th Annual Hunger Games—also known as the Quarter Quell—commences, Snow announces that the tributes will be reaped from the existing pool of victors in a brutal effort to crush the fires of rebellion that Katniss' actions had inadvertently sparked.

Like comic books, adapting young adult novels for the big screen has become all the rage in Hollywood but for every "Harry Potter" and "Twilight" that makes billions of dollars, there's a "Beautiful Creatures" and "Mortal Instruments" that flop at the box office. The reason "The Hunger Games" succeeded where others have failed is because it offered moviegoers something exciting and new, with the film managing to grow beyond its fanbase and appeal to those who weren't overly familiar with the source material. Detractors will continue to complain of its similarities to the 2000 Japanese film "Battle Royale" and while that's true to a certain extent, Kinji Fukasaku's violent and controversial action thriller was a cult classic that was never going to attain the widespread exposure that "The Hunger Games" now enjoys. For audiences, Gary Ross' adaptation of the 2008 Suzanne Collins novel was the first time they've seen a story like this. Given the critical and commercial success of the original film, expectations were at an all-time high for "Catching Fire." So many things could've gone wrong but not only did Francis Lawrence build upon its predecessor, he improved on it. Only a handful of sequels ("Aliens," "The Dark Knight") have accomplished such a rare and difficult task. In spite of its two hour and twenty-six minute running time, "Catching Fire" is pitch-perfectly paced with emotional stakes that will leave you impatiently yearning for the final two installments.

I had read the first novel prior to seeing Ross' film but this time around, I made a conscious decision to go into the sequel completely blind. Scripted by Academy Award-winning writers Simon Beaufoy and Michael Arndt (credited under the puzzling pseudonym 'Michael deBruyn'), "Catching Fire" immediately sets itself apart from the original with its decidedly darker and more cynical tone, finding our young heroine suffering from severe posttraumatic stress disorder due to her harrowing experience at the 74th Annual Hunger Games. Katniss' blatant act of defiance, where she was fully prepared to commit suicide alongside her fellow tribute Peeta rather than give Panem's totalitarian regime the satisfaction of another victor, has sent ripples across the nation's twelve districts. Unrest with the government is slowly building up toward open rebellion, forcing President Snow to use increasingly brutal methods to maintain his control over the populace. There's a great scene in the first film where Snow explains to Seneca Crane the reason why they hold the Hunger Games every year. Rounding up twenty-four people and executing them would be easier and faster but it effectively turns them into martyrs. The Games exist to give the districts a small measure of hope, which is violently taken away by forcing the citizens to watch their own children being killed. This potent commentary of suffering as mass entertainment for the rich is smartly built upon when Snow decides not to kill Katniss but to completely destroy what she stands for through the Quarter Quell. One aspect that I really enjoyed is the concept of celebrity within this dystopian sci-fi world. It eerily mirrors our own as Katniss and Peeta's 'star-crossed romance' has captured the hearts and minds of those living in the Capitol while dehumanizing tragedies are all but virtually ignored. I love the way the story has these characters try to use their celebrity status to undermine Snow, from Katniss' wedding dress transforming into a mockingjay in a blaze of fire to Peeta's surprise announcement that she's newly pregnant with his child, which ironically incites the crowd at Caesar Flickerman's show to call for the Games to be cancelled! This is contrasted with the harsh ugliness that now grips Panem in the wake of the 74th Annual Hunger Games, where even the smallest acts of defiance are met with instant executions and public whippings.

The love triangle that has now become a staple of young adult fiction is handled in a mature manner in spite of the characters being teenagers. It achieves an emotional resonance that is light-years ahead of the groan-inducing petulance that was at the center of the "Twilight" series. Katniss' feelings for Gale stem from them being childhood friends but she also owes a huge debt to Peeta, whose presence gave her the necessary strength to ultimately win the Hunger Games. For her, it's not about who she loses her virginity to; it's about forming a human connection when every day is a battle for survival, whether it's for food or in an arena. The two men may long for Katniss but they also understand the reality of their situation. Rather than waste time engaging in pointless competition, they instead support one another and are not only prepared to die for the woman they love but for each other as well. It's this noble selflessness that defines Katniss' relationships with Gale and Peeta, which is a breath of fresh air compared to other young adult franchises that rely on some shallow interpretation of 'love.'

It's obvious that Francis Lawrence is a director-for-hire here but that's actually to the film's advantage. While nothing has really changed stylistically, Lawrence does eliminate the shaky cam approach that characterized the first film, allowing the action in "Catching Fire" to feel more fluid as it quickly moves from one set-piece to another. There's still a bloodbath when all the tributes rush toward the Cornucopia, now located in the middle of a circular lake, but there's less focus on the brutality among the contestants. Instead, the tributes must contend with an hourly series of deadly obstacles designed by Heavensbee. This includes a poisonous fog that result in painful boils when coming in contact with skin, vicious mutated monkeys, 'jabberjays' that psychologically torment the tributes with screams of their loved ones, and drowning the tributes with a torrential rain of blood. Lawrence keeps the tension at an all-time high without losing sight of the character-driven drama and a sense of hopelessness pervades the Quarter Quell as Snow gleefully watches the tributes slowly become demoralized. The violence definitely pushes the boundaries of its PG-13 rating but it serves not to entertain but to emphasize the brutal callousness of Panem's oppressive regime. If there are any flaws in "Catching Fire," it's the film's structural similarity to the original. However, this is due to Collins' playwriting background, which taught her to write in a three-act structure. The ending, although true to the source material, is also somewhat abrupt but it does leave you anticipating the final two installments.

Most of the cast bring their A-game as if this was a prestige picture. Fresh off her Academy Award win for Best Actress in last year's "Silver Linings Playbook," Jennifer Lawrence continues to excel with her captivating portrayal of Katniss Everdeen, adding layers of emotional depth as her character struggles to deal with the physical and emotional trauma of competing in the Hunger Games while also becoming a symbol of hope for the oppressed citizens of Panem, a status she'd rather not have due to the danger it puts her family and friends in. Much has been said about Lawrence's down-to-earth demeanor and it is that quality that allows her performance to feel so genuine. Josh Hutcherson is just as strong in the role of Peeta Mellark, whose love for Katniss goes beyond a mere boyhood crush. This is someone who has a defined sense of loyalty and respect, and it's these two traits that Hutcherson derives when conveying his character's intense devotion to his fellow tribute. Woody Harrelson and Lenny Kravitz perfectly capture the mentor relationship their characters share with Katniss and Peeta but one of the bigger surprises is Elizabeth Banks, who lends Effie a more human side without betraying who she is. Banks also has some of the funniest scenes in the film as Effie effectively acts as Katniss and Peeta's publicist. The other surprise is Sam Claflin as District 4 tribute Finnick Odair. He at first comes off as extremely unlikable with his arrogant self-confidence and cocky personality but Claflin slowly reveals that there's more to Finnick, that he isn't just the shallow pretty boy that Panem's media makes him out to be. Jeffrey Wright brings a calm gravitas to tech wizard Beetee while the beautiful Jena Malone adds some much-needed spunk to axe-wielding tribute Johanna Mason. Veteran actors Donald Sutherland and Philip Seymour Hoffman are excellent as always in their antagonistic roles. Finally, there's Liam Hemsworth and he is…fine. Don't get me wrong; his performance is miles ahead of the one he gave in "Paranoia" but being merely adequate just isn't enough when everyone around you is challenging themselves in new ways.

To be released on November 22, 2013, "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" has so far received overwhelmingly positive reviews with 95% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics are hailing it as 'a thoroughly compelling second installment in the Hunger Games series' thanks to its 'smart, smoothly directed, and…deeper exploration of the franchise's thought-provoking themes.' Judging from its enthusiastic response at Monday's advance screening, "Catching Fire" is pretty much guaranteed to be a box office success and has a strong chance of surpassing "Iron Man 3" as the highest grossing film of the year. Many sequels fail to live up to the promise of their predecessors but "The Hunger Games" might be one of those rare franchises that continue to get better with each successive installment. "Catching Fire" easily cements itself as one of the best films of 2013 and will leave you fuming with rage that "Mockingjay—Part 1" won't arrive until November 2014.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Katniss, when you're in the arena…you just remember who the enemy is."

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Homefront Review

Rated R (Strong Violence, Pervasive Language, Drug Content and Brief Sexuality)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 40 Minutes

Cast-

Jason Statham-Phil Broker

Izabela Vidovic-Maddy Broker

James Franco-Morgan 'Gator' Bodine

Winona Ryder-Sheryl Marie Mott

Kate Bosworth-Cassie Bodine-Klum

Marcus Hester-Jimmy Klum

Rachelle Lefevre-Susan Hetch

Omar Benson Miller-Tito

Frank Grillo-Cyrus Hanks

Clancy Brown-Sheriff Keith Rodrigue

Chuck Zito-Danny Turrie

Linds Edwards-Jojo Turrie

Austin Craig-Teddy Klum

Directed by Gary Fleder

Jason Statham: ass-kicker and loving father.

Note: Screened on Thursday, November 14, 2013 at AMC Empire 25.

If you were to ask a hardcore gun-lover why people would need or want so many guns in their house, one answer that you'll inevitably get is 'self-defense.' Gary Fleder's latest film "Homefront" seems to be tailor-made for ardent supporters of the Second Amendment. Just look at the official poster. Hugging his young daughter, Jason Statham's Phil Broker is draped with a fading image of the American flag while the tagline reads, 'How far would you go to protect your home?' On the bottom is a menacing James Franco, wreathed in flames as if he were the Devil incarnate. It all comes across like a cheesy ad campaign put together by the National Rifle Association, except Franco's face would be replaced with a random foreigner from some third-world country. Although it shares the same title with THQ and Kaos Studios' 2011 video game, "Homefront" is actually based on Chuck Logan's 2005 best-selling novel. Adapting it for the big screen is none other than Sylvester Stallone, who had intended to direct and star in it himself when he wrote the script nearly eight years ago but his busy schedule led him to pass on the role to his co-star Jason Statham while on the set of "The Expendables 2." Statham's character Phil Broker is similar to Tom Cruise's Jack Reacher in some respects, considering that both are former lawmen and star in their own series of novels. Ironically, Broker and Reacher made their debut in the same year, 1997. The film should please action junkies but despite the source material's pedigree, "Homefront" proves to be indistinguishable from past Jason Statham vehicles.

Former undercover DEA agent and recent widower Phil Broker (Jason Statham) decides to retire to the seemingly idyllic bayou town of Rayville, Louisiana with his ten-year-old daughter Maddy (Izabela Vidovic) in an attempt to escape his troubled past. When a schoolyard bully named Teddy (Austin Craig) pushes Maddy around, she defends herself and leaves the boy with a bloodied nose. This earns the ire of Teddy's parents, meth addict Cassie (Kate Bosworth) and her husband Jimmy Klum (Marcus Hester). To even the score, Cassie asks her brother Gator Bodine (James Franco), the local drug lord, to humiliate Maddy's father but this plan backfires when Phil makes short work of Gator's thugs when they accost him at the gas station. Frustrated by this turn of events, Gator breaks into Phil's home while he and his daughter are away and discovers that not only was Phil a DEA agent but his actions led to the death of Jojo (Linds Edwards), who was a member of a notorious motorcycle gang called the 'Outcasts.' The leader of this gang happens to be Jojo's father Danny Turrie, (Chuck Zito), who now resides in prison because of Phil. Viewing this as a golden opportunity to obtain distribution rights for his growing meth operation, Gator has his girlfriend, Sheryl Mott (Winona Ryder), alert a still-vengeful Danny of Phil's whereabouts. As the Outcasts, led by the sadistic Cyrus (Frank Grillo), descend upon his home, Phil is forced to fight back in order to protect his daughter.

Not a year goes by where a Jason Statham film isn't playing in theaters. 2013 saw the release of two already—Taylor Hackford's "Parker," which received mixed reviews (41% on Rotten Tomatoes) and flopped at the domestic box office with a paltry $17.6 million, and the little-seen "Redemption" from British writer/director Steven Knight. Titled "Hummingbird" in the UK, Knight's film was met with a mixed reception (48% on Rotten Tomatoes) as well and played in only nineteen theaters while being made simultaneously available on VOD. Let's not also forget that Statham had a surprise cameo in a mid-end credits scene in "Fast and Furious 6," setting him up as the main villain in the upcoming seventh installment. The B-movie action star certainly isn't lacking in work but Gary Fleder's "Homefront" is just more of the same, with Sylvester Stallone's script spinning its wheels for close to an hour before our bald-headed protagonist starts indulging in some serious ass-kicking. Of course, this doesn't mean that there aren't any fisticuffs being thrown throughout the film but Statham's character Phil Broker tends to avoid confrontation while caring for his precocious ten-year-old daughter Maddy. The story makes a big deal out of Broker's 'mysterious past,' giving the film a neo-western vibe, except it isn't so mysterious when a brief prologue already reveals him to be a former DEA agent who went undercover within a motorcycle gang that was involved in drug-trafficking. Broker's actions lead to the arrest of the gang's leader, Danny Turrie. However, his son Jojo defiantly resisted arrest, resulting in him being shot 47 times. It's obvious that the ex-lawman's past will catch up with him sooner or later but if you didn't know, Danny helpfully foreshadows it all for us with his screams of promised vengeance.

The film's predictability is only equaled by its dumbness. When Broker goes horseback riding with Maddy, he leaves his house unlocked, allowing Gator to leisurely stroll in and snoop around. Coincidentally, Broker's cluttered basement just happens to contain boxes of sensitive files revealing his past life as a DEA agent but what really takes the cake is that Gator manages to directly grab the one file that exposes the ex-lawman's involvement in the death of Danny Turrie's son. Broker later returns the favor by breaking into Gator's garage or more accurately, waltzes through the front door, leaving you to wonder if the good citizens of Rayville invest in locks or alarms for their homes. The man even has time to booby-trap the whole place! "Homefront" does try to create some sort of emotional resonance by casting Broker as a recent widower (in the novel, his wife, an elite Delta Force operative, is alive but suffering from severe posttraumatic stress disorder) but these moments are marred by Mark Isham's overwrought score. The film only comes alive once the ass-kicking starts, with the sound effects cranked all the way up to twenty so you can feel every punch connect. Unfortunately, you'll likely have lost interest by then due to the meandering story as it lamely attempts to build suspense. There's nothing particularly distinctive about Fleder's direction either, besides indulging in a little too much shaky cam during the fight scenes.

Jason Statham is…well, Jason Statham. While the actor does get to exhibit more depth and vulnerability as a single father, the character of Phil Broker isn't too far off from the other 'tough guy' roles that Statham has played. He's still excellent as always when going mano-a-mano but its nothing we haven't seen countless times before. As Broker's young daughter Maddy, newcomer Izabela Vidovic tends to try too hard, especially when the scene calls for emotion. I suppose I should cut her some slack though considering Vidovic is still a child and she does share a good rapport with Statham. The film's biggest surprise is James Franco, who appears to have cornered the market of playing off-kilter individuals. Gator isn't as memorable as Alien from "Spring Breakers" but Franco is suitably creepy in the role. There's a moment near the end where he stares at Sheryl in shock and bluntly asks her, 'Are you retarded?!' The way he delivers this line is just absolute perfection and it left the audience laughing in their seats. Winona Ryder is fine (and still gorgeous) as Gator's jittery lover/accomplice while Kate Bosworth appears to have taken a page out of Christian Bale's playbook with her shockingly skinny frame. I didn't even recognize her at first! Rachelle Lefevre pops in briefly as a potential love interest along with Omar Benson Miller, who plays Broker's only friend in town and is fond of saying 'fu*kin' rednecks.' Rounding out the cast is Frank Grillo as a hitman hell-bent on killing Broker and Clancy Brown as the sheriff, of course.

There are currently no reviews for "Homefront" since it won't be released until November 27, 2013 but it'll likely fall into the 40 to 50% range on Rotten Tomatoes, in line with recent Jason Statham flicks. What's puzzling is the film's production budget, which is estimated to be around $70 million. That's unusually high for this type of picture and what's worse is that it has absolutely no chance of making that back due to intense competition from other films such as "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire" and Disney's "Frozen." At best, "Homefront" is looking at a $25 to $30 million gross, if it doesn't bomb like Statham's last two solo outings. Jason Statham continues to do what he does best but "Homefront" is just another throwaway B-movie action thriller in the actor's résumé. Apparently, he's set to co-star alongside Melissa McCarthy in Paul Feig's upcoming spy comedy "Susan Cooper." Now that should be interesting!

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"Whatever you're thinking…rethink it."

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