THE FAMILY THAT PREYS

Director: Tyler Perry

Stars: Alfre Woodard, Kathy Bates, Sanaa Lathan, Cole Hauser, Rockmond Dunbar, Robin Givens, KaDee Strickland, Taraji P. Henson, Tyler Perry

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

I have my problems with Tyler Perry. To me he's not quite polished as a writer or director; his films always come off as feeling like they could have used another trip through the editing room; his scripts another rewrite. The Family That Preys has the same sort of feel to it - heck, in one scene even Sanaa Lathan's flubbing of her own lines is quite obvious in the film, though Perry keeps the footage in - but there are two wonderful differences in this film that make it stand out from the rest of Mr. Petty's work: Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates.

It's been awhile since I saw a film with Woodard in it, and this one made me realize all over again what a brilliant talent she is. Here she plays Alice Pratt, the owner of her own diner in Atlanta, and we meet Alice on the day of her oldest daughter's wedding ... which is being held at the estate of Alice's best friend, Charlotte Cartwright (Kathy Bates). Alice and Charlotte have been best friends for over thirty years, and Charlotte is the head of a huge corporation and has loads and load of money, so as her gift has paid for the entire wedding - something the bride, Andrea (Sanaa Lathan) sorely resents, even calling her own mother a "mammy" for having a rich friend Charlotte as her friend.

But the wedding goes well, as Andrea marries Chris (the talented Rockmond Dunbar, in one of the best performances of the film) - and at the reception, Andrea and Chris are congratulated on their marriage by Charlotte's son William (Cole Hauser), who summarily offers Chris a potential construction job with his company, as well as promises Andrea a position when she is out of school and has her Masters in finance.

Flash forward to four years later. Chris and Andrea have a son, both work for William Cartwright, and a beautiful home in Atlanta - a home that Chris wonders how they can afford. Chris is okay with working for the Cartwrights, but plans one day to branch out with his own construction firm with his buddy (and Andrea's brother-in-law), Ben (Tyler Perry; yeah, he's an actor, too). But Andrea - who seems to have developed a real stick in her butt - practically laughs at the idea, and as the film goes on two things become quite apparent right away: she gets off on belittling her husband, and is more than just an employee to William Cartwright.

Meanwhile, William (not such a nice guy, himself) is shocked to learn he's been passed over for the position of COO at his mother's company, in favor of a high-powered female executive named Abby (Robin Givens), whom Charlotte has stolen away from another successful company. William makes no pretense of liking Abby from the beginning, and is further ticked off when Charlotte tells him he in no way is ready to take over her company any time soon (it seems Williams has his own issues - and past) ... and the stage is set for the hocked-off William to get revenge on his mother. But confident with Abby in charge, Charlotte has different plans; she talks Alice into turning over the diner to her younger daughter Pam (Taraji P. Henson, another reason to watch this film) for awhile, and the two take off in a vintage convertible for a drive across country - something Charlotte's been wanting to do for years.

And indeed, as their families (and, potentially, businesses) fall apart while they're away, Charlotte and Alice head west for some sweet, often funny adventures that are by far some of the best moments of the film. The reason behind Charlotte's wanting to take the trip should become obvious to anyone almost right away (subtle, it ain't), but that doesn't hurt the ride there, as Woodard and Bates' scenes really pack a punch on-screen, every time they're together.

It all comes down to a few final confrontations, and I won't say how the film ends ... but let's just say if you've seen Tyler Perry's work before, it'll be a no-brainer what happens to the good guys and what happens to the bad guys. And maybe that's my main problem with the film; the good guys are totally good, and the bad guys totally bad. Character development is fairly two-dimensional here in that sense, though God knows the film is cast with enough talent to still make it work.

But this is Alfre Woodard and Kathy Bates' film, all the way. While they're on, you can't help but smile, and be reminded of how important - and joyous - friendship can really be. The Family That Preys isn't a great film ... but if renting or watching it on cable, it's more than worth your time to see. *** - Real Cool

THINK FAST, MR. MOTO

Director: Norman Foster

Stars: Peter Lorre, Thomas Beck, Virginia Field, Sig Ruman, Murray Kinnell, Lotus Long

Year: 1937

Rating: NR

When I was young, on WGN every Sunday at noon I grew to love the "mystery movie" channel 9 would show every week. Depending on what week, it would alternate between the old Universal Sherlock Holmes films featuring Basil Rathbone ... or the 20th Century Fox films of the 1930's and 1940's featuring the "great oriental detective" Charlie Chan.

It was only years later, as an adult, that I discovered Mr. Moto. As played by Peter Lorre (a Hungarian Jew of NO Asian descent), the Mr. Moto of the one film I'd seen in the series up to now (Mr. Moto's Last Warning) wouldn't exactly win any awards for political correctness today - but there was always something engaging about the short, bespectacled curio shop owner who sometimes played detective.

And besides - when isn't Peter Lorre a treat to watch on-screen?

I've been wanting to see all the films since learning they were out on DVD, and have started with the first in the series - Think Fast, Mr. Moto. In this one, Kentaro Moto (Lorre) is dealing with jewel and drug smugglers who've been somehow sneaking their cargos from China into San Francisco. When the son of the owner of the Hitchings shipping line, Robert Hitchings Jr. (Thomas Beck), boards an ocean liner bound for Shanghai - with a mysterious letter on him addressed to the head of his father's offices there - Moto books a stateroom near the young Hitchings and is determined to keep both him and the letter safe ... mostly from a crooked ship's steward that, in one cool scene, helps Mr. Moto keep his ju jitsu talents in order.

On board, things get further complicated when Bob Hitchings Jr. meets a glamorous young beauty named Gloria Danton (Virginia Field), and falls head over heels for a woman who might not be all she seems. As the ship docks in Shanghai and Bob's father's letter turns up missing, it's up to Mr. Moto to find the letter - catch the smuggler's - and maybe even kill a few bad guys in the process.

Lorre is great here as the Japanese detective who's an expert marksman, a master of disguise, and even an amateur magician. He gives Moto the right tone and nuances that make the character convincing and likable ... without straying too far into the parody or stereotype. The fight scenes are swift and fun, the story light and with a satisfying conclusion.

The bottom line is, Mr. Moto is very, very cool. And this first in the series, if you like classic films (and especially if you like the late, great Peter Lorre), should make you want to see the rest. *** - Reel Cool

DEATH NOTE: THE LAST NAME

Director: Shusuke Kaneko

Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Ken'ichi Matsuyama, Erika Toda, Takeshi Kaga, Nana Katase

Year: 2006

Rating: NR

(in Japanese w/English subtitles)

Picking up pretty much right where the first film left off, Death Note: The Last Name is less a sequel than it is a continuation of the first film. When I saw the first, it was without knowledge that a second one even existed - and when Death Note ended on an almost gut-crunching cliffhanger, only to show a trailer for the "sequel" after the end credits, it was all I could do to wait until I got my hands on the second film (which officially releases in the USA on 10 February 2009, by the way). Now having watched it, I'm sorry to see the end of the road here; Death Note was one of the best films I saw in 2008, and it was truly difficult saying goodbye to these characters with this second film (though, fortunately, I also have L: Change the World - a spin-off film featuring the character of Light, played by Ken'ichi Matsuyama - that I'm anxious to see). Even so, I'm glad I got to see this inventive film at last; it was well worth the wait.

(NOTE: Reviews here don't ever contain spoilers, but it would probably behoove you to see the first Death Note before reading this review. Or, at least, read my review of the first film, which can be found in the archives on this blog, before reading this one. Just a warning. It'll also save you some confusion, probably.)

Death Note: The Last Name picks up where the first left off, all right - with Light Yagami (Tatsuya Fujiwara, quickly become one of my favorite actors) having succeeded in not only throwing off any suspicions by the police that he is indeed mastermind killer Kira ... but also accomplishing his goal of actually joining the police task force (led by his own police chief father) in their hunt to find and bring Kira to justice. From this new vantage point, Light is assured of being able to track the cops' every move, therefore making it that much harder for the police to ever get too close to discovering that he actually is Kira - the now-world famous "god of justice" who has been singlehandedly lowering crime rates around the world (but particularly in Japan) by killing off all the world's criminals with the Death Note ... a notebook in which anyone whose name is written in shall die.

d

But what Light hasn't counted on is the startling arrival on the scene of a second Kira. Again picking up where the first film left off, pop singer/actress/TV spokes-model Misa Amane (Erika Toda) is just beginning to learn the powers of the Death Note that she was given at the end of the first film. With Rem - her shinigami (god of death ... and the being who gave her the Death Note) - in tow, Misa develops her own plans with the Death Note; plans that she hopes to use to bring Kira out into the open, so that the two of them can work together in bringing the world to a new order. Misa, totally enamored of Kira, fancies herself his disciple and is determined to find him.

But when her crude, less-polished murders begin with innocent people getting killed left and right, even the police - still led by the mysterious mastermind detective "L" (Ken'ichi Matsuyama, even better here than he was in the first film), who is still unconvinced of Light's innocence - soon realize they are on a manhunt for two killers who could prove themselves insurmountable if they combined forces. Worse yet, the second Kira seems to be able to kill without even knowing the victim's name; just seeing the person's face is enough for this second Kira to cause death within minutes.

Light is shocked by news of the second Kira - even more so by the fact that this Kira seems to have the eyes of the shinigami, something he desperately needs if he's to finally kill off his one true opponent in this game ... L. Per the rules of the Death Note, the shinigami can see not only a human's full name when they gaze at them, but also how many years of living they have left. And if the owner of the Death Note is willing to trade half of his (or her) remaining life in exchange for the shinigami's gaze, they too can see the names of their victims simply by gazing at them - giving them a far easier opportunity to write that person's name in the Death Note, killing them.

And when Misa finally tracks down Light, knowing now that he is Kira, the two indeed join forces so that Light can kill L ... and all it will take is one introduction of L to Misa, which Light will provide to secure the genius detective's fate at last.

Or will it?

From here this complex, intense and puzzle-like film's plot folds back and in on itself for the rest of the film. Indeed, the storyline quickly develops more twists and turns than a gigantic pretzel - particularly with the introduction of a third Kira - and throughout it all everything boils down to the contest between Light and L; truly, each character pulls plenty of his own tricks to stay one step ahead of his opponent, as well as plan strategies in his next few moves to outdo the other (much like the chess game Light and L play early on in the film, when Light first joins the task force). As in the first film, you never quite know what Light has up his sleeve, but are simply pulled along for the ride until his ingenious plot is fully revealed - at which time, you will indeed be surprised. It's a strong, long and very twisted storyline - yes, even more so than the first - and this is definitely a film that you have to sit and watch throughout, if you don't want to be confused by the end (in fact, it's a great mental workout to boot; a truly well-done story).

Fujiwara and Matsuyama, as Light and L respectively, turn in great performances as the yin and yang of justice - one slowly driven to madness by his godlike power to kill, the other determined to see true justice done for the sake of maintaining the order of society. Both are stronger here than even in the first film, though Fujiwara's Light seems even more emotionally detached and distant than in part one. Truly, Light has become a monster in his determination to build his idea of a perfect world.

And the finale (also full of surprises, and twists of its own) all boils down to the question of whose name shall be the last name written in the Death Note; who shall remain standing while the other perishes. The two-hour and twenty-minute trip getting to that answer is extraordinary - the finale truly touching, and also somehow perfect in the way it brings full closure to the tale.

God, how I love these films. And how sad it is to have them over. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

BATTLE ROYALE

Director: Kinji Fukasaku

Stars: Tatsuya Fujiwara, Aki Maeda, Tara Yamamoto, "Beat" Takeshi

Year: 2000

Rating: NR

(in Japanese w/English subtitles)

This is one disturbing, violent, intense and thought-provoking film; one that will stay with you long after you see it, and have you asking questions not only about yourself but, those around you that you call your "friends".

Set in Japan just after the new millennium, Battle Royale briefly introduces viewers to a Japan that has collapsed in on itself. Unemployment and crime are at all-time levels, and both the economy and people's believe in their nation has all but collapsed. Even in schools, kids are either misbehaving and out of control, or boycotting school altogether ... and the country's newest law for controlling the youth of Japan - a law designed as both punishment as well to teach students obedience and strength, is where the story begins.

Tatsuya Fujiwara (Death Note) stars as Shuya, a 9th grade middle school student orphaned when his father hung himself at home. Shuya found the body one day after school, and in turn went to live in a foster home, where he met his best friend Nobu. The buddies are on a rowdy school bus one afternoon, coming back from school ... when Shuya, who has fallen asleep, suddenly wakes up to find it's night time outside - and not only is the bus still riding along, but all his fellow classmates are also asleep on the moving bus. He has just enough time to see that the driver and a uniformed female chaperone on the bus are wearing gas masks ... before he's knocked unconscious by the female "guard" -

And, much later that night, the entire class begins to stir and wake up on the grimy floor of what looks like an abandoned classroom in the middle of nowhere. As the confused, drugged students all slowly come to, they begin to notice that each of them is wearing a metallic-silver collar with a light sensor in front ... and that's when the fatigue-clad soldiers march in, led by one of their teachers, Kitano ("Beat" Takeshi).

Kitano, just as sick of the behavior of today's students as anyone else, calmly informs the class that they've been randomly chosen, by impartial lottery, and flown to a deserted island to participate in the latest program aimed at corralling Japan's corrupted youth: Battle Royale. As he plays an up-tempo, almost MTV-like Japanese video outlying the rules, the deadly game the middle-school students are about to play unfolds horrifically on their faces throughout the room.

Simply put, the teens all have three days to kill each other. They will be given a pack of food, bottles of water, a map and a flashlight - what they need to survive - but each pack will also contain a different weapon that each student is supposed to use to either kill, or defend himself against, his or her fellow students. There are 40 students from their class, the "B Class," in all; in three days' time, only one must remain alive in order to leave the island - otherwise, the sensors in each necklace of those students remaining will be activated and explode, killing whoever is left. Try and take off the collar? Ditto. And to further complicate matters, Kitano has place an additional two "transfer" students into the class - two guys who look older and infinitely more dangerous than the uniform-clad 9th graders that fill the room.

The rules of the game are, naturally, met with outrage and anger - none of which is taken lightly, as Kitano dispatches a couple of the students himself, in order to show the seriousness of the game (after displaying the bloody corpse of the class' homeroom teacher for the students, early on, to show he means business). One by one the students' names are called, and each picks up his or her personal bag from the bus before being tossed his (or her) military-issue survival kit bag and running from the room.

The students - basketball teammates, cheerleaders, many of them good friends within the walls of B Class - are immediately forced to take a stand once let loose in the jungle. Some take to killing right away, survival mode kicking into high gear, while others simply run and hide and try to figure out what to do ... and still others decide the battle is over already, by killing themselves rather than taking the lives of their friends. Some of the students even try to form alliances with each other, in order to survive - but knowing that only one of them can survive in three days' time, and still remain alive and make it home, brings out the suspicion and fear in everyone. And also, in some cases, the "kill or be killed" rules of war. As Shuya simply tries to find a way to escape with the girl he loves (Aki Maeda), it becomes apparent to both of them that some friends have become enemies - and all rules of society no longer apply.

Again, this is an intense and violent film with more than its share of surprises - and heartbreaks. Sometimes it comes off as almost a black comedy, but the tension level is, at times, almost too hard to bear. This is one movie that will have you wondering what you would do in a similar situation ... but more importantly, what those who you think you call friends might do as well. It's an action/suspense film bristling with social commentary that depicts the ultimate generation gap between adults and teens in a society that's simply run out of both patience and any other solutions. Battle Royale has edge-of-your-seat suspense, but will also bring a tear to your eye and leave your mind haunted by its images and storyline for some time after viewing. It's brilliant filmmaking, and deserves to be seen. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

CASINO ROYALE

Director: Martin Campbell

Stars: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench, Giancarlo Giannini, Jeffrey Wright

Year: 2006

Rating: PG-13

Yeah, shamefaced as I am about it, I have to admit I only just now got around to seeing Casino Royale - Daniel Craig's first outing as James Bond from 2006. I've always been hit or miss with my tastes of the various James Bond films - overall, my vote is definitely with Connery for the best Bond, although there are Roger Moore Bond films I like ... and I especially loved On Her Majesty's Secret Service for storyline with Diana Rigg's character ... etc., etc.

But with Daniel Craig, it's maybe the first time my eyes have been opened to a fully-realized James Bond. A Bond full of ego and the intelligence to back it up. A Bond without pity or remorse, and truly deserving of his "00"/license to kill status ... who, quite possibly has fallen in love for the first time in his life.

That "00" status is afforded to Bond within the first few moments of the film, after his second kill before even the credits roll. Here we are re-introduced to Bond's, in his first adventure just after getting his "00" status; an adventure that begins with a harrowing chase scene throughout a construction site in Africa. Here Bond is a killing machine, a loose cannon, relentless and breaking every rule in his Terminator-like pursuit of the bad guy; truly, this Bond knows his mission, and won't let anything (or anyone) short of death stand in his way of achieving it. And achieve it he does, in the opening breath-taker, as Bond ends up with the vital piece of information he needs that leads him that much closer to finding the man who's currently banking and financing a good deal of the world's current terrorist organizations.

Judi Dench co-stars as M, and with this film I can think of no one more perfect for the role. She ignites the screen whenever she's on it, no more so than when she's beyond exasperated with Bond for his lack of obedience and tact; truly, when she tells Bond "do it again and I'll have you killed", she goes head to head with one of the deadliest secret agents alive ... and it's her you fear. Only M, it seems, has any kind of pull on Bond's leash - one that, here, stretches long enough to send Bond all over the world (Uganda, Miami, the Bahamas, and finally to Montenegro) in his pursuit of Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen, excellent and totally up for the job of Bond villain), the terrorists' money-man who weeps blood for tears. The chase and fight scenes that lead up to the final game of Texas Hold 'Em poker at Casino Royale - a game in which winner takes all of a pot over $110 million - are extraordinary; real adrenaline rushes that depict Bond as a real man capable of getting hurt, and not the superhero of some of the past films. But even the poker game itself is filled with enough attention-getting adrenaline to keep the film tight ... as is the love-hate relationship Bond eventually develops with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green, in a complex, nicely-nuanced performance) - the woman who, through the British government's treasury department, is funding Bond's entry into the game.

Miss Moneypenny, "Q", and the many over-the-top Bond gadgets are all missing here - though, happily, none are needed. No, this is Daniel Craig's show - Craig's interpretation of Bond - and damn, has he got it down. As said, never (or, at least, since Connery) have I seen a James Bond so thoroughly realized - a flawed man and merciless killer who makes mistakes and then comes back that much harder to correct them. It's an exceptional performance that, in one film, makes the James Bond character fully belong to Daniel Craig - and so-so reviews for Quantum of Solace aside (and yeah, now I have to see it), I look forward to that film and many more with this exceptional, extraordinary - and, oddly enough for a killer, all too human - Bond. ****1/2 - Reel Awesome-Reel Must-See

NEVER BACK DOWN

Director: Jeff Wadlow

Stars: Sean Faris, Amber Heard, Cam Gigandet, Evan Peters, Djimon Hounsou, Wyatt Henry Smith, Leslie Hope

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

(NOTE: The theatrical release of the film bears the PG-13 rating; what I saw was the extended "Beat Down" edition of the film on DVD, which includes more bone-crunching fight time - so is somewhat more violent in content.)

Take the hit cult film Fight Club, drop it into a high school setting, and you seemingly have Never Back Down. Seemingly. But thanks to the film's very likable, personable lead actor (Sean Faris) - along with some beautifully shot and choreographed mixed martial arts fight sequences, the film as a whole, thankfully, becomes more than the sum of its sometimes-cliched parts.

Faris stars as Jake Tyler, a high school kid in Iowa consumed with both anger and guilt over the death of his father. Constantly getting in fights and in trouble, Jake's mom (Leslie Hope) is hoping things will get better after relocating the family to Orlando, Florida when Jake's younger brother Charlie (Wyatt Henry Smith) - a young tennis prodigy - gets into an exclusive training school for the sport.

And at first things aren't bad; slowly Jake is accepted at school, and he even meets a hot blonde named Baja (Amber Heard) who seems as interested in him as he is her. When Baja invites Jake to a party at an exclusive mansion, however, Jake learns he's been set up by Baja and her boyfriend Ryan (Cam Gigandet, in full S.O.B. mode) for a fight. It seems that most of the school has seen video footage online, via YouTube and similar sites, of a free-for-all brawl that Jake started on the football field of his old school in Iowa, during a game and soon before moving, where he knocked out his biggest rival from the other team with one punch to the head ... and now Ryan, the local champion in an underground mixed martial arts fights competition, is determined (in full-on bully style) to show Jake early on that he's #1 in town.

When goaded until his rage forces him to fight Ryan, Jake gets the living snot kicked out of him at the party - in front of pretty much the entire school - and is helped home by his new best buddy Max (Evan Peters, in one of the best performances of the film). Though Jake wants none of it - and nothing to do with fighting - Max talks Jake into going to see the master trainer of mixed martial arts in Orlando, Jean Roqua (Djimon Hounsou) ... and while observing the moves and techniques there, Jake decides it's exactly what he does need (mainly to get revenge on Ryan), and talks himself into the advanced class. Roqua - a quiet, very moral man with his own secret past that haunts him - asks only one thing of Jake: so long as he trains in his gym, he cannot fight outside the gym. Jake agrees, knowing he has no intention of keeping that promise as soon as he's ready to take Ryan on again ... which he has his chance to do at the "Beat Down" championship match the next month. According to Max, details of the match are only sent to potential fighters at the last minute, via text message - and while Jake's not sure he wants such a public forum in which to take Ryan on again, he is sure he wants his revenge.

The movie, in its way, is full of the typical high school cliches that make it short on plot script, and (to a degree) even performances. What's surprising - and what elevates the film above what it would have been otherwise - are the fight sequences, which even the most non-fan of fight movies (aka, ME) will still get caught up in. Amber Heard is okay as the popular girl who learns the error of her ways and becomes a good girl instead, and Cam Gigandet does a great job playing a villain that, thanks to the script, is without so much as one redeeming quality to make him even remotely likable. Leslie Hope is also good as the mom who can't get a grip on who her son is anymore, even as she also may - deep down - hold him responsible for his father's death, as well. Djimon Hounsou and Wyatt Henry Smith - along with Faris - bring the best work to the film, in very real performances that make their scenes work.

But ultimately, it's the two "F's" - Faris and fighting - that make this film both entertaining and watchable (Faris really infuses Jake with a sense of vulnerability and passion; he's a guy trying to heal himself, and it's a long haul). Oh yeah, along with the smokin'-hot babes in bikinis and shirtless (and sweaty), well-built young guys; after all, you can't forget this is Florida. I saw this film as a recommendation from a very good friend - and if I, as a non-fan of fight films, can enjoy and get caught up in it ... that alone makes it worth watching for nearly anyone. *** - Reel Cool

HOODWINKED

Director: Cory Edwards & Todd Edwards
Stars: Anne Hathaway, Glenn Close, Patrick Warburton, James Belushi, David Ogden Stiers, Andy Dick, Xzibit, Anthony Anderson
Year: 2005
Rating: PG

All is not well in the forest. The Goody Bandit has been going from shop to shop to shop, stealing the recipes of all the local merchants, and with no candies or cookies or cakes to sell, local businesses are having to shutter their doors forever, facing financial ruin.

But the police may have finally found their lead, when a random domestic disturbance call brings them to the mountain home of Granny Puckett, one of the last (and certainly the most famous, locally) of all the goody makers still in business. When the police arrive to find a little girl in a red riding hood, a large wolf dressed in a Granny Puckett costume, an oversized Swedish man wielding a large ax, and Granny herself bound and gagged from head to toe ... it becomes very obvious, very fast, that some crime has been committed - and it's up to Detective Nicky Flippers, a rather long-legged and very urbane frog, to not only sort out the stories of the four suspects, but also figure out if maybe he's found his Goody Bandit at last.

Such begins a real treat from The Weinstein Company - a computer-animated film that's rather raw on animation but very high-grade in terms of script, characterization, and laughs. Anne Hathaway stars as the voice of Red, a simple little girl (or IS she?) in a red riding hood who delivers orders for her Granny Puckett every day on her bicycle. Red sings songs as she rides along, communes with nature, and is in general sweet as sugar ... until she runs up against The Wolf (Patrick Warburton), who wants to see what's in her basket. She manages to escape, but meanwhile The Wolf manages to get ahead of her to the house of Granny Puckett (Glenn Close) - where Red finds him and the two are just about to scuffle ... just as Granny herself falls out of the closet, all tied up and gagged - and a rather large woodsman (James Belushi) crashes through the picture window, screaming and wielding his ax.

THIS is what the viewer sees first, before the police arrive. Afterward, as Nicky Flippers (David Ogden Stiers) goes over their stories, you find out exactly how each character came to where they were when the police found them - and slowly learn a lot that you didn't know about the motivations and machinations of each of the suspects involved, as you also see how their stories intertwine and criss-cross without their even knowing it.

Some of the stories are hilarious, and the quirky songs that go with some of them might even be worth chasing down the soundtrack for ("The Schnitzel Song" alone is truly one of a kind). All the voice actors are excellent - particularly Patrick Warburton and co-director/co-writer Cory Edwards, who voices the most hyperactive squirrel you will ever see or hear, Twitchy. Indeed, if you're like me, after seeing the movie you'll be wishing there were a Twitchy stuffed animal you could buy to sit on your shelf and just smile at; the character is that funny, and that endearing. Andy Dick and especially Benjy Gaither as (respectively) Boingo the bunny and Japeth the Goat both add real dimension and even more humor to the film; "Be Prepared", Japeth's musical number as he helps Red on her journey up the mountain to see if Granny is okay, is another tune that'll have you laughing and humming along.

To say much more would maybe give too much away - there are some funny surprises in store, especially about Granny Puckett - but even though the rough animation sort of turned me off at first, in a short time I really fell under the spell of this fractured little fairy tale. It's a great little movie with more than enough sight gags to entertain the kids, while at the same time it riffs on enough pop culture references to keep adults laughing, too. Sweet, sweet film. And I STILL want a Twitchy! ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

MAMMA MIA!

Director: Phyllida Lloyd

Stars: Meryl Streep, Pierce Brosnan, Colin Firth, Stellan Skarsgard, Julie Walters, Dominic Cooper, Amanda Seyfried, Christine Baranski

Year: 2008

Rating: PG-13

a

I was so prepped to dislike this film, mainly because I've been such a HUGE fan of the Swedish band ABBA for over thirty years. There's a guy in my apartment complex who's played the soundtrack of the new film version of Mamma Mia! ever since the film came out in theaters, and I used to cringe every time I heard the music ... only because it wasn't ABBA.

Now, I'd like to get that soundtrack myself.

Mamma Mia! opens with young bride-to-be Sophie Sheridan (Amanda Seyfried) mailing off three letters late one summer evening, to three different men - one of whom is her father. Sophie, you see, lives on a beautiful Greek isle with her ex-hippie mother Donna (Meryl Streep), where she was born and raised, and only recently she found her mother's old diary from twenty years ago. Reading it, Sophie's learned that her true father - whom her mother never speaks of - could be any one of three men her mother "dated" around that time - engaged businessman Sam Carmichael (Pierce Brosnan), who ended up leaving Donna to go back and marry his fiancee; gad-a-bout boater Bill Anderson (Stellan Skarsgard), who never took anything in life seriously, let alone Donna; or Harry Bright (Colin Firth), a way-too-brief fling that never should have happened in the first place. Determined to have her own father walk her down the aisle on her wedding day, Sophie idealistically just knows she'll be able to tell which of the men is her real dad just as soon as they arrive ... but first off, she has to figure out how to tell her mom what she's done.

Enter Donna Sheridan, who owns and runs the hotel villa on the island that she and Sophie have called home for over twenty years. The building is badly in need of major repair work, Donna owes money to all of her vendors and employees - but somehow she manages to scrape by, doing virtually all of the work herself. She's tired and lonely and unsure about her daughter marrying so young ... but finds herself totally revitalized when her two best friends in the world - Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) - arrive not only for the wedding, but to also show Donna their support and bring her back out of her shell.

All of the story is, of course, told (partially) through and set to some of ABBA's biggest hits (including "Honey, Honey", "Take a Chance on Me", "Super Trouper", "SOS", "Money, Money, Money", "Voulez-Vous" - my personal favorite, as done in the film - and of course the title track) - and yes, the characters, like in old musicals dating back to the 1930's, simultaneously break into song or dance without notice, starting a new musical number. What's nice is that the songs help the story along nicely; some of the words have been changed here and there to accommodate, but everything fits nicely and really adds to the overall joyousness and spontaneity of the film.

And that's probably the one word that fits best here: "joyous". I've seen that word used as a description in film reviews before, but this is the first time I've actually known what it meant. Mamma Mia! is a damned good feel-good movie, period. The film's taken a lot - sorry, a LOT - of hits for everything from bad cinematography to the less than stellar singing talents of its cast (all of whom do their own work here) ... especially Pierce Brosnan, who actually surprised me with being better than I thought he was going to be. But all is forgiven just because the film's energy is so strong, so revitalizing, and so much ... FUN. It's a movie that will have you smiling, singing along, and marveling at how there doesn't seem to be a damned thing that Meryl Streep can't do in film. She's amazing, yet again, in Mamma Mia! - was the reason I gave into seeing the film at last, and is one of the biggest reasons I asked for and got the DVD for Christmas.

The rest of the cast is right up there - every person in this film seems to be having the time of his or her life making it - and Christine Baranski and Julie Walters in particular shine as Donna's racy little buddies who find their own share of love on the island. The History Boys' Dominic Cooper, as Sophie's bridegroom Sky, isn't given enough light to shine in, but is great in the role - plus he and his buddies in the film provide plenty of eye candy for the women viewers.

But the three male leads - Brosnan, Skarsgard and Firth - all have both funny and touching moments of comedy. After their characters arrive on the island, things only get worse as Sophie tries to hide them from her mom while simultaneously trying to figure out which one is her dad. None of them even has a clue that Sophie could be his, and when Donna (Streep) finds them all hiding out in the loft of an old barn, the you-know-what hits the fan (complete with musical number) that's worth seeing the film for alone. Man, that Meryl is agile!

The film doesn't seem to hinge so much on whether Sophie and Sky will make it to the altar, as it does who will make it their with them - but the wafer-thin plot unfolds to some of the most exuberant and entertaining dancing, singing and music that's been put onto film of late. Mamma Mia! is, maybe, the ultimate feel-good movie; one that will leave you smiling for hours ... and singing ABBA tunes under your breath for days. It's colorful, vibrant, alive, and well worth seeing; if you're an ABBA fan, well worth owning. **** - Reel Awesome

THE DARK KNIGHT

Director: Christopher Nolan
Stars: Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, Aaron Eckhart, Michael Caine, Gary Oldman, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Morgan Freeman, Eric Roberts, Nestor Carbonell
Year: 2008
Rating: PG-13

My goal for 2008 was to see 50 films. Shouldn't have been too difficult to do, but with taking a few months off from seeing films I'm glad to have finally made it. I knew I wanted the 50th to be a "biggie," so made it a film that I had heard over and over was perhaps the best film of the year ... certainly a film that contained maybe the best performance of the year. Also, it happened to be a film that I was very sorry to have missed in theaters, anyway.

The Dark Knight is nothing less than a brilliant piece of filmmaking that finally has the character of Bruce Wayne/Batman realizing his full potential on the big screen. Christian Bale - right down to the gravelly, low-key voice (which is just as vulnerable when he's Bruce Wayne as it is menacing when he's Batman) doesn't just give a performance here ... he creates a full, three-dimensional anti-hero and man with strength, charisma, and definitely his share of flaws. In other words, you won't see Bale - you'll see Batman/Bruce Wayne; such is the chameleon-like wonderment of Christian Bale.

It would be the performance of the film, for sure - if it wasn't only slightly overshadowed by the Oscar-worthy, quite frightening, frenetic and almost otherworldly performance of the late Heath Ledger as The Joker. With all deference put aside to Jack Nicholson's brilliance from 1989's Batman, here Ledger not only matches Bale's ability to lose himself and become the character - he even surpasses it. It's a mind-blowing, creepy and absolutely flawless performance, and when the film industry lost Ledger back in January of this year, it (and the world) lost one of its greatest craftsmen ever.

Things are going fairly well in Gotham. Well, or so it would seem. The new district attorney, Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart) has worked with Lt. Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and local police to bust up and arrest many of the various crime rings that have been terrorizing Gotham City for a long, long time. Because Lt. Gordon trusts Batman, Dent has accepted his help as well ... and things seem to be working, until a new master criminal - one who seems without conscience and without a method to his madness, calling himself The Joker - starts his own reign of terror over the city, first off by eliminate and bullying crime bosses in Gotham City until they agree to pay him half of all their ill-gotten gain ... in exchange for having The Joker murder Batman to finally get him out of their way. Add to this that Harvey Dent's new girlfriend is none other than Bruce Wayne's ex (the one woman he still pines for), Rachel Dawes (Maggie Gyllenhaal, aboard for the sequel after Katie Holmes turned the role down) - and the complications in Bruce Wayne's personal life start to take a toll, as well.

The bulk of the film is built around The Joker's various methods of getting to Batman (as well as killing people and/or destroying Gotham City), even as Batman tries to catch him. The script is amazingly intelligent and well-written, far beyond what you'd expect for a "superhero film". Not one character in The Dark Knight ever comes off as cartoon or caricature; on the contrary, you buy into everything and everyone while watching the film, and the 2-1/2 hours pass very quickly. Ledger, as The Joker, has no rhyme, reason or plan to any of the things he does, because his entire M.O. is simply to create anarchy and kill - in many ways making him the ultimate villain, becuase you never know what he's going to do, nor how to stop him. And with Ledger behind the make-up and that insane laughter and facial ticks, yes even The Joker comes off as very scary and very real in this dark, dark world that he has - in part - created.

But that's not to say that Bale and Ledger are alone. Again, not a single false note is struck by any of the cast - and in fact, Aaron Eckhart really deserves his own place on the Batman mantel by creating a real flesh-and-blood human being in the character of Harvey Dent (for those not familiar with Dent's story and what happens, I won't spoil it here). He holds his own with both Bale and Ledger, and the tragedy that befalls him, as Gotham City's "White Knight" who's come to save the city, will both break your heart and fill it with fear.

No matter what incarnation of Batman you've seen before - from comic to television camp to the Burton legacy that turned into the Schumacher schlock - good God, here is the real deal, at last; fresh, innovative, intelligent, and alive with an energy that leaps off the screen. While maybe not the ultimate superhero film - the caped crusader's story isn't for everyone, after all (and this one's, by the way, definitely too intense for younger children) - this certainly is the ultimate Batman film. An amazing feat ... and if Ledger's name is not on the Oscar ballot this spring, it would be an injustice that even Batman himself couldn't right. ***** - Reel Must-See

VAMPIRE EFFECT

Directors: Dante Lam & Donnie Yen
Stars: Ekin Cheng, Charlene Choi, Gillian Chung, Edison Chen, Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, Jackie Chan, Mickey Hardt
Year: 2003
Rating: R

(in Cantonese w/English subtitles)

A goofy, quite silly, yet very funny (and ultimately entertaining) vampire flick from Hong Kong, Vampire Effect (known, especially overseas, as The Twins Effect because of its two leading actresses - wildly famous Asian pop music stars Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung) stars Ekin Cheng as vampire hunter Reeve - a long-term killer of the undead who works for the "Anti-Vampire Federation". Reeve only wants to work alone, but the Federation keeps insisting on finding him a partner - even though each time he gets one, they seem to get killed - and at last is sent a young, pretty girl named Gypsy (Gillian Chung) who most obviously both reveres and has a crush on the jaded vampire hunter.

Meanwhile, Reeve's sister Helen (Charlene Choi), who lives with Reeve and knows of his job, has just caught her boyfriend cheating on her ... and in the process, meets a handsome, aristocratic young man named Kazaf (Edison Chen) who immediately develops a crush on her. What Helen doesn't know is that Kazaf is not only a vampire ... but the last in a family of vampires that have all been hunted down for their "vampire essence" by one bad-ass European bloodsucker named Duke Dekotes (Mickey Hardt). Duke gets more powerful with each essence he's stolen from Kazaf's father - the vampire king - and each of Kazaf's brothers, and in turn Kazaf and his faithful man-servant Prada (Anthony Wong Chau-Sang) have purchased (of all things) an ancient church to hide out in. If Duke Dekotes can get the final vampire essence by killing Kazaf, it will enable him to gain control of a substance that will enable vampires to walk in daylight - and be more powerful than ever.

Corny? Yeah, but it works, thanks to the humor and the fact that the plot never takes itself too seriously. Helen and Gypsy take an instant dislike to each other, and have this amazing fight scene on the rooftop of Reeve's building, with oversized bamboo poles - and the screaming, grinning and mugging kung fu style of the two young women could have come off annoyingly stupid ... and yet doesn't. In their own way, both Charlene Choi and Gillian Chung are a delight to watch; what they lack in acting talent, they make up for in personality. Edison Chen plays a lovable vampire goofball, a worldly prince who genuinely falls for Helen and can't figure out how to tell her he's a vampire. Heck, even Jackie Chan enters the action, in the small role of a bridegroom and ambulance driver who finds himself caught up in the middle of one well-shot, beautifully-choreographed action sequence in which he is forced to battle a pair of vamps, himself.

The fight scenes are really great, especially the "final showdown" - the martial arts, CGI and wirework blending nicely to take viewers on a thrilling ride. Gore is kept to a minimum, though the bloodshed and Buffy-like vampire deaths will surely be eye candy for those who like their violence. Anthony Wong Chau-Sang, brilliant in everything he does, is no less wonderful here, playing his lines straight for minimum effect and laughs - whether he's seducing a young vampiress half his age ... or trying to mix a skin cream that will allow Prince Kazaf to go out into the sun just long enough for a first date with Helen.

A charming movie full of humor, suspense, and kick-ass action sequences - pure popcorn for the eyes and brain - Vampire Effect is just that sort of fun film you're looking for when you can't figure out what kind of film you're in the mood to see. Great fun. *** - Reel Cool

EATING OUT

Director: Q. Allan Brocka
Stars: Scott Lunsford, Jim Verraros, Ryan Carnes, Emily Stiles, Rebekah Kochan
Year: 2004
Rating: NR

I'm getting lucky with the gay films, lately; finding some really good indie stuff out there that doesn't cater to the normal stereotype that many gay-themed indie films do these days (anything from soap opera-style melodrama to weak, softcore excuses to get good-looking guys naked). As with Dog Tags in a previous review, this film - Eating Out - came as both a relief and surprise: a film about gays that's neither tragic nor silly. Well-cast and written with a wry eye for humor, Eating Out is a genuinely funny comedy with a great premise; one that can be viewed and enjoyed by pretty much anyone male or female, gay or straight.

Hunky Scott Lunsford stars as Caleb, a handsome and well-built straight guy who can't seem to find a steady girl. His latest bimbo of the month, Tiffani (a funny, off-the-wall Rebekah Kochan) has kept him waiting for sex, only to turn out to be an extremely odd little nymphette who gets off on playing role games where men are violating her against her will. Their sex scene intros the film, and when neither can get turned on enough to orgasm, Tiffani dumps Caleb as nookie potential, sending the straight buck home ...

To his gay male roommate, college student and jazz musician wannabe, Kyle (former "American Idol" contestant Jim Verraros). Kyle and Caleb have been friends and platonic roommates for some time now, and when Caleb goes home and bemoans his luck at finding a girl - claiming that it would be so nice to be gay, just so he could find somebody - Kyle frustratingly informs Caleb that it's no picnic on the other side of the fence, either. On the contrary, Kyle could probably have his choice of women - gay men being such chick-magnets, due to their sensitivity and sexual harmlessness - yet cannot seem to get even the slightest bit of attention from the man of his dreams, fellow classical music college student Marc Everhard (the sinfully good-looking Ryan Carnes).

The mutual bitch session leads Kyle to prove his point by taking Caleb to a party being thrown at the home of Marc, and his roommate Gwen (Emily Stiles). Gwen and Marc used to be lovers - in fact, it was Marc who took Gwen's cherry - but not only are they now just friends (with Marc coming out of the closet, and all) ... but the hyperactive Gwen, after a series of similar incidents, is now convinced that she turns straight men gay by having sex with them. After chasing one such fem-boy out of her bedroom during the party, Caleb spots Gwen and immediately finds himself attracted to her - prompting Kyle to put his wicked new idea into motion. Kyle informs Gwen that Caleb is gay, making Gwen immediately friendly to Caleb ... thus opening up doors to the really straight Caleb that would otherwise be closed if she thought he were just another straight guy trying to get her into bed.

But what Kyle doesn't count on is when Marc comes on the seen - and is immediately turned on by Caleb, who Gwen pushes onto the unsuspecting straight man, happily thinking she's found a new man for her gay roommate. To keep the peace - and Gwen's affections - Caleb even agrees to go out on a date with Marc, forcing Kyle to revises his plan; now, Caleb will go on one date with Marc, reveal to Marc that he thinks he's straight after all, and in his heartbreak Marc will turn to Kyle's arms for comfort. And heck, Gwen may even get her "truly-straight" man at last.

But things go pretty wrong from the beginning, when Gwen pretty much forces Caleb and Marc to kiss, before leaving on their date, because it turns her on so much ... and later that night, an impromptu phone call from Gwen (who's staying the night out to give Marc and Caleb the apartment to themselves), to the boys at home, ends in a much-confused Caleb (and a much-delighted Marc) both wondering just what the hell happened the next morning.

Things only snowball here, with both Kyle and especially Caleb getting only more deeply entrenched in the deception. A final dinner party, where the roommates are determined that all will be revealed in an open and honest forum, has the unexpected surprise of Caleb's parents and little sister showing up just in time to get caught up in the action, too.

The acting here is a bit uneven (Jim Verraros being the weakest of the group), but in an indie film farce like this it can easily be overlooked in light of the talented and good-looking cast, nicely-written script, and genuinely funny moments - of which this film has many. It's also quite erotic - there's plenty of full frontal male nudity to please the die-hard horndog, and the phone-call scene alone had this reviewer squirming (and confused!) during the entire time it ran (I can't even explain it here; you'd have to see it). Scott Lunsford does an outstanding job with the nuances of Caleb's personality, making him both masculine and a nervous wreck while trying to pull off the deception (and he's very sexy, to boot), and Ryan Carnes is perfect as the "worldly" gay boy Marc, who really has a sensitive heart of gold inside. Jim Verraros, even if in need of more experience or training, still turned in a performance that made you both sympathize with and like Kyle. Emily Stiles, as Gwen, has amazing frenetic energy in the role; at first her character got on my nerves big-time, but pretty soon I really grew to like and embrace both Gwen's humor and insanity.

Even more so, I like that the film didn't give in to stereotypes of gay and straight, even as the zippy one-liners and off-handed sarcasm sometimes did. This is a neat, sexy little comedy with great characters, light on plot but with just enough spice to satisfy without lapsing into parody. A really likable film I could watch over and over again - and probably will. *** - Reel Cool

TROPIC THUNDER

Director: Ben Stiller
Stars: Ben Stiller, Robert Downey Jr., Jack Black, Tom Cruise, Nick Nolte, Brandon T. Jackson, Jay Baruchel, Matthew McConaughey, Steve Coogan, Brandon Soo Hoo
Year: 2008

Rating: R

The opening of this often-hilarious film probably threw a lot of moviegoers off-course when originally seen in theaters (it might, in fact, make even a DVD viewer blink and think twice); via a serious of satirical trailers from various big-name studios, featuring the main actors/characters that inhabit this film, we're first given a first-hand introduction to both the craziness of Tropic Thunder ... and the willingness of Hollywood to beautifully lampoon itself:

First off, there's Tugg Speedman (Ben Stiller) - a Rambo-like action star so buried in his own sequels, he's failed to notice both how bad he is an actor ... or that his star status at the box office is waning. Contrasting the action hero, there's Aussie actor Kirk Lazarus (Robert Downey Jr.), a five-time Oscar winner who takes every role he plays so damned seriously ("I don't drop character 'til I done the DVD commentary), he remains in character 100% of the time throughout shooting (Lazarus' trailer, for a Brokeback Mountain-like Catholic priest flick costarring Tobey Maguire, is one of the funniest parts of the entire movie). Then there's Jeff Portnoy (Jack Black), a drug-addicted buffoon who's made a fortune with a serious lowbrow comedies featuring a fat, farting family (in which he plays every family member, a la The Klumps) ... and even a commercial for a vile-sounding drink called Booty Sweat features millionaire rapper/hip hop artist Alpa Chino (Brandon T. Jackson) showing off a small fortune in bling.

Each of these actors, plus newcomer Kevin Sandusky (Jay Baruchel) have all just been flown over to Vietnam to star in the action-packed, big budget, Platoon-esque war drama Tropic Thunder. It's a dream cast headed by a serious British director (Steve Coogan), financed by a big studio, and promises to be THE film event of the year, worthy of all kinds of Oscar buzz as ... especially as it's based on a book written by Vietnam war veteran Four Leaf Tayback (an even-more-grizzled-looking-than-usual Nick Nolte), who's also along for the ride.

Until it becomes very obvious, very early on, that the clash of egos is going to make the shoot anything but easy. In their big dramatic scene together, Tugg Speedman (Stiller) can't cry on cue, and this lack of acting talent both greatly offends and amuses the uber-serious actor-artists Kirk Lazarus (Downey) - an actor so serious about his craft, he's had his caucasian skin surgically altered to play a black man for the film (Downey is seriously brilliant in this movie; truly Oscar nomination-worthy). Their disagreement halts shooting just in time for a series of explosions, set off in the jungles, perfectly lights up the skies, via the special effects department ... and just in time to NOT be caught on camera. Only a week into production, and the film is already behind schedule and well over budget - prompting director Damien Cockburn (Coogan) to get called into a video conference meeting with studio head Les Grossman (a bald, paunchy, foul-mouthed, Diet Coke-guzzling, nearly unrecognizable Tom Cruise). Cockburn gets his abused and threatened at the meeting, both verbally and physically by Grossman (via a crew member whom Grossman has punch the hapless director in the face) - and is given an ultimatum: get your crap and your cast together before the film tanks entirely, or else.

Desperate to get the clash of egos under control, Cockburn is forced to consider the advice of war vet Four Leaf Tayback himself ... who suggests that dropping all five of the lead actors into the real jungle, with real dangers and without their assistants or cell phones, as hidden cameras film everything reality-TV style, might just break the high-spirited movie stars, and bring them back to the real world as a team instead. Cockburn, in pure desperation, goes along with the plan - and about five minutes after a helicopter drops him and his stars off in the jungles of Vietnam, even when Cockburn accidentally steps on an old landmine and is blown to bits, Tugg Speedman still thinks it's all just part of the magic of movie-making ... even as his fellow actors start to realize they are in the middle of some serious, war-like sh*t, indeed. And when a secret enclave of drug-producing smugglers - headed by a mean little pre-teen named Tran (played to perfection by the very talented Brandon Soo Hoo) - get wind of their presence, and set out to get rid of the intruders before they can tell anyone of their operation, everything goes kind of nuts as the actors can't tell what may or may not be real around them, and at first try to stick to the script ... even as the weapons they hold are really only fake props meant for the cameras.

There's something to offend everyone here - the film is, as was well-publicized during its theatrical run, not exactly the most politically correct motion picture ever produced - but there's no denying that there are a lot of laughs to be had here, especially in the second half of the film. Ben Stiller (an actor whose work I've never particularly admired) does a good job as an action hero who might just be losing it mentally, and Jack Black has some very funny moments as the crass Portnoy (not the least of which is when he's slung over a donkey in his underwear). Brandon T. Jackson and Jay Baruchel (especially Jackson) also have some great moments, especially when Alpa Chino is reminding Jack Lazarus (Downey) that he isn't really African-American ...

But it's Robert Downey Jr. that is really the highlight of the film, acting-wise. He, and Tom Cruise - both of them so enmeshed in their characters and the comedy, it's easy to forget who they really are (Downey more so than Cruise, though both do an excellent job) - really light up the screen and get the laughs, every time they're on it. Brandon Soo Hoo, as 12-year-old drug dealer/leader Tran, is also a young actor worth watching; he's already very talented, and honing his craft. Even Matthew McConaughey - in a small role as Tugg's agent, who's determined to get his client TiVo in the jungles of Vietnam - has his own moments of wicked fun here.

But again - Tropic Thunder is not for the easily offended, or politically correct. If that's not you, then there are some seriously hilarious laughs coming your way with this film, and definitely see it. It's an excellent comedy - maybe not, to me, one of the best films of the year (as some critics are touting it to be) ... but a great ride, nonetheless. **** - Reel Awesome

DOG TAGS

Director: Damion Dietz

Stars: Paul Preiss, Bart Fletcher, Candy Clark, Hoyt Richards, Diane Davisson

Year: 2008

Rating: NR

I went into seeing this film with the mindset that I might well be venturing into over-wrought gay waters yet again - via a badly-acted, melodramatic film steeped in tragedy, where two gay men meet, fall in love with (and use) each other ... only to end up alone again in the end.

How great it is, then, that Dog Tags turns out to be a well-written, well-acted (particularly by its two leads) drama that's much more about a young man learning who he really is (and no, it doesn't involve his "coming out") - and the friend who teaches him to find himself.

An impressive Paul Preiss stars as Nate, a small-town boy who's decided he's going nowhere in life. He has a girlfriend who more or less pushes him into joining the marine corps so that the two of them can have some kind of future together, and the opening of the film pretty much sets up the fact that Nate pretty much drifts through life, letting everyone else decide what he's going to do for him. Even his mother (Candy Clark, who does a great job here as well) won't tell him the name of - or allow him to get in contact with - his natural father, who bailed on her and Nate many moon ago. What she doesn't know is that Nate carries around with him, in his pants pocket, a display ad from the phone book that advertises his father's business; turns out he's known his father's name for years, from letters his mother used to write to relatives blasting the guy, and has dug up the man's information ... even though he remains too afraid of the repercussions of using it. Just a couple days from heading off to boot camp, Nate's unsure of what he's doing or where his life is going - and he seems unable to take control of either.

Cut to Andy (Bart Fletcher), a young and attractive gay male who wears goth-like eyeliner and is still hurting over the breakup of a bad relationship. Andy, you see, made the mistake of falling in love with a marine - a very straight-acting, deep-in-the-closet Marine - and the affair ended. Heartbroken and not really ready for someone new, in his first scenes we see Andy navigating through a very atypical gay party on the outskirts of L.A., where his friend has taken him to meet this great new guy ... but all Andy can see is the casual hook-up/quick sex atmosphere he doesn't want. He bails from the party - and from his only place to sleep, as his "friend" was basically only trying to hook Andy up with someone to get Andy off his couch. Another lost and alone character who can't remember whether something happened "four minutes ago or forty years from now," Andy is the free spirit type who wants to break loose from his famous actress mother and the whole So-Cal mentality to live a life of freedom, exploring the country while he "finds himself."

Nate leaves for boot camp ... and soon we flash-forward to him walking down a dusty road in his fatigues, heading into the town of 29 Palms, where he's heard he can finance an engagement ring for his girlfriend. This trip leads to his meeting a guy who offers him a ride in his car ... and soon Nate finds himself at the guy's house, where the guy turns out to be a sleazy adult film producer who's trying to get Nate - and, it turns out shortly after their arrival, a broke and very nervous Andy - into a "straight Marine/gay sex" porn shoot. Nate excuses himself to the john, freaking out, but keeps his cool as he tells the producer no way and leaves the house ... Andy right behind him.

When Andy's car won't start, and a car-less Nate - something of a mechanic - helps him to get it running before accepting a ride home from Andy, the two form an unlikely friendship that only grows stronger the more they get to know each other. When Nate gets home to a surprise that upsets his entire world, it's Andy who becomes the friend who - at last - pushes Nate to stand up and rely on himself at last, in a way he's never done before ... even as flashbacks from his previous relationship with a marine haunt Andy, and make him more drawn to Nate with each moment they spend together.

That said, do not assume that Dog Tags is a love story, coming-of-age story, or coming out story. If anything, it's a story about how much alike even the two most different of people can be, as both Andy and Nate each finds what's wrong (and right) with himself through the eyes of the other ... and both end up better, stronger men because of it. The performances, from the two leads in particular, are spectacular; never does Paul Preiss strike a false note in his portrayal of the conflicted, confused and ultimately very humane Nate - and Bart Fletcher is perfect in bringing out the passion and compassion that make Andy the fully three-dimensional character he needed to be. Surely without the brilliant performances of both leads, this film would have folded under its own dramatic weight - whereas instead, it's enhanced by the sheer likeability of these two flawed, very real human beings, both of whom are just trying to find their place in the world. If there is any justice in this world (or, for that matter, the entire entertainment industry), both Preiss and Fletcher have deservedly-long careers (and maybe a few awards) ahead of them ... as should writer/director Damion Dietz, who's made one smart, sweet little movie.

And thanks to Preiss, Fletcher and Dietz, this film works. It was genuinely nice to see a "gay film" that was really more about friendship and love - and finally finding your path in the world, once you've been given "a clean slate". It's a great indie film deserving of more attention than it will probably ever get, and one worth seeing just for the story and performances (and the tears welling up in your eyes by the end). Very, very well done. ***1/2 - Reel Cool-Reel Awesome

WANTED

Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Stars: James McAvoy, Morgan Freeman, Angelina Jolie, Thomas Kretschmann, Terence Stamp, Common, Chris Pratt

Year: 2008

Rating: R

I really wanted to like this film. BIG fan of James McAvoy (and boy, if you are too will THIS be a departure for you, from him). BIG fan of Morgan Freeman and Thomas Kretschmann and Terence Stamp. Heck, I can even deal with Angelina Jolie in a role like this.

But even an action flick about assassins, complete with guns and gore, eye-bending special effects and an Angelina Jolie butt-shot, should still (in this reviewer's opinion) take the time to at least partially develop a few characters you care about. This is Wanted's biggest weakness, and why the film failed for me, big time.

James McAvoy stars was Wesley Gibson, an accounts manager in a nondescript office in Chicago who is letting life run him, instead of the other way around. In fact, we're treated to so much over-the-top abuse heaped onto the inactive Wesley's slim shoulders - a belittling, verbally-abusive boss, a whiny ex-girlfriend, and a coworker/best friend whose banging Wesley's girlfriend on the side (with Wesley's knowledge), that it's kind of hard to even like a guy who puts up with that much sh*t in his life at once. Wesley lives in a tiny, grungy little apartment near some very loud train tracks, normally can't even get as much as $20 out of the ATM when he needs it, and even has abandonment issues via a father who left home when Wesley was very little.

The film opens with an impressive and violent action sequence, of an assignation by a hired killer that goes wrong when the assassin himself is killed at the end. After our intro to the downtrodden Wesley, the action picks up again when Wesley's in a mom and pop grocery store, and suddenly finds himself confronting a rather severe-looking (and heavily tattooed) Angelina Jolie, who informs Wesley that his father is dead and the guy who killed him is stalking Wesley now. Thinking the woman's crazy, Wesley laughs her off ... just as she pushes him to the ground as the gunfire erupts; the man who killed the hired killer in the opening scene, named Cross (Kretschmann) has indeed been following Wesley, and he and Angelina Jolie's character (named Fox, evidently 'cause she is one) have a massive shootout and chase scene, through the streets of Chicago, that is full of crashes and impossible stunts and some pretty cool special effects.

Fox gets away with a freaked-out Wesley, and ends up taking him back to a textile mill just outside the city - a textile mill that's actually a front for The Fraternity, an elite group of assassins who kills for the sake of righting wrongs in society. There, Wesley's introduced to Sloan (Morgan Freeman), the leader of this branch of The Fraternity, who informs him that Cross is a former Fraternity member who went rogue and is now killing off Fraternity members and trying to dissolve the organization permanently. He killed Wesley's father, and now has Wesley targeted so that he can't be trained as a replacement.

It takes awhile, but soon Wesley has no choice but to believe what he's hearing - and he does, indeed, go through an intensive training that mainly involves getting the crap kicked out of him at every turn, no matter what he does, presumably to make him stronger. His anger level and strength both rise, and he's finally able to quit his job (telling his boss where to go) and leave both his cheating girlfriend and backstabbing best buddy ... deciding to train with the Fraternity until he's ready to take down the man who killed his father.

Of course there is a big, "shocking" twist that turns the film around in a new direction - and in the meantime, viewers are treated to more violence, gore, bloodshed and killing (oh yeah, and Angelina Jolie's naked butt). And yes, more special effects and action designed as eye candy - which, in fact, in some cases it genuinely is.

But my problem is that I didn't give a hoot for Wesley, or Fox or Sloan, or petty much anyone in the picture. I've seen plenty of action films where character development and deep plotting either took a backseat or were practically non-existent at all ... but here, McAvoy's character came off as a whiny, sniveling and spineless jellyfish - so much so, when he's suddenly trained into almost action-hero status, it was completely unbelievable to me. Angelina Jolie has a tragic backstory that's revealed maybe halfway or more into the film, but her character is so glacial that by then I could feel no sympathy for her. Even Morgan Freeman seems to be delivering his lines on automatic pilot, with little of anything you could call a "performance" in his work here.

In short, I just didn't care what happened to these characters - and if you don't buy into at least a couple of the characters in a film emotionally (and yes, even in an action flick - such as Die Hard or Terminator, where you do grow to care about who survives and who doesn't), the film falls flat.

Sadly, that's what happened to me with Wanted - a film I "wanted" so badly to enjoy, but just couldn't. ** - Reel Mediocre