Gamer (2009)

A seat of the pants action ride through the not so distant future foreshadowing the next level in gaming that will bring new meaning to the saying, "you don't live to play... you play to live."

From the duo who brought us both in-your-face installments of Crank, Mark Neveldine and Brian Taylor are at it again with this near future gaze into a society completely enveloped in the digital realm. Michael C. Hall (Dexter) plays the megabillionaire playboy Ken Castle who has the word at his fingertips, literally. After plans fell through on a government project he was working on, he took the technology mainstream and has integrated it into two of the biggest entertainment crazes the world has ever seen. The first being a live action version of "The Sims", where you can live your life through another person and do all sorts of whacky things. The other, live action first person shooter deathmatch tournaments where death row inmates volunteer their lives in hopes of surviving long enough to be set free. Enter Kable, played by Gerard Butler (300, RocknRolla), who is the games main phenomenon... on the verge of his release. Controlling him, is a 17 year old gaming wonderkid named Simon (Logan Lerman, 3:10 to Yuma, Hoot). Unfortunately for both, Castle has no intention on letting any of this get out of control. But if Kable wants to survive to see the outside of prison, and get back to his family, he'll have to use Castle's technology against him and free the will of the world.

For any fan of online FPS games, you must check this flick out. In the respect of technology, gaming, action, FX... this movie is a giant success. Sadly, there were lots of flaws elsewhere int he movie that really kept me from using my bias towards these type of movies to the fullest. Okay, so all those good things, the only thing better was that it had a half decent cast. Not only the main players, but adding in Kyra Sedgwick, Ludacris, and Terry Crews... not to mention a cameo by John Leguizamo... you'd have expected a better level of acting than what was being done. Outside of the action scenes, the camera work seemed really sloppy and choppy. And there were so many jump near the beginning, this and that going on, it was hard to follow. And you'd be retarded not to compare this move to Death Race, more specifically the remake with Jason Statham in it. Basic overall plot... same. It's a fine, entertaining movie... just don't go in expecting something oscar worthy and you'll come out happy.

6.4/10

Rated: R
95 mins

District 9 (2009)

Filled with sociological satire, this Sci-Fi thriller hits a deep one to center in a visually pleasing home-run that's sure to appeal to a broad audience.

Neill Blomkamp directs this story of a ginormous space ship full of malnourished aliens appearing over Johannesburg, South Africa. Initially welcomed and cared for, an ever growing populace is beginning to burden an already disheveled human existence. The refugee camp where the aliens are located has deteriorated into a militarized ghetto called District 9, where they are confined and exploited in squalor. Multi-National United is then sent in to forcibly evict the population with operative Wikus van der Merwe (Sharlto Copley) in charge. In this operation, Wikus is exposed to a strange alien biochemical, and must join forces with the "Prawns" not only to cure himself, but save their species from destruction on earth.

Why did I never see this in the theater? It would have been worth my $10! It was supremely enjoyable, more so from the middle to the end, but that completely makes up for the beginning. In what felt marketed to me as a Sci-Fi Horror movie, this film really gets its message across. What is portrays of who we are as humans is despicable to say the least, and damned near 100% true. As great as the movie looks and feels, sadly it left me with just so many questions. Where did they come from? What are they exactly? How do they understand English? How do we understand their language? They are bigger, stronger, and more technologically advanced then us, so how have we banished them to India-esque slums without retribution? As aggravated as I was, having connected with the main characters by the end, I got it. My eyes were opened, and I now see what needs to be done... watch this!

8.1/10

Rated: R
112 mins

Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen (2009)

This is the second installment of the fast paced, special effects intensive franchise that brings back my childhood. Marketed to children (why?), this visionary explosion is filled with adult humor and a sexy cast that brings one to question, it it "more than meets the eye?"

Shia LaBeouf (Eagle Eye, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull) and Megan Fox (Jennifer's Body, How to Lose Friends and Alienate People) return, along with their amazing supporting cast (Josh Duhamel, Tyrese Gibson & John Turturro) in this Michale Bay (Pearl harbor, The Island) directed sequel to 2007's box office bonanza, Transformers. Wouldn't you know tat the Autobots would once again need junior Witwicky by their side as they work to stop the evil Decepticonz from acquiring him and using his recently charged psyche to unlock the key to using Earth as their own personal power source. Lead by Optimus Prime, Sam and an a force of international armies battle the likes of a resurrected Megatron, as well as a long forgotten foe The Fallen, to save the Earth from utter destruction.

Too many people hated on this movie, and for a lot of good reasons. But letting one thing about a movie completely sway your contentment is childish and accomplishes nothing. Most Transformers nay-sayers will point to the story and all it's flaws. To that, I concede, but the basic plot is sound. My only personal objection to the movie on the whole was it's use of racial stereotypes regarding certain types of machines *cough* Mudflap and Skids *cough* All this did was contribute absurd dialogue that completely distracted you from what was really going on. But other than that, this movie was a success in my book. It was spectacularly over the top. Expect witty dialogue, awkward parental moments, and an eye-gasm of action... and let's not forget, Megan Fox is a babe.

7.8/10

Rated: PG-13
150 mins

G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra (2009)

Paramount delivers an action packed thrill ride that should quench the thirst of salivating fanboys and secure the franchise for future development. True to its roots and audience, this film delivers what viewers should expect from a movie based an 80's cartoon series and iconic action figure.

"When all else fails, they don't!" That's the ego driven mantra of the world's most elite group of special operatives known only as G.I. Joe. Stephen Sommers (The Mummy, Van Helsing) directs this live action adaptation of every young boys cherished action adventure toys. Channing Tatum (Public Enemies, Step Up) and Marlon Wayons (Little Man, White Chicks) star as Duke and Ripcord, two US Army hotshots who inadvertently team up with G.I. Joe after their tasking to transport a sensitive package for NATO goes awry. Along with an amazing supporting cast (Sienna Miller, Dennis Quaid, Rachel Nichols, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt) the new "Joes" enter into a battle an international force lead by the jaded James McCullen (Christopher Eccleston), to reclaim their package of warheads and save the world from a major catastrophe. They'll be up against the the cunningly beautiful Baroness (Sienna Miller) and heaps of nanotech controlled soldiers as they fight their way to McCullen and his scientific mastermind known only as, The Doctor.

This is another action flick that was taken way too seriously by "real" critics. They apparently missed that this movie delivered exactly what it should have. It's a mans man movie with plenty of gratuitous, nonsensical, over the top action... it's G.I. Joe for eff's sake, what more do you want!? In lieu of that point, there was not much character development, but any fan of the cartoon would have no problems connecting the dots, and any 8-14 year old wouldn't care about that anyway. The intertwined relationships between characters on both sides of the war was especially interesting, and the action sequences along with eh special effects were as good as they get. Surprisingly, Wayons wasn't too much of a distraction from the rest of the film like I thought he might be. His humor fit in well, I was pleased. The acting is par for the course, nothing great, and the story flowed well. Even the brief cameo by Brendan Fraser was as fun as it was unexpected.

If you watch this movie expecting some deep, moody war drama, think again. It's a no brains, all brawn super action flick, simple as that. Expect that from the beginning and you'll be sure to enjoy this as much as any other mid to late 20 year old.

8.2/10

Rated: PG-13
118 mins

Star Trek (2009)

Reinventing a classic is not an easy task to do, but Paramount gives us a young, star studded vision in to the hit series, enduring for nearly 40 years, that doesn’t disappoint.

A time traveling evil is on the loose and an unsuspecting Starfleet crew is going to encounter the toughest test their have young crew has ever faced. J.J. Abrams (Cloverfield) directs this epic tale chronically the evolution James T. Kirk (Chris Pine) as he enter the Academy and reluctantly follows in the footsteps that led to his father’s untimely death. Alongside his academic foe, Spock (Zachary Quinto), who will later become his greatest ally, he fights to stake claim to his destiny and save the future for all inhabitants of the universe. The strong supporting cast (Bruce Greenwood, Karl Urban, Zoe Saldana, John Cho and Simon Pegg) all contribute their roles as the crew of the U.S.S. Enterprise as she sets out to defeat Nero (Eric Bana) and to “explore strange new words, seek out new life-forms and civilizations, and boldly go where no one has gone before.”

Not being a fan of Star Trek, let me start by saying I absolutely loved this movie. So much so I’m going to buy it, and I don’t do that often. I’ve had little exposure to series, but enough through pop culture references and my time spent in Iraq to be aware of the overall story and base characters. I’ve seen two other Star Trek movies (Nemesis and Insurrection) and they both fail in comparison to the grand scale of this one. The young cast, in most cases coming from smaller rolls or TV, does an amazing job of bringing the the characters and their subsequent development to life. The cinematography and special effects will surely compete in the awards at seasons end and I look forward to perhaps a sequel? True Star Trek fans might tear this flick apart, but for us casual folk who just want our $10 worth, you can’t go wrong. Not a fan of Star Trek? Not a fan of Sci-Fi? Don’t worry, you’ll like this movie as it spans many genres and appeals to more than just one group.

8.8/10

Rated: PG-13
127 mins