The Quiet Ones Review

Rated PG-13 (Intense Sequences of Violence and Terror, Sexual Content, Thematic Material, Language, and Smoking Throughout)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 38 Minutes

Cast-

Jared Harris-Professor Joseph Coupland

Sam Claflin-Brian McNeil

Olivia Cooke-Jane Harper

Erin Richards-Krissi Dalton

Rory Fleck-Byrne-Harry Abrams

Laurie Calvert-Phillip

Aldo Maland-David Q

Max Pirkis-Older David Q

Tracy Ray-David Q's Mother

Richard Cunningham-Provost

Eileen Nicholas-Angry Neighbor

Directed by John Pogue

There are some creepy moments but "The Quiet Ones" is just another in a long line of forgettable PG-13 horror films.

Note: Screened on Thursday, April 24, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

I'm an overly cautious person by nature and for good reason because there are certain things that shouldn't be messed around with…like summoning a f*cking poltergeist! Unfortunately, that's exactly what happens in "The Quiet Ones," the latest horror offering from Hammer Films. The legendary British production company has been undergoing a revival in the last several years, with 2010's "Let Me In" receiving critical acclaim—a rarity for a remake—and 2012's "The Woman in Black" grossing over $127 million worldwide against a modest production budget of $17 million. Directed by John Pogue (whose résumé consists of a number of writing credits and 2011's little-seen but well-received horror sequel "Quarantine 2: Terminal"), "The Quiet Ones" is purported to be 'inspired by actual events' as the opening credits and poster proudly proclaim but in this instance, such a label is partially true. Pogue's film is based on the so-called 'Philip Experiment,' where a group of Canadian parapsychologists—led by world-renowned poltergeist expert Dr. Alan Robert George Owen—came together in 1972 with the intention of creating a ghost out of thin air in order to prove their hypothesis: that supernatural phenomena are nothing more than products of the human mind. The experiment's seven participants claim that they managed to will the spirit they created into existence but outside of a few knocks and moving objects, it never physically manifested for them to see. Hoax or not, it was clear to Lionsgate and Hammer that a direct retelling of the Philip Experiment wouldn't be all that exciting to modern audiences and so the film's writers gussied up the narrative with love triangles, satanic cults, demonic sigils, and creepy dolls. Despite their best efforts, "The Quiet Ones" is ultimately a languidly paced affair whose idea of terror is to artificially jolt viewers with sudden loud noises at regular intervals.

Believing that paranormal occurrences are nothing more than the outward manifestation of a person's 'negative energy,' maverick Oxford University professor Joseph Coupland (Jared Harris) sets out to prove his hypothesis by performing an unorthodox experiment in the summer of 1974. A troubled teenage orphan named Jane Harper (Olivia Cooke) believes she is haunted by a malevolent spirit named 'Evey' but Coupland hopes to convince her that it's all in her head. 'Cure one patient, you cure all mankind,' he repeatedly boasts. Assisting the professor with his experiment are student volunteers and lovers Krissi Dalton (Erin Richards) and Harry Abrams (Rory Fleck-Byrne). However, Coupland requires documentation and recruits amateur cameraman Brian McNeil (Sam Claflin) for such a task. When the university suddenly refuses to fund the project anymore due to its controversial nature, Coupland and his team is forced to relocate to an isolated home in the countryside. While there, Brian grows increasingly disturbed at the professor's mental probing of Jane and begins to question the ethics surrounding the experiment. He also begins to develop feelings for the young girl, which puts him in mortal danger when tempers flare amongst the group as it soon becomes apparent that something supernatural is truly at work.

While you won't find much in the way of originality in John Pogue's "The Quiet Ones," that in itself does not signify a bad film. In fact, the right ingredients for an enjoyable horror flick are already in place but the direction is indecisive, with Pogue unable to fulfill the promise of the story's intriguing premise. At its core, the film explores the age-old debate between science and religion, with Oxford University professor Joseph Coupland writing off supernatural occurrences as simply products of the human mind brought about by extreme mental trauma. Coupland is a fascinating character that's brilliantly brought to life by Jared Harris (from AMC's "Mad Men") and if there's one thing "The Quiet Ones" gets right, it's him. The professor's sense of idealism is infectious as we truly believe that he has Jane Harper's best interests in mind but that turns out to be nothing more than a lie. He's just a ruthless, egotistical, narcissistic bully who only wants to assuage his own guilt over a tragedy that occurred years earlier. Harris is excellent in the role as he captures Coupland's scholarly charisma while lacing the character's sophisticated exterior with a subtle hint of menace.

Unfortunately, the rest of the film doesn't live up to Harris' performance and part of the problem is the languid pacing despite the short nighty-eight minute running time. The picture only comes alive in the last fifteen or so minutes but you'd probably be fast asleep by then (the person sitting to the right of me certainly was). Worse, Pogue's bag of tricks consist solely of jolting the viewer with a loud noise at regular intervals, which grows increasingly annoying and tiresome once it extends to sudden camera slating and champagne bottles being uncorked. Certain aspects in "The Quiet Ones" do work, such as the palpable sexual tension amongst the characters and the way it interweaves found-footage elements within the narrative. There's a particularly spooky sequence set in a dark attic but besides that, there's little here that audiences will find terrifying, with the script—credited to no less than four writers—growing more and more desperate as it throws in satanic cults and burning demonic sigils with no regard to whether any of it actually makes sense of not. Given the film's promising setup, it's a shame that "The Quiet Ones" squanders all of it with too-slow pacing and cheap jump scares.

Besides Harris, the only other cast member to make an impression is Olivia Cooke, who's currently starring on A&E's "Bates Motel." Cooke's innocent features prove to be an advantage as you're never quite sure if her character Jane Harper is just a troubled girl in need of a sympathetic shoulder to cry on or a wolf in sheep's clothing. Given his excellent portrayal of Finnick Odair in last year's "The Hunger Games: Catching Fire," it's disappointing to see Sam Claflin follow that up with a bland performance as shy cameraman Brian McNeil. However, his co-stars Erin Richards and Rory Fleck-Byrne fare even worse as their characters only exist to meet an untimely demise later on.

Released on April 25, 2014, "The Quiet Ones" has received largely negative reviews with 38% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'while it definitely sports a few palpable scares, [the film] finds Hammer…trading too heavily on [the studio's] past glories.' The advance screening didn't exactly draw a huge crowd so it's not surprising that "The Quiet Ones" bombed at the box office. In fact, it's $3.9 million weekend gross ties it with February's "Vampire Academy" for lowest 2014 opening in over two thousand theaters. This doesn't bode well for Hammer's comeback. "The Quiet Ones" isn't a horrible film as there are some interesting ideas at work here but Pogue is unable to craft something memorable with them. The potential is there; unfortunately it goes unrealized.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"Cure one patient, you cure all mankind."

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Brick Mansions Review

Rated PG-13 (Frenetic Gunplay, Violence and Action Throughout, Language, Sexual Menace and Drug Material)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 30 Minutes

Cast-

Paul Walker-Detective Damien Collier

David Belle-Lino Dupree

Robert Fitzgerald Diggs/RZA-Tremaine Alexander

Catalina Denis-Lola

Ayisha Issa-Rayzah

Gouchy Boy-K2

Robert Maillet-Yeti

Carlo Rota-George the Greek

Frank Fontaine-Collier's Grandfather

Bruce Ramsay-Detroit's Mayor

Andreas Apergis-Berringer

Richard Zeman-Major Reno

Directed by Camille Delamarre

It's nice to see the late Paul Walker on the big screen but it doesn't change the fact that "Brick Mansions" is terrible.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 23, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

Heath Ledger tragically died from an accidental prescription drug overdose six months prior to the release of Christopher Nolan's "Batman Begins" sequel "The Dark Knight" in 2008 but the Australian actor—who was just twenty-eight years old at the time of his death—left behind an indelible mark on critics and audiences alike with his memorably unhinged performance as long-time Batman nemesis the Joker. Riding a wave of critical acclaim, Ledger was subsequently given a posthumous Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, which his family accepted on his behalf. As cynical as this may sound, such accolades will not be given to Paul Walker, who was killed in a car accident last November after leaving a charity event with his friend Roger Rodas. Walker was in the middle of shooting "Fast & Furious 7," which was set to be released this July but was pushed back to next April as a result of his untimely death. Moviegoers who were hoping to see Walker on the big screen will have to make do with the Luc Besson-produced "Brick Mansions," a remake of Pierre Morel's well-received 2004 French action film "District B13." The only problem is that the remake—helmed by editor-turned-director Camille Delamarre—is absolutely terrible. Completely bereft of any discernable plot and saddled with mind-numbing and poorly edited action sequences, "Brick Mansions" is a forgettable D-grade action flick that is only notable for featuring Paul Walker in one of his final film roles.

In the year 2018, the crime-infested slums of Detroit, Michigan—known  as 'Brick Mansions'—have been walled off from the rest of the city by the Mayor (Bruce Ramsay) and his rich constituents, leaving the remaining residents in the rundown district to fend for themselves behind a forty-foot high concrete barrier manned by armed soldiers. With no schools, hospitals, or even basic human services, the people trapped within Brick Mansions turn to ruthless drug kingpin Tremaine Alexander (Robert Fitzgerald Diggs/RZA) to ease their daily suffering. Hoping to wipe away the urban plague in one shot, the Mayor targets the decaying district for demolition but his plans hit a snag when it is revealed that Tremaine has managed to acquire an experimental neutron bomb, which the drug lord inadvertently activated and is set to go off in twelve hours. To disarm the weapon, the Mayor sends in hardnosed undercover detective Damien Collier (Paul Walker), who is eager to settle a score with Tremaine as he killed his police officer father decades earlier. Damien finds himself paired with Lino Dupree (David Belle), a freedom fighter living in Brick Mansions. Lino has his own reasons for going after Tremaine as the drug lord is holding his ex-girlfriend Lola (Catalina Denis) hostage. Using their unique fighting skills, Damien and Lino dive headfirst into the belly of the beast in order to save a city that's tearing itself apart.

Given a limited release in 2006 and 2010 in North America, Pierre Morel's "District B13" and Patrick Alessandrin's sequel "District 13: Ultimatum" went on to receive positive reviews from critics (80% and 74% on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively) and is notable for introducing the acrobatic martial art known as 'parkour' to a wider audience. David Belle, one of the founders of parkour, reprises his role of Leïto—renamed Lino—in Camille Delamarre's remake "Brick Mansions" and although it's been ten years since Morel's film came out (it was first released in France in 2004), his rooftop-jumping and wall-scaling stunts still get the adrenaline pumping. Unfortunately, these moments are few and far between in Delamarre's version and what we're left with are a bunch of generic action scenes that are choppily edited together. The story isn't any better because there isn't any. Written by Luc Besson and Bibi Naceri, the script feels like a rough draft that was hastily hashed out in a lazy afternoon as it squanders its dystopian premise (which is closer than you think given Detroit's current economic situation), with the film itself made borderline unwatchable thanks to the ugly visuals from cinematographer Christophe Collette. As it if that wasn't enough, the writers see fit to shoehorn in a social inequality theme that's at best, insulting, and at worst, racist since almost everyone living in the Brick Mansions district is a minority. I would respect Besson and Naceri more if they had just stuck with making a straightforward action film instead of forcing in some out-of-nowhere social commentary in a lame attempt to provide their picture with 'meaning.'

With its laughably atrocious story and the dialogue faring even worse, this just leaves the action as the sole saving grace for "Brick Mansions." Sadly, novice director Camille Delamarre bungles this as well as outside of Belle's few parkour sequences, the fight scenes and car chases are damn-near incomprehensible. Any given shot lasts approximately thirty milliseconds and much of the violence ends up being diluted because Delamarre always cuts at the point of impact. When the action scenes in your action film fail to excite and cause headaches because they're indecipherable, you have a major problem on your hands. Additionally, Walker's untimely demise casts an uncomfortable pall over the numerous high-speed car crashes given his cause of death.

Like the story, there are no performances, just a bunch of people shouting when they're not busy punching or shooting at each other. Paul Walker was never a great actor to begin with; at best, he's watchable but in "Brick Mansions," he might as well be a brick. Walker's pairing with David Belle allows for some moments of levity, with the actor staring with an incredulous look on his face whenever he witnesses Belle perform an acrobatic feat. Although Belle shines in the parkour scenes, his performance is marred by some rather terrible ADR dubbing. Faring the worse is rapper Robert Fitzgerald Diggs, popularly known by his stage name 'RZA.' He really needs to stop trying to be an actor because frankly, it's painful to watch. Rounding out the rest of the cast is Catalina Denis, who spends much of the film chained to a rocket in a barely-there waitress uniform. She and Ayisha Issa, who plays Tremaine's second-in-command Rayzah, provide the film's sole pleasure: a cat fight.

Released on April 25, 2014, "Brick Mansions" has received predominantly negative reviews with 29% on Rotten Tomatoes, a far cry from the 80% for "District B13." Calling it 'choppily edited and largely bereft of plot,' critics wrote off the film for wasting its 'likable cast on a pointless remake.' Despite the enthusiastic response at the advance screening (I'm not even surprised anymore at the modern moviegoers' crappy sense of taste), "Brick Mansions" failed to make much of an impression at the box office as it grossed only $9.5 million during opening weekend. It's a real shame that the film is just so bad considering the lead actor's recent passing. I feel like I'm disrespecting him even though I'm not. At least we have "Fast & Furious 7" next year. That should be a much more fitting tribute to Paul Walker.

Final Rating: 1.5 out of 5

"Revenge and justice is not the same thing. They never are."

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The Other Woman (2014) Review

Rated PG-13 (Mature Thematic Material, Sexual References and Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes

Cast-

Cameron Diaz-Carly Whitten

Leslie Mann-Kate King

Kate Upton-Amber

Nikolaj Coster-Waldau-Mark King

Taylor Kinney-Phil

Don Johnson-Frank Whitten

Nicki Minaj-Lydia

David Thornton-Nick

Alyshia Ochse-Cece

Victor Cruz-Fernando

Directed by Nick Cassavetes

Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned in Nick Cassavetes' romantic comedy "The Other Woman."

Note: Screened on Thursday, April 17, 2014 at Regal Union Square Stadium 14.

Nick Cassavetes' "The Other Woman"—which curiously shares the same title as Don Roos' 2011 indie drama starring Natalie Portman—is a film that, by all rights, I should've hated. In his review, Dustin Putman notes that the premise, if handled without the right care, would've reduced the three female lead characters into 'desperate, petty, and infantile' women, 'no better than the man who initially crossed them' but that's exactly what the trailers portrayed them to be and it didn't help that these previews were completely bereft of laughs. The guest who tagged along with me to the advance screening expressed that she was 'really excited' to see the film but I couldn't muster up the same level of enthusiasm. For me, this was one of those times where my hobby felt like work. Well color me surprised because "The Other Woman" turned out to be a lot better than I expected and it's all ironically thanks to a certain Mann…Leslie Mann, to be specific. Cassavetes doesn't fully capitalize on the premise and the film never quite settles into a consistent tone but Mann—and to a lesser extent, her two co-stars—manage to offer enough solid laughs, elevating the weak material into something enjoyably watchable.

What was supposed to be a one-night stand for high-powered New York City lawyer Carly Whitten (Cameron Diaz) and successful businessman Mark King (Nikolaj Coster-Waldau) quickly turns into a serious relationship, with Carly believing that she's finally found the man of her dreams. However, she becomes upset when Mark bails at the last minute on plans to meet her much-married father Frank (Don Johnson) due to a plumbing issue at his house in Connecticut. Following her father's advice, Carly decides to let Mark's sudden flakiness slide and she shows up unannounced at his home with plans to seduce him but the person who answers the door turns out to be his wife, Kate (Leslie Mann)! Angry at the deception, Carly resolves to move on with her life while Kate suffers a nervous breakdown as the discovery of her husband's indiscretion shatters her picturesque life as a suburban housewife. With no one to turn to, Kate latches onto Carly, with the two gradually befriending each other due to their shared experience of being burned by the same man. They resolve to get some major payback and secretly follow Mark to his second house in the Hamptons. While there, the women learn that Mark has another mistress, the younger, knockout-gorgeous Amber (Kate Upton). Recruiting the blonde bombshell into their revenge scheme, Carly and Kate set out to make Mark pay dearly for his cheating ways.

Featuring a setup that has elicited comparisons to Hugh Wilson's 1996 hell-hath-no-fury comedy "The First Wives Club," Nick Cassavetes' "The Other Woman" doesn't quite fully take advantage of its high-concept premise, with novice screenwriter Melissa K. Stack (who caught Hollywood's attention when her script "I Want To F*ck Your Sister" landed on the 2007 Black List) resorting to using the same old clichés that audiences have seen countless times before in many a romantic comedy. Despite the story devolving into a series of silly pratfalls and poop jokes, this female-driven revenge comedy remains weirdly compelling. The reason for that is Leslie Mann, an incredibly gifted comic actress who has the rare ability to play these zany, over-the-top characters yet still remain grounded and sympathetic. With her high-pitched voice, Mann's comedic shtick is a love-it-or-hate-it kind of thing at this point but I've yet to tire of it. Who else can turn a simple joke about needing to go to 'brain camp' into comedy gold? Although her character Kate can come across like a live-action cartoon, Mann remains thoroughly endearing in the role. Fed up with her constant crying, Carly tells Kate to 'cry on the inside, like a winner' and the resulting expression that she makes approaches a sort of puppy-dog adorableness. Besides being a 'whirling dervish of laughs' (an apt descriptor from Cinema Blend's Sean O'Connell), Mann remembers that there are real emotions driving her character's actions as underneath her wacky, bubbly persona is a woman who is forced to come to terms with the fact that her picturesque suburban marriage is built on nothing but lies. In her hands, Mann turns what is inherently an absurd character into a fully-realized person and without the actress' presence, "The Other Woman" would've been much, much worse.

Mann is well-paired with Cameron Diaz, whose icy, tell-it-like-it-is turn as Carly helps to balance out Kate's goofiness. The two actresses make for a funny comedic duo and not only share great chemistry on-screen but also vastly elevate the weak material. There's a sequence where they secretly tail Mark during his 'business trip' in the Hamptons and it's hard not to laugh as Carly and Kate clumsily skulk around with their binoculars while Lalo Schifrin's "Mission: Impossible" theme plays in the background. In her first major film role, Kate Upton is amusingly ditzy as blonde bombshell Amber, with Cassavetes working around her limited range by giving the Sports Illustrated model as little dialogue as possible and relying more on sight gags. Nikolaj Coster-Waldau, famous for his ongoing role as Jaime Lannister on HBO's "Game of Thrones," proves to be a good sport as his character Mark suffers one indignity after another, such as being fed laxatives and daily doses of estrogen by the women he cheated on. Don Johnson turns on the charm in what is essentially a paycheck role while Taylor Kinney, who plays Kate's handsome contractor brother Phil, is affable and serves as not only a convenient new love interest for Carly but also as the film's token acknowledgment that not all men are lying, cheating scumbags. Finally, there's singer Nicki Minaj, whose sassy portrayal of Carly's assistant Lydia delivers a few chuckles but she really needs to work on her speaking voice. It's very fortunate that her screen-time is limited because her whiny inflection would've been grating if I had to listen to it for more than five minutes.

Released on April 25, 2014, "The Other Woman" has received overwhelmingly negative reviews with a paltry 25% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it 'definitely boasts a talented pedigree, but all that skill is never fully brought to bear on a story that settles for cheap laughs instead of reaching its empowering potential.' To be honest, I'm not really surprised by this reaction. The script is riddled with clichés, the comedy is hamstrung by its PG-13 rating (leading to some rather poor ADR dubbing), and the film's themes of female empowerment frequently clash with the lowbrow humor. Despite these issues, I still enjoyed the film because it succeeded in what a comedy is supposed to do, which is to make you laugh. "The Other Woman" may not be particularly memorable or sophisticated but as far as mainstream romantic comedies go, you can certainly do a lot worse.

Final Rating: 3 out of 5

"Put the lawyer, the wife, and the boobs together and we know how to do it just as shady as he does!"

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Transcendence - The IMAX Experience Review

Rated PG-13 (Sci-Fi Action and Violence, Some Bloody Images, Brief Strong Language and Sensuality)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 59 Minutes

Cast-

Johnny Depp-Dr. Will Caster

Rebecca Hall-Dr. Evelyn Caster

Paul Bettany-Dr. Max Waters

Morgan Freeman-Dr. Joseph Tagger

Cillian Murphy-FBI Agent Donald Buchanan

Kate Mara-Bree Evans

Cole Hauser-Colonel Stevens

Clifton Collins Jr.- Martin

Xander Berkeley-Dr. Thomas Casey

Cory Hardrict-Joel Edmund

Lukas Haas-James Thomas

Falk Hentschel-Bob

Josh Stewart-Paul

Luce Rains-Roger

Fernando Chien-Heng

Steven Liu-Chiu

Wallace Langham-Dr. Strauss

Directed by Wally Pfister

Johnny Depp stars in "Transcendence," which marks the directorial debut for Nolan cinematographer Wally Pfister.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 16, 2014 AMC Loews Lincoln Square 13.

Eccentric English writer Charles Caleb Colton famously wrote in his 1824 book Lacon: Or, Many Things in Few Words: Addressed to Those who Think that 'imitation is the sincerest [form] of flattery' but in trying to emulate Christopher Nolan's trademark mix of thematic depth and populist entertainment, first-time director Wally Pfister has robbed his feature debut—titled "Transcendence"—of any sense of identity. One of the best cinematographers working in Hollywood today, Pfister has been a vital part of Nolan's team since 2000's "Memento," with his naturalistic visual style proving to be a perfect fit for the director as he slowly cemented his brand of thinking-person's blockbusters. Following three consecutive nominations, Pfister finally received a much-deserved Academy Award for his work on the 2010 sci-fi heist thriller "Inception." Given his frequent collaborations with the British auteur, it's not surprising to find Pfister making his directorial debut with a big-budget film that feels like it came straight out of Nolan's playbook. At first glance, "Transcendence" has all the right ingredients for critical and commercial success. The cast, which include several Nolan mainstays, is talented and the story mixes an appropriately high-concept premise with an intimate emotional core. Unfortunately, "Transcendence" fails to meet the lofty ambitions of its title as the film is unable to mesh its technological cautionary tale, exploration of love and loss, and action blockbuster sensibilities into a singular, coherent vision.

Leading artificial intelligence researchers Dr. Will Caster (Johnny Depp), his wife Evelyn (Rebecca Hall), and their close friend Max Waters (Paul Bettany) are working to transform the world for the better as they envision a future where technology will be able to cure any disease and heal the planet. During his keynote speech at UC Berkeley's 'Evolve The Future' seminar, Will espouses his belief that the fast-approaching technological singularity—an event where artificial intelligence becomes greater than human intelligence—will revolutionize the world and usher in a period of 'transcendence.' A visibly upset audience member asks Will if he's trying to create 'his own god,' to which he replies, 'Isn't that what mankind has always done?' Following the seminar, Will is shot by that same audience member, who turns the gun on himself before the authorities can arrest him. Fortunately, the wound isn't fatal, allowing Will to make a quick recovery. Traveling to a research laboratory, the Casters and Max meet with Dr. Joseph Tagger (Morgan Freeman), a colleague of theirs, along with an FBI agent named Donald Buchanan (Cillian Murphy). He reveals that the attempt on Will's life was part of a series of coordinated terrorist attacks perpetuated by an anti-technology organization called RIFT (Revolutionary Independence From Technology), led by a young woman named Bree Evans (Kate Mara). To ensure that Will's research is safe, the Casters show Tagger and Buchanan P.I.N.N., a massive supercomputer that keeps track of all their data. However, Will starts to feel unwell and it is later revealed that the bullet was laced with polonium, giving him only five weeks to live. As her husband succumbs to radiation poisoning, Evelyn decides to 'upload' Will's brain to P.I.N.N. with the help of a reluctant Max. The transfer proves to be a success but Evelyn's attempt to preserve Will's consciousness may have just doomed the world.

Christopher Nolan is one of my favorite directors and I love the way he challenges his audience while also entertaining them at the same time. He's the kind of rare filmmaker who managed to take his art-house roots and apply them to the modern blockbuster. Of course, making a film is a team effort and I would be remiss if I didn't mention Wally Pfister, Nolan's cinematographer since 2000's "Memento." Given the amazing work he's done with the director over the years, I was excited to see Pfister finally strike out on his own and take on a new challenge. However, he really should've made his feature debut with something smaller. It's clear that with "Transcendence," Pfister wanted to make a thought-provoking picture that would do Nolan proud but the resulting film most likely left the British auteur feeling embarrassed, which is ironic considering Nolan's name is nowhere to be found in the marketing even though he's an executive producer. The biggest problem with "Transcendence" is that it doesn't know what it wants to be. Is this a cautionary tale about the dangers of technology run amok or is it an exploration of a grief-stricken woman in denial? Muddling things further are the film's action beats, which feel out of place and seem to be haphazardly thrown in to make the third act more 'exciting.' The only element that I can praise without any reservations is the evocative cinematography, which isn't a surprise given Pfister's background. However, seeing "Transcendence" on an IMAX screen doesn't wield any tangible benefit besides a more immersive soundscape.

Not helping matters is the script from newcomer Jack Paglen, which feels awfully dated and treads the same ground that many cyber-thrillers from the 1990s have walked before. Hell, it even makes a casual reference to Y2K! Don't get me wrong, the questions the film raises regarding technology and artificial intelligence are all intriguing. After all, we are living in a digital age and the idea of an emotionless supercomputer taking over our lives and deciding what's best for us is a very real fear indeed. Unfortunately, "Transcendence" gets sillier and sillier over the course of its two-hour running time, with a digitized Will eventually infecting the populace of a small New Mexican town with nano-machines, forming a collective consciousness like the Borg from "Star Trek: The Next Generation." Although these people can repeatedly regenerate and survive multiple bullet wounds, they never come across as very menacing, largely due to the fact that they still look like bunch of downtrodden Midwesterners after being infected. Despite its sizable budget, the scope of the film feels rather small and we're never shown just what kind of an effect Will is having on the rest of the world besides deploying silvery clouds of nanobots. The entirety of the government is seemingly represented by one lone FBI agent and the third act culminates in an anticlimactic confrontation between a couple of soldiers and Will's low-rent Borg collective of Midwesterners. Worse, all logic is completely thrown out the window as Max conjures up a magical computer virus that will stop Will but inexplicably cause a worldwide blackout. The consequences of such an action are never discussed and the final twist on whether the scientist is really residing within the supercomputer is poorly conveyed thanks to out-of-nowhere environmentalism theme.

The cast is without a doubt talented but every single one of them is wasted in their roles. Johnny Depp appears disinterested in the material and the supporting players, which include accomplished actors like Morgan Freeman and Cillian Murphy, are given little to work with besides vague and half-formed characters. Kate Mara is particularly miscast as the leader of the anti-technology terrorist group RIFT and comes across like an angry graduate student who failed a class. Only Rebecca Hall and Paul Bettany are able to lend some depth to their respective characters. In spite of the script's wishy-washy state, Hall manages to deliver a grounded performance of a woman unable to let go of her husband, even when there are random explosions going on all around her. Bettany is sadly underutilized but he succeeds in capturing the hard decisions his character has to make in regards to the world's continued survival.

Released on April 18, 2014, "Transcendence" has received overwhelmingly negative reviews with a paltry 20% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that 'ace cinematographer Wally Pfister remains a distinctive visual stylist, but [the film's] thought-provoking themes exceed the movie's narrative grasp.'  Audience reaction was rather muted at the advance screening but at least there was a sizable turnout because judging from the initial numbers, "Transcendence" is on track to become the latest box office bomb for Johnny Depp. This doesn't bode well since 2012's "Dark Shadows" and last year's wildly-expensive "The Lone Ranger" also flopped. Depp needs to pick some better material if he wants to remain in the spotlight. Although the premise is certainly ambitious and offers a lot of story potential, "Transcendence" ultimately fails to come together as a satisfying whole, with Pfister casting too wide a canvass and lacking the directorial experience or skill to pull it all together coherently. A film can't survive on pretty visuals and an intriguing set-up alone; you need a consistent script and more importantly, you need to care about what's happening. Unfortunately, "Transcendence" doesn't succeed at either aspect.

Final Rating: 2 out of 5

"For 130,000 years, our capacity for reason has remained unchanged. The combined intellect of the neuroscientists, engineers, mathematicians pales in comparison to the most basic A.I. The path to building super-intelligence requires us to unlock the most fundamental secrets of the universe. Imagine a machine with a full range of human emotion. Once online, a sentient machine will quickly overcome the limits of biology. In a short time, its analytical power will be greater than the collective intelligence of every person born in the history of the world. Some scientists refer to this as the 'Singularity.' I call it…Transcendence."

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Oculus Review

Rated R (Terror, Violence, Some Disturbing Images and Brief Language)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 44 Minutes

Cast-

Karen Gillan-Kaylie Russell

Brenton Thwaites-Tim Russell

Katee Sackhoff-Marie Russell

Rory Cochrane-Alan Russell

Annalise Basso-Young Kaylie Russell

Garrett Ryan-Young Tim Russell

James Lafferty-Michael Dumont

Miguel Sandoval-Dr. Shawn Graham

Kate Siegel-Marisol Chavez

Scott Graham-Warren

Justin Gordon-Mark (Supervisor)

Dave Levine-Robert Clancy

Stephanie Minter-Virginia Lasser

Lesa Johnson-Mary O'Connor

Allison Boyd-Beatrice O'Connor

James Flanagan-Tobin Capp

Alexandra Beer-Marcia Wicker

Marc Evans-Oliver Jeffries

Toni White-Alice Carden

Bob Gebert-Neighbor

Directed by Mike Flanagan

Where is Doctor Who when you need him?

Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 2, 2014 at AMC Empire 25.

We all have a mirror in our homes, sometimes more than one. Whether they're hanging in your bathroom or bedroom, mirrors allow us to see and make ourselves look presentable to others (or maybe take one of those annoying 'selfies' that are now all the rage these days) but have you ever wondered if someone other than yourself was staring back at you while you're looking in? According to Benjamin Radford's article Do You Believe in Bloody Mary? on the Discovery News website, mirrors 'have been the subject of legend and superstition for millennia.' You might have heard many times that breaking a mirror brings seven years of bad luck. Given the prevalence of mirrors in folklore and superstition, it's rather surprising that we haven't seen more horror movies revolving around them. Yes, there was 2008's "Mirrors" from director Alexandre Aja (along with its 2010 direct-to-video sequel) but other than the 'jaw-ripping' scene and the presence of Jack Bauer, um, I mean Kiefer Sutherland, it was pretty forgettable. In fact, critics ripped the film apart upon its release and it currently has a paltry 14% on Rotten Tomatoes. Mike Flanagan's "Oculus," which revolves around a haunted ornate mirror, fortunately is not as bad as Aja's gory flick but neither is it the amazing genre revelation that some critics have stated. Based on a well-received 2006 short, "Oculus" doesn't reinvent the wheel when it comes to things that go bump in the night but its creepy atmosphere, clever narrative structure, and impassioned performances elevate this low-budget horror film.

After experiencing a traumatic incident when he was ten-years-old, Tim Russell (Brenton Thwaites) was sent to St. Aidan's Mental Facility for long-term psychiatric evaluation. He is finally released on his twenty-first birthday after coming to terms with the tragedy that befell his parents and reconnects with his older sister Kaylie (Karen Gillan), who was sent into foster care following the incident. Tim is ready to move on and rebuild his life but Kaylie is quick to remind him of the promise they made eleven years earlier. Now working as an antiques dealer, Kaylie has managed to find the so-called 'Lasser Glass,' a four-hundred year old ornate mirror that is supposedly possessed by an evil supernatural entity. Believing that this entity was responsible for her parents' (Katee Sackhoff and Rory Cochrane) deaths, Kaylie returns to her childhood home in an attempt to draw the spirit out and kill it once and for all. Tim tags along and repeatedly tries to convince his sister that they made the ghost story up to cope with their shared trauma but she refuses to listen. When the two siblings begin experiencing strange phenomena, they find themselves unable to differentiate between reality and illusion.

In his 2002 Encyclopedia of Urban Legends, author Jan Harold Brunvand describes the Bloody Mary legend as a ritual where a 'person—often an adolescent girl—is supposed to chant [Bloody Mary's name] a set number of times (3, 10, 50, 100, etc.) while staring into a mirror in a darkened room (often a bathroom)—sometimes lit by candles—in order to summon out of the mirror the avenging spirit of [the] witch or ghoul.' What happens varies from person to person but let's just say for now that it often doesn't end very well…if you believe in such stories of course.

There's no summoning ritual for the 'Lasser Glass' in "Oculus," as the mirror's malevolent reach affects anyone in close proximity to it. Premiering at the Toronto International Film Festival last September, "Oculus" was soon acquired by Blumhouse Productions, which has made a name for itself in recent years by specializing in micro-budget horror films that yield a big reward at the box office. It is directed by Mike Flanagan, who made quite a splash in 2011 with his Kickstarter-funded horror film "Absentia." Although it was only released on home video and VOD, "Absentia" managed to snatch up a plethora of awards from various film festivals. Written by Flanagan and Jeff Howard and based on the 2006 short of the same name, "Oculus" won't leave you quaking in fear but it has a creepy atmosphere and a better-than-average mystery that will keep viewers guessing until the very end. However, what really elevates this picture is the strong drama and unique narrative structure. When we first meet them, we learn that siblings Kaylie and Tim have managed to survive their shared traumatic experience when they were children but as adults the two cope in different ways. Tim has more or less made peace with the fact that his parents were, for lack of a better term, dysfunctional. He believes that it was their bad choices that led to their deaths and is ready to move on. Unfortunately, Kaylie isn't so well-adjusted. Although she has managed built a life for herself with her loving boyfriend Michael (James Lafferty), Kaylie is obsessed with revenge, revenge against the supernatural entity that took her family. But does this entity even exist…or is it just a product of Kaylie's mind, a symptom of her being unable to move on? This question is bandied about during the film's first half, with Flanagan hinting that perhaps the demon that Kaylie needs to kill is not the one in the mirror but the one residing within her. Thus, the demon only exists in a metaphorical sense and Kaylie would just need to let go of her thirst for vengeance to defeat it.

Of course, it soon turns out that the demon is very real indeed (otherwise we'd have no movie), prompting "Oculus" to enter extended 'mindf*ck' territory. The story frequently jumps between the past and the present as Flanagan cleverly builds off the two timelines until they finally merge into one horrible sad present. In a way it represents the siblings' painful past as an ugly stain that can't ever be washed away. Not only does the mirror haunt them but so does their parents' violent deaths. Unlike most horror films, "Oculus" isn't overly concerned with making viewers constantly jump in their seats, although there are a few jump scares thrown in. Rather, it is more interested in making viewers try to discern what is and isn't real, leading to some genuinely spooky moments such as the 'apple-masquerading-as-lightbulb' scene that has been heavily marketed in the trailers. What's also great about the film is that the characters aren't stumbling around with no idea what's going on. Kaylie is fully aware of the grave threat the mirror poses, with Flanagan going into extreme detail with her plans but as the famous saying goes, 'The best-laid plans of mice and men / Often go awry.'

Despite this being a low-budget horror flick, the cast deliver committed performances and not only sell the stakes but the drama as well. Karen Gillan, primarily known for her role as Amy Pond on the popular BBC television show "Doctor Who," offers a refreshingly different take on the horror heroine. Gillan's Kaylie is determined not to be the victim again and I love how the actress brings a sort of hyper-competence to her character. Brenton Thwaites, who will next be seen in the film adaptation of Lois Lowry's young adult novel The Giver, isn't quite as strong but he remains convincing as an audience surrogate, with his character Tim conflicted in separating reality and illusion. Playing their younger selves are Annalise Basso and Garrett Ryan, both of whom are remarkably impressive as we watch them slowly overcome their helplessness and fight back. Finally, there's Katee Sackhoff (Kara 'Starbuck' Thrace from the "Battlestar Galactica" reimagining) and Rory Cochrane, who are both heartbreaking and terrifying as their characters gradually descend into madness.

Released on April 11, 2014, "Oculus" has received solid reviews with 72% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics hailed it's 'emphasis on dread over gore' and noted that it might be 'the first spine-tingling chapter in a new franchise for discerning horror fans.' Unfortunately, the audience I had to sit with during the advance screening was by far the worst group I've ever had to endure and it's a reminder of why I dread watching horror movies in theaters as the people just cannot shut the f*ck up! I hope one day all theaters adopt a no tolerance policy toward talking and texting like the Alamo Drafthouse. If you can't be quiet or not text, then you don't deserve to be in the theater or have your money refunded. I've digressed far enough so let me just conclude that "Oculus" doesn't rewrite the horror genre but it does offer enough thrills and chills, as well as some intriguing ideas, to make it worth a watch.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"You promised me you'd never forget what really happened."

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Draft Day Review

Rated PG-13 (Brief Strong Language and Sexual References)

Running Time: 1 Hour & 49 Minutes

Cast-

Kevin Costner-Sonny Weaver Jr.

Jennifer Garner-Ali Parker

Denis Leary-Vince Penn

Frank Langella-Anthony Molina

Ellen Burstyn-Barb Weaver

Chadwick Boseman-Vontae Mack

Arian Foster-Ray Jennings

Tom Welling-Brian Drew

Josh Pence-Bo Callahan

Sam Elliott-Coach Moore

Terry Crews-Earl Jennings

Sean Combs-Chris Crawford

Griffin Newman-Rick the Intern

Patrick St. Esprit-Tom Michaels

Chi McBride-Walt Gordon

Rosanna Arquette-Angie

Kevin Dunn-Marvin

Roger Goodell-As Himself

Directed by Ivan Reitman

Kevin Costner and Jennifer Garner are appealing in their roles but "Draft Day" is just another in a long line of bland sports movies.

Note: Screened on Wednesday, April 9, 2014 at AMC Loews 34th Street 14.

111.5 million: that's the number of people in the U.S. who watched Super Bowl XLVIII this past February. I, however, was not among the millions of viewers who tuned in. Hell, if you were to ask me which team won, I wouldn't be able to answer you because I don't even know who was playing! I'm not a very big sports person (if that wasn't obvious already) and the reasons for that is twofold; first, watching a bunch of people toss (or kick) a ball around for three-plus hours is boring and second, athletics was not something that was encouraged much in my household. In fact, my mother would often tell me to 'run away from the ball' if it came toward me during phys-ed class in high school. Better to get ridiculed by my peers than get hurt! I even dislike playing sports video games. Despite my aversion to all things sports (with the exception of e-sports), I don't actually mind watching sports films—if they're good of course. Ron Howard's "Rush" was on my 'Best of 2013' list even though I knew absolutely nothing about Formula One racing. A good sports film can't be about the sport itself though; it has to capture something that goes beyond the game and that's what Ivan Reitman's "Draft Day"—which revolves around the eponymous NFL draft—tries to do but the final result is about as exciting as having a boardroom meeting with your boss. Now a subject like this doesn't automatically sink a film. After all, 2011's "Moneyball" was about fiddling with spreadsheets yet it was elevated by the rapid-fire dialogue from Steven Zaillian and Aaron Sorkin's script. "Draft Day" unfortunately doesn't have that and it ends up being a series of tedious phone conversations that give you little reason to care about what's happening on-screen. It's a handsome-looking film and the all-star cast, led by the great Kevin Costner, are appealing in their roles but "Draft Day" fails to make much of an impression with its dull, anemic script.

Following a particularly bad season, Cleveland Browns general manager Sonny Weaver Jr. (Kevin Costner) struggles to rebuild the team as the clock ticks down to the NFL draft, which is only thirteen hours away. Sonny's tenure hasn't exactly been smooth and making matters worse is his father's passing, which occurred only a week ago. The former head coach of the Browns, Sonny's father was revered by the entire city but his career came to an end when his own son suddenly fired him. As if the day couldn't get any more stressful, Sonny learns that his office fling with salary cap gal Ali Parker (Jennifer Garner) has resulted in a pregnancy. With the city calling for his head and his boss Anthony Molina (Frank Langella) pressuring him to make 'a big splash,' Sonny is torn on who to pick for the draft. One of his prospects is charismatic linebacker Vontae Mack (Chadwick Boseman), who may just be the man to make a difference for the Browns' defense. Another prospect is running back Ray Jennings (Arian Foster), whose father Earl (Terry Crews) used to play for the Browns and wants his son to follow in his footsteps. Although these two would make great additions to the team, they unfortunately don't sell tickets. Out of the blue, Seattle Seahawks general manager Tom Michaels (Patrick St. Esprit) calls up Sonny with an unusual offer: they'll give up their number one pick—rising quarterback Bo Callahan (Josh Pence)—in exchange for the Browns number one picks…for the next three years! Sonny reluctantly agrees despite the unfavorable terms but this move angers the team's current quarterback Brian Drew (Tom Welling), as well as current head coach Vince Penn (Denis Leary). With the NFL draft only mere hours away, Sonny wonders if he made the right choice.

You know there's a problem when "Draft Day" writers Rajiv Joseph and Scott Rothman don't exhibit much confidence in their own story and throw in a bunch of contrived subplots to beef up the already-weak drama. Honestly, I'm shocked this was number one on the 2012 Black List. For those of you who don't know, the NFL draft is an annual event held in spring where each team in the NFL selects a number of eligible college football players to join them. I'll admit it's not a subject that I'm particularly interested in but I could say the same for Formula One racing and boxing. Nevertheless, I count last year's "Rush" and 2004's "Million Dollar Baby" as among my favorite films. As long as the story resonates with me, it doesn't matter if it's a sports film. Unfortunately, that's not the case with Ivan Reitman's latest and the main issue here is the absurd premise. Why the hell would the Seattle Seahawks willingly give up their number one pick? Even more head-scratching is Sonny investigating said pick after agreeing to trade the Browns' number one picks for the next three years. If he didn't feel like he made the right choice, why did he even agree to make this trade in the first place? I understand that he wants to please his boss but if he's going to second-guess himself immediately, then he should've stuck to his original prospects…which is exactly what Sonny ends up doing. It's not even a spoiler! The minute that Sonny voices his concerns about quarterback superstar Bo Callahan, you already know that he's not going to stick with him and it drains away much of the story's suspense. By ending the film with where Sonny started, it makes the whole affair feel manufactured and pointless. The only difference is that everyone suddenly loves him now for sticking with his gut instincts because to hell with player statistics, right? And what was wrong with Callahan? Nothing really; he tells the occasional white lie and delivers canned answers but he's probably a fine player. He's just not good enough for Sonny because apparently heart and grit are all you need to be a great football player. I seem to remember there being some skill involved too but I may be wrong.   

Not helping matters is the film's pacing, which can best be described as 'anemic.' This can be attributed to the plethora of subplots that the writers pack into the script. In addition to the NFL draft, Sonny has to deal with his girlfriend's sudden pregnancy and his mother's (Ellen Burstyn) insistence with scattering his father's ashes on the practice field on the most stressful day of his career. Not only does all this make your head spin, it slows down an already-dull picture. It seems like Reitman was aware of how shallow the script was and desperately tries to spruce up the film by employing needlessly distracting visual tricks. Whenever a telephone conversation takes place (and there are many), the screen splits, sometimes into multiple panels similar to Ang Lee's "Hulk." However, that's not all as characters can literally walk across each panel like they're occupying the same room! Swishing this way and that way, the constant use of split screens just come off as cheap and silly. As if "Draft Day" didn't already feel enough like a two-hour NFL commercial, every time the film moves to a different city, we're treated to an exterior shot of said city's downtown area before the team logo swishes (there it goes again with the swishing) into another shot of the city's football stadium. All these visuals try to give you the impression that you're watching something important but it instead has the opposite effect. The only time where "Draft Day" feels remotely exciting is during the actual draft itself, which occurs in the film's last fifteen or so minutes. It's as if Reitman took a shot of 5-hour Energy, with Sonny suddenly becoming virtually bulletproof in his wheeling and dealing.

As dull as the film is, the cast at least make it watchable with their affable performances. The role of Sonny Weaver Jr. seems to be tailor-made for Kevin Costner, with the aging movie star exuding a manly charisma in every scene. He's confident but never cocksure and when the actor smiles at the camera, it's like he's smiling right at you. Although their roles are nothing more than thinly-scripted archetypes, the supporting cast remain appealing. Costner and Jennifer Garner make for a charming pair but the two come across like close best friends rather than a couple. Their seventeen-year age difference doesn't help either as Garner could almost pass herself off as Costner's daughter. Denis Leary is entertaining to watch as the Browns' frustrated head coach, although his outbursts are hamstrung by the film's PG-13 rating. Despite his limited screen-time, Chadwick Boseman shines as aspiring NFL linebacker Vontae Mack. I can't wait to see him as James Brown in August's "Get On Up." Finally, Ellen Burstyn exhibits a gentle warmth as Sonny's grieving mother. The only puzzling casting choice is Sean 'P. Diddy' Combs as Callahan's agent. Reitman couldn't get someone that can actually act for such a small role?

Released on April 11, 2014, "Draft Day" has received mildly positive reviews with 63% on Rotten Tomatoes. Critics noted that it was 'perfectly pleasant for sports buffs and Costner fans, but overall, [the film] lives down to its title by relying too heavily on the sort of by-the-numbers storytelling that only a statistician could love.' Summit Entertainment promoted "Draft Day" quite heavily, with advance screenings almost every week for over a month prior to its release but the film just never really came off as something that was worth going out of your way to see. Fortunately, the production budget for these types of pictures aren't high so it should still turn a modest profit at the domestic box office. Early estimates are pegging for a $10 to $11 million opening weekend gross. Despite its contrived storytelling and lack of energy, "Draft Day" isn't a wholly terrible film, just a mediocre one. The appealing cast make it watchable for the most part but football fans will likely roll their eyes at the absurd premise while the rest of us shrug indifferently.

Final Rating: 2.5 out of 5

"You see things other people don't see. That's one of the things I love about you. All that matters is what you think. Write your own story, Sonny."

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Rio 2 3D Review

Rated G

Running Time: 1 Hour & 41 Minutes

Cast (voice)-

Jesse Eisenberg-Blu

Anne Hathaway-Jewel

Rachel Crow-Carla

Amandla Stenberg-Bia

Pierce Gagnon-Tiago

George Lopez-Rafael

William Adams/Will.I.Am-Pedro

Jamie Foxx-Nico

Andy Garcia-Eduardo

Rita Moreno-Aunt Mimi

Bruno Mars-Roberto

Jemaine Clement-Nigel

Kristin Chenoweth-Gabi

Philip Lawrence-Felipe

Tracy Morgan-Luiz

Bebel Gilberto-Eva

Leslie Mann-Linda Gunderson

Rodrigo Santoro-Tulio Monteiro

Jake T. Austin-Fernando

Miguel Ferrer-Big Boss

Janelle Monáe-Dr. Monáe

Natalie Morales-Newscaster

Directed by Carlos Saldanha

I think a musical number is about to happen...

Note: Screened on Saturday, April 5, 2014 at AMC Empire 25.

When it comes to the world of CG animation in Hollywood, Pixar was formerly the one to beat as the animation powerhouse released one timeless classic after another but their fifteen-year winning streak came to an end with 2011's "Cars 2," a noisy, ill-conceived sequel that seemed more concerned with selling toys than telling a proper story. Although the studio has more or less recovered from that film's critical drubbing with the generally well-received "Brave" and "Monsters University," it's obvious that Pixar is no longer the undisputed king of the animation world. With long-time rival DreamWorks Animation spread too thin from releasing two features per year, the animation crown is now pretty much up for grabs and the ones in the best position to claim it are ironically Pixar's parent company Disney and in a surprising twist, Warner Brothers. Between the destined-to-be-a-classic "Frozen" and the hilariously endearing "The LEGO Movie," the bar for animated family fare has never been higher. In the midst of all this competition is Twentieth Century Fox-owned Blue Sky Studios, who made a splash with their 2002 feature debut "Ice Age." Since then, they've established themselves as a formidable box office presence worldwide. However, the critical acclaim that their competitors have enjoyed continues to elude them, with the studio increasingly relying on their "Ice Age" franchise as its sole moneymaker. The fourth installment, 2012's "Ice Age: Continental Drift," was largely panned by critics (37% on Rotten Tomatoes) but grossed $877.2 million worldwide. Given that their technical prowess is on par with other animation studios, it's a shame that they don't branch out more. Outside of "Ice Age," Blue Sky's biggest success was 2011's "Rio," which received solid reviews (72% on Rotten Tomatoes) and earned a tidy global sum of $484.6 million. Now we have the obligatory sequel, set to be released this Friday. The perfunctory titled "Rio 2" doesn't break any new ground with its story and suffers from a deluge of subplots but the film remains an entertaining watch thanks to its vibrant visuals and energetic song-and-dance numbers.

Following the events of the first film, Blu (Jesse Eisenberg) and Jewel (Anne Hathaway)—the world's last two remaining Spix's Macaws—have settled into a life of domestic bliss in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil with their three chirpy children: music-loving Carla (Rachel Crow), bookworm Bia (Amandla Stenberg), and happy-go-lucky Tiago (Pierce Gagnon) at the luxurious bird sanctuary provided by their now-married owners, Linda (Leslie Mann) and Tulio (Rodrigo Santoro). Although he has finally learned how to fly, Blu remains as domesticated as ever and revels in the conveniences of modern life. This leaves Jewel concerned as she is worried that her children are becoming more like humans and will grow up not knowing how to be birds. When a news report suggests that there might be more Spix's Macaws living deep in the Amazon, Jewel gathers her children and convinces a reluctant Blu to venture with her to the rainforest and find them. Tagging along on the trip are family friends Rafael (George Lopez), Pedro (William Adams/Will.I.Am), and Nico (Jamie Foxx), with the latter two scouting for musical talent for the upcoming Carnival festival. After taking several detours, the group arrives at the Amazon and discovers not only a long lost flock of Spix's Macaws but that they are led by Jewel's father Eduardo (Andy Garcia), whom she long thought dead. As the rest of his family settles in, Blu finds himself the outcast once more as his fondness for humans clash with Eduardo's more traditionalist mindset. He is also jealous of Jewel's childhood friend, the charismatic and suave Roberto (Bruno Mars). However, all that is the least of Blu's worries as villainous cockatoo Nigel (Jemaine Clement) has returned to wreak havoc on his life after their last encounter left him unable to fly. He is joined by a dimwitted anteater named Charlie and poisonous dart frog Gabi (Kristin Chenoweth), who is madly in love with Nigel. Meanwhile, the Amazon rainforest is threatened by a group of unscrupulous loggers led by 'Big Boss' (Miguel Ferrer).

Man, there is a lot going on in "Rio 2"! Despite being overstuffed with one subplot after another, returning director Carlos Saldanha manages to keep the animated flick moving along at a breezy pace even though the script—written by Don Rhymer, Jenny Bicks, Yoni Brenner, and Carlos Kotkin—feels like it was cobbled together by committee. The film's most memorable element is by far the music, with the sequel playing even more like a full-blown musical than its predecessor did. Don't mistake this for "Frozen" however; while Disney's billion-dollar hit would feel right at home on a Broadway stage, "Rio 2" embraces a more pop concert sensibility, as evidenced by its opening number What is Love from Grammy-nominated R&B singer Janelle Monáe. While it won't give the "Frozen" soundtrack a run for its money, the various song-and-dance numbers are frequently humorous, catchy, and greatly complement the film's dynamic visuals, especially during one eye-opening sequence set to Beautiful Creatures, performed by the Brazilian body-percussion group Barbatuques. Illustrated by synchronized flying routines (which are gracefully animated by Blue Sky in striking 3D), it serves to celebrate the macaws' harmonious lifestyle with nature. Bringing the laughs are Jemaine Clement and Kristin Chenoweth, with Clement vigorously belting out a parody cover to Gloria Gaynor's I Will Survive while Chenoweth sings a hilariously creepy love ballad, appropriately titled Poisonous Love. Regardless of the film's flaws, kids are going to love "Rio 2" and I'm certain most parents will find themselves swept up by the infectious musical numbers as well. Hell, during the end credits, the mother sitting next to me started spontaneously dancing! They may not be collecting awards like their rivals but Blue Sky should still be proud that their work is being embraced so enthusiastically by the movie-going audience.

If you're wondering why I haven't delved into the plot, it's because it's largely secondary to the music. The story is basically a riff on "Meet the Parents," only with birds as the nebbish Blu tries to gain the approval of Jewel's authoritarian father while fending off the amorous advances of her childhood friend. One of Blu's screw-ups lead to an airborne soccer match between the Spix's Macaws and their scarlet-feathered brethren, which is obviously designed to appeal to Brazilian audiences as the country is hosting the FIFA World Cup this June. Blu's familial fish-out-of-water hijinks offers enough drama to sustain a 1 hour and 41 minute kids' movie yet the writers see fit to pile on the subplots in order to give its already-large cast of characters something to do. There's Pedro and Nico's search for musical talent, Nigel's deranged revenge scheme, and to top it off, there are illegal loggers threatening the Macaw sanctuary in the Amazon rainforest! The not-so-subtle environmentalism themes, along with the film's emphasis on the importance of one's roots, are nicely positive messages that children can easily pick up on but the writers definitely bite off more than that they can chew, particularly during the loud third act as it rushes to resolve every plot thread with a neat little bow. The voice cast is also problematic. They're not bad; in fact, everyone delivers a lively performance. However, most of the supporting characters are voiced by famous people because they happen to be famous, allowing Twentieth Century Fox to fill the trailers with a bunch of marquee names. Yes, Tracy Morgan is in the film but his role amounts to a glorified cameo with maybe ten to fifteen lines. Of course, this doesn't detract from the fun frivolity of "Rio 2" yet its flaws are noticeably magnified following the release of critically acclaimed fare like "Frozen" and "The LEGO Movie."

To be released on April 11, 2014, "Rio 2" has received mildly positive reviews so far with 61% on Rotten Tomatoes. It likely won't stray far from that number when Friday comes around but regardless of what critics think, this is a guaranteed box office hit, at least overseas. The first film grossed a modest $143.6 million domestically and I don't see the sequel earning more than that. Internationally, it's a different story as "Rio" made over $340 million from foreign receipts. Whether "Rio 2" will top that remains to be seen but it has a strong chance. Despite being overstuffed with too many characters and subplots, "Rio 2" remains an enjoyable and highly entertaining animated flick. It may lack the sophistication of its rivals yet the rousing musical numbers will still thrill families looking for a fun night at the movies.

Final Rating: 3.5 out of 5

"Keep celebrating…I'll be pooping on your party promptly."     

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