INTO THE STORM

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: F
Richard Armitage, Sarah Wayne Callies, Matt Walsh, Max Deacon, Jeremy Sumpter, Alycia Debnam Carey, Nathan Kress
Written by John Swetnam
Directed by Stephen Quale
Rated PG-13

1996's Michael Crichton blockbuster Twister is a dumb movie trying to convince you it is a smart one. But its one of my all time great guilty pleasures, with a strong cast including Helen Hunt and Phillip Seymour Hoffman, fast pacing and some very amusing dialogue (thanks to an uncredited rewrite by Joss Whedon.). And while Twister may try to pretend it's smart, it never loses sight of the fact that it's main goal is to entertain, and it doesn't take itself too seriously. In 1999, a very different film called The Blair Witch Project made a big impact by creating the "found footage" genre. This movie was a polar opposite to Twister: made on almost no budget, with no effects or stars, what made The Blair Witch Project work is that it took itself deadly seriously in terms of tone, so much so that early audiences thought they were seeing a real documentary. Now, I'm not a huge fan of Blair Witch. I saw it far too late, after all the hype, and I was really underwhelmed. But I do have a respect for what the filmmakers achieved given their resources, and the fact that they created an artificial reality and narrative device and stuck firmly to it, never wavering and really selling us on the narrative device.

Into The Storm (which is not to be confused with the acclaimed HBO movie starring Brendan Gleeson as Winston Churchill) seems to be the result of someone's drunken idea that it would be a good idea to combine Twister and The Blair Witch Project, in the most literal possible sense. This movie tries to combine the found footage genre with the blockbuster disaster movie as sloppily as possible. It wants to put us into the action in the style of both films, never mind that the two styles couldn't clash more. Cloverfield did found footage while using a Hollywood budget and spectacular effects, but Into The Storm goes so far as to have a full orchestral score! We are left with the inescapable conclusion that writer John Sweetnam, who wrote and sold a spec script, and Director Stephen Quale (in his first turn at bat after serving as an Assistant Director on films such as Titanic and Avatar) wanted to make entirely different films, and neither one of them was experienced enough at telling a story to have a clue what they were doing.

The "plot," as it were, centers around the town of Silverton, Oklahoma. Teenage brothers Donnie and Trey (Max Deacon and Nathan Kress, respectively) are video junkies who are shooting everything because they are making a "video time capsule," which consists mostly of people recording messages to themselves 25 years in the future, and telling their future selves about what life was like for them back now (because it would be impossible for anyone to know their own thoughts if they did not express them aloud to themselves on camera.). Donnie and Trey live with father, Gary (Richard Armitage, best known as Thorin Oakenshield in The Hobbit.). Gary is the Vice Principal of the local High School, and his relationship with his sons has been strained since the death of his wife. Meanwhile, a group of stormchasers and documentary filmmakers head to Silverton in search of tornadoes. They are lead by Pete (Matt Walsh), a man obsessed with making the ultimate documentary about tornadoes and actually getting footage from the eye of the storm, and Allison (Sarah Wayne Collins), a young meteorologist who wants to make a difference but does not want to put anyone in harm's way. And, just to make sure we fully cover our bases and make sure there are enough people shooting video to make the movie work, we have the two local jackasses (Kyle Dais and Jon Reep) who shoot stupid human tricks for their YoutTube channel. These two are meant to be the film's comic relief, which is ironic because they were just about the only thing at the press screening that never got a single laugh.

Silverton is, of course, ravaged by a record number of tornadoes in one day, and all of the cookie cutter characters are spread throughout the town, with the goals of A. getting everything on video, and B. surviving if possible. Eventually, they all come together and their plots intertwine and the storm forces them to band together and yadda yadda yadda if this sounds boring in print, imagine having to watch it.

I went into this movie expecting it to be a 3D effects film, but as it turns out it's not in 3D, which, combined with hearing that there was a found footage element, lead me to expect a lot of  nausea inducing shaky cam shots. The good news is that those are minimal. The bad news is, it makes no sense that they are. Whenever we see shots from the point of view of Trey's rinky dink little hand held camera that looks like it was made in the '90's, the image is not only pristine, but it is clearly on a steadicam to keep the movement smooth and slick. And despite the fact that not a one of these people has anything beyond a built in camera mic, the sound recording is perfect, filtering out only the dialogue we need to hear and never getting drowned out by background noise, even when there is a tornado (and most of the time, of course, there is one.). To say that the "found footage element" strains credibility is a gigantic understatement: there are shots in this movie that you couldn't get in a documentary if you strapped a Go Pro to God's forehead, and we are forced to assume that there is an an additional crew film everyone else film each other. (I cannot wait for the behind the scenes feature on the Blu Ray where we get to watch video coverage of people shooting people pretending to shoot video of other people pretending to shoot video while the whole thing is caught on video.).

The nicest thing that can be said about the performances is that they are so bland that at a number of times I actually wanted someone to sprinkle some salt, or even Cayenne Pepper, on Richard Armitage. Armitage's bad American accent and aloof manner made this the second bad movie this year to make me sit through the whole thing wishing that Gerard Butler was starring in it (the other one being 300: Rise Of An Empire), and if you read my ten worst list last year, you know what a big deal that is. In fairness to Armitage, who has been so memorable (if rather stoic) as the leader of the company of dwarves, is woefully miscast in this role, but he gives one of the dullest performances ever captured on film/digital video/more digital video/and even more digital video/High School security cameras (why we bother cutting away to these for two shots is a complete mystery.).  Walsh is at least memorably silly as the one track minded Pete, who will stop at nothing to get the shot he wants, but as a whole the cast is at best forgettable, and the father/son trio of Armitage, Deacon and Kress manage to go throughout the film without any defining personality traits.

And then there's the science: whether it is scientist Allison explaining to Gary that "if these patterns continue the tornadoes could start spreading."

"Spreading? To where?"

"Places tornadoes have never been. California, Ohio . . . " (Disneyland? The Moon, etc.)

 or  camera operator moving in to get a closer shot of (I am not making this up) a tornado that has caught on fire, or the moment when Pete, in his tornado proof tank, actually is sucked up into an F5 and until he flies to the top and for a moment rises ABOVE THE TORNADO and sees the majesty of the heavens (the entire audience erupted into howls of laughter at this moment), it all makes Twister look like solid scientific fact.

Into The Storm is so bad and provoked so much hostility from the viewing press at this screening that when my brother and co-host Paul Gibbs was asked to give feebdback to a studio rep and he replied with "I thought it was a cancerous polyp on the anus of cinema, and I'm only saying that because I'm trying to be kind" the fellow taking the feedback not only didn't bat an eye, he wrote this sentence down verbatim.

Into The Storm is rated PG-13 for action peril, profanity and mild vulgarity.

TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Reviewed by Paul Gibbs

GRADE: B
Starring Megan Fox,  Will Arnett, Johnny Knoxville, William Fichtner, Tony Shalhoub
Directed by Jonathan Liebsman
Rated PG-13 (violence, mild profanity)




The 1990s Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies and cartoons are a perfect example of how nostalgia can rose-color perceptions. The acting and writing in the movies was frequently terrible. But I'll freely admit that I have a fondness for the turtles which goes back to the original comic book and the role-playing game which sprung from it, and taking my little sister to see those first two movies is a great memory. I still revisit them from time to time and, while sometimes I groan, I also have quite a bit of fun. And I still think the 2007 animated film TMNT is underrated.

> For those of us with a fondness for the franchise, it's good news that the Michael Bay produced reboot of  isn't anywhere near the disaster it was anticipated to be (no, they aren't aliens, and no, the evil Ninja Shredder has not been turned into a caucasian American.). In fact it's hard to remember a movie getting more mileage out of simply not being terrible. That's not to say director Jonathan Liebsman's film is a complete success. There are plenty of things to criticize. But fears of it bearing no resemblence to the source material have not been realized, and it's a lot less shrill, chaotic and just plain irritating than Bay's Transformers movies have been. Taken as what it is, it's an enjoyable enough nostalgia trio for fans.

> The basic set-up is the same as always: intrepid reporter April O'Neil (played this time by Megan Fox) investigates the proliferation of a Ninja-based criminal organization called the Foot clan, and ends up encountering four pizza loving teenaged turtles who have been trained in the ways of martial arts by a rat named Splinter. They are named Leonardo, Donatello, Michaelangelo and Raphael after the famed renaissance artists.
>

> The turtles' backstory has been considerably reworked to include April and  a scientist named Eric Sacks (William Fichtner), in what will likely be the biggest sore point among fans. But it's worth noting that the popular cartoon series which introduced most fans to the property also played fast and loose with the origion story. I personally didn't mind the alteration to make April a part of their past and giver her a more personal stake in the story, but I didn't see the point in how watered down the Japanese/Martial arts aspect of their past was, especially considering Splinter's obvious Japanese apperance and the fact that the villainous Shredder was still part of the equation (though his overly elaborate gadget armor makes him feel less like a ninja and more like a Transformer).

 

> The humans are actually, as a general rule, less grating than they often were in the 1990s films or the cartoon. I've never been a Megan Fox fan, but she's just fine as the film's nominal protagonist, and it's nice to see April a lot less sexed up and objectified than her Transformers character was. Will Arnett is likable as April's co-worker Vernon Fenwick. In many ways it's a shame that the gifted comic is never given anything all that funny to do, but it's actually quite enjoyable to see him play the shy guy for a change. Fichtner is far less over the top than he was in The Lone Ranger, and neither particularly distinguishes or embarasses himself.
>
> Of course, it all really comes down to the turtles. I don't agree with the common geek perception
that these incarnations look "creepy" (one of the most annoying ubiquitous and lazy geek geek words for something that doesn't look the way they think it should) , but I conceed that they are overly buffed up and less overtly endearing than other versions have been. But they're still the turtles that fans know and love, with their personalities more or less intact and a strong bond between them. After a point I more or less forgot about how different they looked and just embraced them. But it's a shame to see their characters and group dynamic underdeveloped, especially considering that the movie is a good 25 minutes longer than it really needs to be at 101 minutes. We could have used fewer scenes of April arguing with her boss (a sleepwalking Whoopi Goldberg) and more which developed the tension between Leonardo and Raphael. Their best moments come toward the end when we get to see their brotherly bond in the face of danger. Overall, I liked the turtles, and that's what made the film as enjoyable as it was.
>

> Director Liebsman and his writers have developed an overall fairly flat tone and a plot which is once flimsy and over complicated. But a few enjoyable actions.sequences (especially a chase down a snowy mountain) help. Liebsman tends to shoot some of the scenes too chaotically, but not as much so as producer Bay likes to do when he's directing.
>
> Ultimately this is neither the best nor the worst Ninja Turtles movie. It's esentially a guilty pleasure, but with Bay involved that feels like a small miracle, and anybody who whines about how it murdered their childhood is an even bigger ass than is usual in these situations. Take an 8 to 10 year old kid with you (I had two of nephews with me at the screening and that enhanced the experience a lot), keep your expectations low, and just go with it, and it'll bring back fond memories. If you don't have fond memories of the franchise and you're over 15, this movie isn't really for you.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is rated PG-13 for violence, mild profanity, one or two mildly vulgar gags and a shot of Megan Fox's butt in tight jeans. In most cases I'd say it's okay for kids 8 and up with an adult with them, or for kids 13 and up.

THE HUNDRED FOOT JOURNEY

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: A
Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayall, Charlotte Le Bon, Farzana Dua Elahe, Amit Shah, Michel Blanc
Based on the novel by Richard C. Morais
Screenplay by Steven Knight
Directed by Lasse Hallstrom
Rated PG

Lasse Halstrom, once a perennial nominee who specialized in maufactured Oscar bait for Miramax, has kind of been pushed into the background and is not generally viewed as a relevant director these days. But with the right material and cast, Hallstrom's penchant for light, charming character based stories may be exactly what this summer needed, and together with producers Steven Spielberg and Oprah Winfrey, he serves up a delicious new dish that is just the antidote for all of the mayhem and and explosions going on in the auditorium next door.

Displaced from their native India, the Kadam family, led by Papa (Om Puri) wanders throughout Europe looking for the right place to settle. Papa's second son, Hassan (Manish Dayal) is an amazing cook, and the Papa is looking to get back into the restuarant business. After leaving England (where the vegetables "have no soul") they set up a new home in the village of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val in the South of France, and Papa determines that this is the perfect place to set up an authentic Indian Restaurant. The rest of the family argues that the French have their own food and their own restaurants, but Papa's believes that when the people get a taste of Indian food, they'll discover what they have been missing all this time, and the family opens up the Maison Mumbai.

But Papa's plans are quickly complicated when Madame Mallory (Academy Award Winner Helen Mirren) the proprietress of Le Saule Pleureur, a Michelin starred, classical French Restaurant that happens to be right across the street, takes objection to the presence of her new neighbors. Meanwhile, Hassan develops an interest in French cuisine, not to mention Madame Mallory's enchnating young sous chef, Marguerite (Charlotte Le Bon.). After a few chance meetings between Papa and Madame Mallory, it isn't long before a full scale culinary war breaks out.

The Hundred Foot Journey is not just a story about culture clashes, it's about reconiling the Chocolat, the Best Picture nominated film that is either considred to be the Academy Award nominated highlight of Hallstrom's career or the hammy, heavy handed and overplayed personification of Miramax's "let's buy another Oscar" period.). Helen Mirren is wonderful as the pompous Madame Mallory, who (big surprise) has a much warmer side than we initially suspect. Mirren turns what could have easily been a by the numbers character into an understated and endearing performance that deserves to be remembered at Oscar time, and Om Puri as Papa is genuinely terrific and completely lovable. It is very nice to see this film side step the obvious cliches of the domineering, oppressive patriarch and subjugated women one expects in a depiction on Indian culture. Early on, when a customs agent questions daughter Mahira (the dazzling Farzana Dua Elahe) as to whether she is travelling to France for an arranged marriage, she replies "Please. NOTHING in this family is arranged." Dayall is quite likeable as Hassan, the rising star of the family, and the chemistry between Dayall and LeBon is almost as good as that between Mirren and Puri.
unreconcilable. Family duty versus ambition, tradition versus innovation,  and curry versus wine. Director Hallstrom is in top form with this delightful tale, and his cast all works will each other, never against each other (as was the case in

The Hundred Foot Journey is certainly not on anyone's blockbuster must see list for the summer, and it's also unlikely to be a major awards contender. But if you want to sit back and enjoy a sincere and enjoyable film that will make walk out feeling happy, this is easily your best bet for the season.

The Hundred Foot Journey is Rated PG for thematic elements, some violence, language and brief sensuality  (kissing.).

GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: A 

Chris Pratt, Zoe Saldana, Dave Bautista, Michael Rooker, Lee Pace, Karen Gillan, Glenn Close, Benicio Del Toro, John C. Reilly and the voices of Bradley Cooper and Vin Diesel
Based on the comic book by Dan Abnet and Andy Lanning

Screenplay by James Gunn and Nicole Perlman

Directed by James Gunn

I tend to enter every MARVEL Studios movie a bit skeptical. They come so frequently that it is hard not to feel that they are beating it into the ground, and each time I wonder if I'm going to be seeing the one that finally falls flat on its face. That being said, the only one of their films I have truly disliked is The Incredible Hulk, and I have not been disappointed by one of their films since Iron Man 2, which had too many characters and was more concerned with setting up The Avengers than telling a cohesive story. But since then, each movie has decidedly delivered as a top notch piece of popular entertainment, if not always a truly great film. I even stuck with Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. while others wrote it off, and was very much rewarded for Imy loyalty. Still, when you put a new superhero movie at least once a year, it seems like it's got to wear out its welcome at some point.

But with Guardians of The Galaxy, Marvel seems to have taken its cue from PIXAR, which smartly chose to shake of the formula a bit with The Incredibles, even though the formula was still working at the time. Guardians really isn't a superhero movie, and though certain plot elements were teased in both The Avengers and especially Thor: The Dark World, you really don't have to have seen any of the other previous MARVEL movies to have a  blast with this silly, over the top and thoroughly enjoyable space opera. 

In 1988, following his mother's death, a young  boy named Peter Quill is abducted from Earth by the Ravagers, space-pirates led by Yondu (Michael Rooker), who eventually adopts him. 26 years later, Quill (now played by Chris Pratt of Parks and Recreation) steals a sphere-artifact only to be intercepted by the Kree, servants to the fanatical Ronan The Accuser (Lee Pace), servant to Thanos (the villain teased at the end of The Avengers, voiced here by Josh Brolin.)  Although Quill escapes with the artifact, Yondu discovers he has stolen the Ravager's prize, and issues a bounty for his capture, while Ronan sends the assassin Gamora (Saldana) after the sphere.

When Quill attempts to sell the sphere on the Nova Corps homeworld of Xandar, Gamora ambushes him and steals it. A fight ensues, drawing in two bounty hunters, the genetically-engineered raccoon, Rocket (Cooper) and the humanoid tree, Groot (Diesel.).The Nova Corps arrive and arrest the group, imprisoning them in the Kiln. The powerful inmate, Drax (pro wrestler Dave Bautista), attempts to kill Gamora for his family's murder by Ronan, who has led a slaughter of worlds in pursuit of Kree purity, but Quill convinces Drax that Gamora can bring him to Ronan. Gamora reveals that she has betrayed Ronan, and that he intends to use the sphere's power to destroy entire planets, starting with Xandar. Learning that Gamora has a buyer for the sphere, Rocket, Quill, Groot, and Gamora work together to escape the Kiln.

It goes without saying that this band of misfits become a reluctant team, and eventually, heroes.  This much is hardly a surprise. What is a surprise is just how well the film works, and how much fun it is. This is easily the cheesiest and more ridiculous major space adventure in many years, but it is so comfortable in its own skin that not only does in not matter, its actually a major part of the film's considerable appeal. The visual effects are a mixture of breathtaking and deliberately hokey, but in a way that really works (as I watched the film, more than once I found myself thinking "Ahhh, so this is what The Fifth Element played like to people who actually enjoyed it."). It's definitely the best use MARVEL has made of 3D since The Avengers.

Pratt proves to be a capable, if still highly comedic, leading man, and Saldana reminds us that despite a string of flops, she's no fluke: she's really a terrific actress with incredible star quality. But the real standouts, despite being only voices, are Cooper and Diesel as Rocket and Groot. Cooper, who never ceases to impress, is clearly having a ball stepping so far out of type, and  gives a thoroughly hilarious yet touching performance, and Diesel gets so much emotion of his line reads (despite the fact that they consists only of the words "I am Groot" that we are reminded of his early work in Saving Private Ryan and The Iron Giant, and left to wonder what he could be if he was routinely in a higher quality of film. Bautista is very effective as Drax, and Karen Gillan (Amy Pond on the BBC's Doctor Who) gives  a  memorable  turn in a role that could not be more different from the girl who waited; Michael Rooker gives a peformance that would come across as scenery chewing if it were any other actor, but works very smoothly,  and while Benicio Del Toro, Glenn Close and John C. Reilly only appear in small roles, they add a lot to the film, especially Reilly. Unfortunately, the great Djimon Hounsou (Amistad, Gladiator, Blood Diamond) is wasted in a thankless and superfluous role, and while Lee Pace (Lincoln, The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug and TV's Pushing Daisies) makes an adequate villain, it's a very one note villain, and one note performance. Most of this should be attributed to a script and director that never try to make him more, but so far Pace's film performances seem to denote a fairly one note actor, and this is just the latest example of the highly theatrical style that has me on the fence as to whether I find him entertaining or incredibly annoying (ultimately a bit of both, I suppose.).

Writer/Director James Gunn is at the top of his game here, which may not sound like much from a guy who's past writing credits include both Scooby Doo films and one of the worst segments of Movie 43, but it's really amazing what a genuine love of your material can do. Gunn seems to have been born to make this film, and he certainly gets the most out of it. And the soundtrack of '70's pop songs, which is a huge part of Peter Quill's character,  is surprisingly wonderful, each song feeling carefully chosen and motivated apart from being extremely catchy (the best being Hooked On A Feeling and Ain't No Mountain High Enough.). You don't have to be a big fan of this kind of music to appreciate its use in the film, because Quill's love it is so infectious, And while the movie's opening sequence, involving the tragic death of Quill's mother to cancer during his childhood, seems far too heavy for such a lightweight film, it ends up being quite effective as we realize that this is really a deeper movie about love, loss, adversity, and the inner strength one has to find to go on.


By far my biggest complaint with the film is that after seeing it twice, I still really don't have much stronger an idea of who or what Thanos is (I was among the large percentage of the audience left scratching their heads at the stinger in The Avengers.). I get that he's powerful and evil, but who IS he? What is he? Why is he?  Hopefully Avengers: Age Of Ultron (a movie that seems in desperate need of "the: somewhere in its title) will finally shed a little light on the character, though it is so packed with characters that I don't hold out too much hope. He means something to devoted comic book readers and the rest of us are supposed to just accept that.

All in all, this is a rollicking good time, and very welcome change of pace. This is a movie you will likely find yourself seeing more than once.

Guardians Of The Galaxy is Rated PG-13 for violence, profanity and vulgarity.

DAWN OF THE PLANET OF THE APES

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: A +
Andy Serkiss, Jason Clarke, Keri Russell, Gary Oldman, Toby Koebell, Judy Greer, Kodi Smit-McPhee
Screenplay by  Mark Bomback and Rick Jaffa & Amanda Silver
Directed by Matt Reeves

No one expected that much out of 2011's  Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes. As the press screening I went to began, everyone was making lame monkey jokes and referencing Tim Burton's wretched remake. I was entranced from the beginning, but I wondered if anyone else was. But at the moment when Andy Serkiss as Caesar said "NOOOOO!" there was an audible gasp that went through the crowd, made up entirely of often cynical members of the press. The studio rep told me after the movie that EVERY critic had said exactly the same thing I did to her. "The others may make fun of me for saying this, but I think it was a great film."

Whether this movie could possibly sustain a sequel was good question. A huge part of the appeal of Rise was the fact that the apes got to be the good guys, and the further we get into the story and the human race is wiped out or subjugated, the harder that would be. In addition, the announcement that director Rupert Wyatt  would not be returning was cause for concern. As it turns out, there was no need.

Dawn picks up a number of years later,  as human civilization has collapsed in the wake of the ALZ-113 virus, or "Simian Flu." A middle aged Caesar now leads and governs a new generation of apes, as well as most of his comrades from the first film, including Maurice the Orangutan, Rocket, and Koba (played this time by Toby Koebbell), the abused chimpanzee rescued from a science lab. Caesar's wife Cornelia has given birth to a son.


The film opens with a montage of news reports showing the collapse of human civilization in the wake of the ALZ-113 virus. A middle aged Caesar now leads and governs a new generation of apes, including some of his comrades from the ape sanctuary. Caesar leads the apes on a hunting party for deer, where his adolescent son is scarred by an attacking grizzly bear. Caesar is summoned to his home in the new ape city in the Muir Woods, where his wife has given birth to a newborn son. After ten years without contact with humans, a small party of survivors from San Francisco come across the apes. After one of their members panics, shooting and wounding a young ape, Caesar leads the apes to the human settlement and forbids them from entering the woods.

The party's leader, Malcolm (Jason Clarke, best known for Zero Dark Thirty), convinces the human leader Dreyfus to give him three days to make peace with the apes to gain access to a hydroelectric generator at a dam in their territory, which could provide power to the city. Dreyfus is distrustful of the apes, and begins to arm the survivors in preparation for war. Meanwhile, Caesar's lieutenant Koba , who had been experimented upon by humans in the past, encourages Caesar to wipe out the humans while they are desperate. Caesar, seeing a chance for peace with the humans, agrees to allow Malcolm access to the dam. As Malcolm, his wife and son work on the generator, they begin to form a bond with the apes, despite several tense situations arising from the mutual distrust of both sides.

The performances are of the highest caliber all around, especially from Serkiss and Koebell. Far lesser performances than these have won Best Actor and Best Supporting Actor Oscars, and if these two are not recognized it will be hard to take the Oscars seriously (as if it isn't already.). Motion capture acting has become an established art form, and while the effects play a big part in the movie, the performances underneath are no less praiseworthy. The relationship between Caesar and Koba is deeper than any other protagonist/antagonist in summer blockbuster since . . . well, frankly, I can't think of a summer blockbuster worthy of comparison. Koba is a little reminiscent of Wes Studi's memorable portrayal of Magua in The Last Of The Mohicans, but there is an added weight given by the close relationship and even sense of kinship between Koba and Caesar. Keobbel's performance is up there with Heath Ledger inThe Dark Knight, but in this case we understand exactly what made our villain into what he is, and while his actions horrify us, out hearts break for him.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is the most impressive achievement in visual effects in a long time, rivaling even Gravity and Life Of Pi, but it is also great drama; a Shakespearean tragedy with apes, if you will. It is a profound work of art that explores the struggle between good and evil, and the nature of humanity (and it's ancestors) in ways that will stay with you for some time. The parallels between the humans and the apes and the treatment of Native Americans and Africans at the hands of the Western world are undeniable but never heavy handed and obvious in a Avatar kind of way, and we get to see that as they evolve, the apes develop both the best and worst tendencies of human nature.  This is thought provoking, insightful and moving storytelling, the likes of which we simply don't see in summer blockbusters. 

Director Matt Reeves (Cloverfield) crafts the film with an expert hand, and is likely to become a major Hollywood power player, Michael Seresin's moody cinematography is beautiful and harshly atmospheric, and Michael Giacchino's score is haunting and intense.

But in the end, the biggest triumph comes down to Serkiss and Koebell, and I cannot overstate how good they are together. All of these elements mix together for not only the best film of the summer, but in all likelihood, the best of 20014. This is the kind of film that says good enough is never good enough, and raises the bar for everyone else making blockbusters.

Dawn Of The Planet Of The Apes is rated PG-13 for quite a bit of violence (not graphic but some of it quite disturbing), some profanity (including one F-word), and dramatic themes.

HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON 2

Reviewed by Patrick Gibbs

GRADE: A +

Jay Baruchel, Gerard Butler, Cate Blanchett, America Ferrera, Craig Ferguson, Djimon Hounsou, Jonah Hill, Kristen Wiig, Kit Harrinton

Based on the series of books by Cressida Cowell
Screenplay by Dean Deblois
Directed by Dean DeBlois

Despite Shrek beating out Monsters Inc. for the first animated feature Oscar, Dreamworks Animation was, for years, successful at the box office but critics and hardcore animation fans did not consider them in the same league as PIXAR. Movies like Kung Fu Panda made their credibility rise, but  How To Train Your Dragon was a major game changer.Dreamworks was finally a serious competitor, and the movie was as ardently embraced by adults as it was by kids, considered a genuine classic that was filled with action and heart.   

The long awaited sequel picks up five years after the Viking village of Berk has made peace with the dragons, who now live amongst the villagers as working animals and pets, and dragon races (which are sort of like Quidditch, with live sheep taking the place of the balls) are all the rage. Our hero, Hiccup (Jay Baruchael) goes on adventures with his dragon, Toothless, as they explore and map new territories. Having come of age, Hiccup is being pressed by his father, Stoick the Vast (Gerard Butler) to succeed him as chieftain, but Hiccup is not convinced that this is the right path for him. 

While investigating a wildfire, Hiccup and Astrid (America Ferrera) discover the remains of a fort encased in a colossal ice formation and encounter a dragon trapper named Eret (Kit Harrington), who blames them for the destruction of his fort and attempts to capture their dragons for an insane conqueror called Drago Bludvist. The two riders return to Berk to warn Stoick about the dragon army that Drago is amassing, and Stoick orders the villagers to fortify the island and prepare for battle. Instead deciding to attempt to reason with Drago (played by Amistad's Djimon Hounsou), Hiccup flies off with Astrid and they surrender themselves and their dragons to Eret so as to be taken to Drago. However, Stoick and his dragon riders pursue and find them.

Stoick explains he once met Drago before and that he was an unreasonable madman, but Hiccup refuses to believe that war is inevitable and again flies off with Toothless. He runs into the last person he is expecting, and before long Hiccup's entire world has once again changed.

This is that rarest of sequels that satisfies on every level, and honestly the animation quality is decidedly superior to the original. While the story may be more convoluted and less memorable than that of the first film, it's a great sequel plot that not only builds on the concepts and and world created before by delves deeper into the characters and provides plenty of heart and touching moments, and a rousing finale that will have you cheering. 

The cast is uniformly terrific, with Baruchel being a delightful and truly a one of a kind presence, and Blanchett is always a welcome addition to any film. But the standout here is definitely Gerard Butler, who gives his most endearing and comfortable performance in years. True, a good deal of credit has to go to the animators, but Bulter really nails this character and reminds up why people every had enthusiasm for him in the first place (it helps that he allowed to stick with his own Scottish accent. Bulter should be treated like a modern Sean Connery: the voice is a huge part of the appeal, don't try to hide it, just let it stand.). The bullheaded and macho Stoick has grown up perhaps even more than his son since the events of the last film, and we see a wise, tender and even romantic side that is utterly engaging. This is one of my favorite voice over performances in many years. It's also great to see Hounsou, one of the most engaging presences in film, who we don't get to see nearly enough of because there aren't many roles written for African actors, break free of type casting and play a role not defined by his ethnicity. In fact, I didn't even know it was him until the credits rolled. John Powell's thrilling and lyrical musical score combined with amazing visuals (helped along by "visual consultant Roger Deakins, who may be the best cinematographer working today) combine for a magical experience.

This a perfect sequel, a perfect family film, and spectacular adventure that equal any live action film this summer.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 is rated PG for violence and adult themes (including one very sad moment that may be quite upsetting to younger children.) and a small amount of extremely mild vulgarity.

EDGE OF TOMORROW

Reviewed by Paul Gibbs


EDGE OF TOMORROW
GRADE: A
Starring Tom Cruise, Emily Blunt, Bill Paxton
Directed by Doug Liman

Yes, the new Tom Cruise sci-fi vehicle bears an unmistakable resemblance to a cross between Groundhog Day and Starship Troopers. What's surprising is how good a film that turns out to be, and what may be surprising to some is how big a part of that is a first-rate star turn by Cruise.

Cruise stars as Major William Cage, a military Media Relations in a not-too distant future where grotesque aliens called Mimics (think the xenomorphs from Aliens mixed with the Formics of Ender's Game) have invaded Earth and the best hope to defeat them is soldiers in exoskeletal battle suits. Assigned to provide coverage during an invasion, Cage balks, attempting to blackmail his way out of battle. This goes over about as well as you would expect, and Cage is demoted to a frontline troop as cannonfodder in the invasion. But when Cage dies, he ends up waking up at the beginning of the day, repeating it over and over in an endless loop. Eventually Cage seeks out the help of a legendary soldier known as the Angel of Verdun (Emily Blunt) and working to defeat the Mimics and end the loop.

Based on a Japanese novel entitled All You Need Is Kill (which sounds like stereo instructions translated from Japanese), Edge of Tomorrow (which sounds like a daytime soap opera) is clever, funny, and thrilling, providing a perfect example of what a summer movie should be. Director Doug Liman is at the top of his game, crafting spectacular battle sequences, uproarious dark comedy and sensitive character moments with equal aplomb, and he's aided immeasurably by his leading man. Try to forget all of the couch-jumping Scientology baggage and just enjoy a great movie star carrying a blockbuster like few others can, and stepping out of his stock character to play a weaselly coward who is forced to learn to become a soldier. Cruise expertly navigates the arc from the comic scenes in the first act to the physical heroics of the actions scenes to his growing attachment to Blunt's character. This is exactly why he's been one of Hollywood's top stars for almost 30 years.  The supporting cast also fairs well, with Blunt easily holding her own in her scenes with Cruise (though it's a little disappointing to see Cruise once again playing opposite an actress young enough to be his wife). Bill Paxton amusingly chews the scenery as the tough Seargant commanding Cage's unit.

In a manner someone reminiscent of James Cameron's Avatar, Edge of Tomorrow is a perhaps overly familiar sci-fi epic that is executed well enough to make us forgive its more derivative elements. The fast pace makes for a perfect summer thrill ride. The film is rated PG-13 for some profanity and a lot of violence (so much so that an argument could easily be made for an R rating for the sheer number of violent deaths, though the movie is largely bloodless.).