YA Movie Reviews by Zach Russo

Land of the Lost
2 Stars
Land of the Lost came out this past June ('09) and was directed by Brad Silberling (Lemoney Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events). Will Ferrell (Anchorman, Elf) is Dr. Rick Marshall, notorious for crackpot time travel theories. Tired of being considered a laughing-stock, Marshall builds a device that transports him, fellow scientist Holly (Anna Friel), and a wisecracking redneck named Will (Danny McBride) to a parallel universe. Soon after, the trio find themselves trapped in this new dimension--home to fierce lizard people and angry dinosaurs. Their only way back home is to find the transport device that was lost during their arrival.

With only three characters occupying the screen for most of the movie, the question is: were Ferrell, Friel, and McBride able to carry the film? In my opinion: no. I don't believe that Will Ferrell is the comic genius many believe him to be; However I believe him to be good with the right material. McBride tries his best, but comes nowhere close to the hilarity he reached in last summer's Pineapple Express. Friel is likeable enough, but this is no starmaking role.

In the long run, despite the occasional laugh, the frequent moments of stupidity make Land of the Lost something that would be out of place on your "must-see" list.

Rated PG-13 for crude and sexual content and language.

Angels and Demons
3 1/2 Stars
Angels and Demons came out in May of this year and was directed by Ron Howard (Apollo 13, Frost/Nixon). It is based on the internationally acclaimed novel by Dan Brown.

Robert Langdon (Tom Hanks) is a world renowned professor at Harvard University. His high knowledge of history and ancient symbols encourage the Vatican to ask for his help in a time of crisis. When he is summoned to Rome, Langdon is briefed on the situation which, in a nutshell, looks like this: an ancient brotherhood of scientists known as the ILLUMINATI, previously eliminated by the church, have captured four cardials up for election into the office of the papacy. One is due to be killed in public each hour, and following the death of the final cardinal, a canister containing a highly unstable particle called ANTIMATTER will detonate, leveling Vatican City. It is up to Langdon to follow an ancient ILLUMINATI path to ry to find the location of each murder, save the cardinals, and find the location of the ANTIMATTER so it can be disabled.

Many movies have been adapted from previous works. They include superheroes from comic books (this year's Wolverine), pirates from a Disney World ride (must I specify?), and even the highly successful, if not lukewarmly reviewed predecessor to Angels & Demons--The Davinci Code, also starring Hanks and directed by Howard. With the exception of a select few, these movies have all been tweaked or edited for the final product. However, this movie has not been tweaked, the story has been changed and parts of it removed. In Angels and Demons, the names and actions of key characters are changed and many events considered essential by die-hard fans of the book are missing. This is not to say that the overall quality of the movie was disastrous. The original and heartracing story definitely shows in the film, and everything from the book crosses over excellently. However, if 15 minutes had been added to the film after a few changed were made, this movie could have gone from great, to the best film of the summer!

Make no mistake, this movie may not be the best around, but it absolutely beats other mindless fare from this sumer-yep, DANCE FLICK, I'm looking at you!!! Maybe not a movie you should seek out at the theaters, but it should not be missed when it comes out on DVD.

Rated PG-13 for Thematic Material, Violence, & Disturbing images.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button
5 Stars
The Curious Case of Benjamin Button came out Christmas Day and was directed by David Fincher (Zodiac, Fight Club). It was adapted from an F. Scott Fitzgerald short story written in the 1920's.

Troy (Brad Pitt) is the title character, "A man born under unusual circumstances." On the night World War I ends, Benjamin is born as an old man in New Orleans. His mother dies during childbirth and his distraught father disowns him and leaves him on the steps of a nursing home. When found on the steps, Queenie (Taraji P. Henson) the owner of the nursing home, takes him in. Rather than dying as everyone believes he will, Benjamin begins to age...backwards. He lives with Queenie as he "grows up" and befriends Daisy, the granddaughter of one of the home residents. At the age of 20 (with the appearance of a man triple that age), Benjamin leaves New Orleans to work on a fishing boat. When he returns years later, Daisy (Cate Blanchett) is a grown woman, and the two fall in love. They face serious problems however, as Diasy ages and Benjamin gets younger, and they begin to realize that each day brings them closer to separation.

The movie and short story are not quite the same, however writer Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, Munich) stays true to the story's morals. The 3-hour length actually enhances the film, leaving no holes in the plot and paying incredible attention to detail. This movie will make you think about your life--what you've done and what you'll do with the time you have left. The result of this film is a truly epic achievement. It's been nominated for an amost record-breaking 13 Academy Awards including Best Director (David Fincher), Best Actor (Brad Pitt), and Best Picture of the year. GO SEE IT!!

Rated PG-13 for brief war violence, sexual content, and language.

Casino Royale 4 Stars &
Quantum of Solace 3 1/2 Stars
Casino Royale was directed by Martin Campbell. It came out in November 2006 and is now available on DVD.

Daniel Craig is the latest 007 in the franchise (following Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan). Casino Royale takes us back to James's first mission. After assassinating two targets, Bond becomes an official member of a secret British organization known as M16. His first mission: beat Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker game. If Bond doesn't win, Le Chiffre will be able to continue financing a terrorist group. Bond wouldn't be Bond without chasing people through the streets of Madagascar, flipping over numerous times in a crashing car, and fighting off bad guys in a building in Venice while it sinks into the water. Daniel Craig makes the franchise all his own in Casino Royale. And despite rumors that he couldn't pull the role off for various reasons, Daniel Craig is definitely the best 007 yet and helps make Casino Royale the best 007 movie yet!!
PG-13 for violent action, one torture scene, sexual content & nudity.

Quantum of Solace is the next bond film in the franchise and the first sequel out of all of them. It came out in November of this year and is expected to run to at least mid-December. this one was directed by Marc Forster (the beautiful Finding Neverland and the horrendous Stranger Than Fiction).

Picking up not too long after Casino Royale left off, Bond is out for revenge against the secret organization which blackmailed his love in Casino (Eva Green). Hot off an incredibly shot car chase and a thrilling foot chase over rooftops, Bond sets out to find Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), a major force behind the mentioned organization. Lacking the heart and grit of Casino but still remembering where it's coming from, Quantum of Solace may not be the best of the best, but it's still up there with some of the top Bonds. Daniel Craig is still the perfect secret agent, and there's little doubt that he won't be there next time as "Bond...James Bond."
PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action; some sexual content.

The Love Guru
1 1/2 Stars
The Love Guru was directed by Marco Schnabel. It came out in June 2008 and is now available on DVD.

Mike Myers is the guru Pitka, an inspirational speaker and the second best guru in India. When he learns that a famous hockey player named Darren Roanoke (Romany Malco) has lost his firlfriend to another hockey player (Justin Timberlake), Pitka goes to meet Roanoke, restore his confidence, and get him back with his girlfriend.

Wow, this movie was bad!! What Mike Myers attempts to do in the movie to get a laugh is even scarier than the horror movie villain the shares his name. This isn't a funny movie at all except for a couple of cheap-shot laughs (o.k. some of the gags were a little funny.) Myers should stick to his animated character Shrek, because frankly, it would be an embarrassment for him to actually show his face in another movie after this one.

PG-13 for crude and sexual content throughout, language, some comic violence, & drug references.

Sunshine
1 Star (out of 5)

Sunshine is directed by Danny Boyle (28 Days). It came out in summer 2007 and is now available on DVD.

In the not-too-distant future year of 2057, a group of 8 scientists and astronauts journey into space in order to attempt to reignite the dying sun. Among them are characters played by Cilian Murphy (The Wind that Shakes the Barley), Michelle Yeoh (Tomorrow Never Dies), and Chris Evans (Fantastic 4). As the mission begins to fall apart, the crew stays determined to complete their mission, much to the displeasure of the audience. This movie couldn't have been worse if it tried.

The characters were boring and annoyed me. Even when they were running out of air on the ship and had to decide who to kill so less oxygen would be used, they still couldn't act interested. Perhaps they watched Nicolas Cage in The Wicker Man for inspiration, (where Cage's character has his legs broken and is being burned alive, but can only scream like he's being tickled!) The photography and story itself seemed like a ripoff of 2001: A Space Odyssey. Ironically, I didn't like that one either, so when you have bad movie ripping off another bad one, you know that you're going to be in for something dreadful!

Go see The Wind that Shakes the Barley instead. That one is great!

R for Violent Content and Language
For another review, click here.

The Spiderwick Chronicles
3 1/2 Stars (out of 5)
The Spiderwick Chronicles is directed by Mark S. Waters and based on a series of children books. It came out in February 2008 and is now available on DVD.

Freddie Highmore plays a pair of twins named Jared and Simon who just moved into a new house with their sister (Sarah Bolger) and divrced mother (Mary-Louise Parker). When Jared finds a secret book in the house written by Arthur Spiderwick (David Straihairn), he learns that his house and the surrounding area are inhabited by magical creatures. Some are nice, others...not. When Jared and Simon find out about the leader of the evil creatures, Mulgrath (Nick Nolte), they convince their sister and mother that there is magic right in their backyard. With the help of two friendly creatures named Hogsqueal and Thimbletack (Seth Rogen and Martin Short), they must protect the Spiderwick book from the clutches of Mulgrath and his evil army, all leading up to a well-made climactic battle.

The Spiderwick Chronicles delivers the thrills and has great imagination! Freddie Highmore manages to pull the twin thing off well. This is excellent family entertainment that all will love.

PG For Scary Creature Action and Violence, Peril, and some Thematic Elements.
Reviewed on 9/30/08

The Dark Knight
4 1/2 Stars (out of 5)
It's time for another Batman flick. This one is a sequel to the 2005 summer blockbuster
Batman Begins. Chris Nolan's back in the director's seat and Christian Bale also returns as Batman who is now facing his most cruel and diabolical villain yet--the scarred Joker (Heath Ledger in his final completed film role).

Like other superheroes, Batman starts to realize the thin line between Bruce Wayne and Batman. Sooner or later he'll have to decide which one he wants to be, but the catastrophic Joker isn't making it easy to choose. Should he try to settle down with childhood friend Rachel (Maggie Gyllenhal, replacing the role that was played by Katie Holmes in the last film)? Or should he be the savior and stop the Joker from happily blowing up hospitals?

With a great supporting cast including Michael Caine (The Cider House Rules), Aaron Eckhart (Thank You For Smoking), and Morgan Freeman (The Bucket List), The Dark Knight soars as one of the best films of the year. The greatest superhero movie of all time hands down!! Heath Ledger is so incredible and Oscar-worthy that I'm going to have to stop talking about him now. Otherwise, I'll be unable to stop and my hand will cramp!!!! The score, the same as the last film, is still good. The effects are not overused and are great when they do show up. A great movie that will never get old and will become a cinema classic!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PG-13 For Intense Sequences of Violence and some Menace.