ThatGirlOnTV

I’ll put it in a way any Samantha can understand: The Sex just wasn’t as good the second time around.

Allow me to preface by saying that I align myself with fervent followers of the SATC franchise. Like any other fan, having watched the television series for seasons on end, and then having seen the first film, I expected a lot and a little at the same time.  A lot, because it would require Carrie and the girls outdoing themselves for there to even be a need for a sequel; and just as such- a little, because as a fan I thought the first movie should have been the ONLY movie.

Well, this time around we meet our favorite foursome at a wedding of sorts, two years later picking up where their lives left off- Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) back at home with her husband and son, Charlotte (Kristin Davis) happy with her growing family, Samantha (Kim Cattrall) being…well, single, sexy Samantha, and Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker) and Big (Chris Noth) in marital bliss.

Except everything is not as glamorous as they’d like to let on. Charlotte struggles with nagging children and a sagging nanny, while Carrie fears her marriage is heading in a direction opposite of the city life she loves. When Samantha’s PR expertise gets her a trip to Abu Dhabi, the girls pack up the Prada, suitcase the stilettos and run away to the “New” Middle East for a week.

Enter Aidan Shaw (Jordan Corbett), Carrie’s blast from the past; exit everyone we saw in the beginning of the film. The plot becomes farfetched, and several of the characters get lost in this bumpy ride of a film from director, writer & producer Michael Patrick King (Sex And The City- film and TV series).

Surprisingly, it’s as if King had nowhere to go, and so we go to the Middle East for the exciting color and authenticity the culture can bring. Of course, there are glimmers of the foursome we know and love, thanks to the same stellar acting from the leading ladies, along with some humor in form of a few moments brought to us from none other than Samantha. Nonetheless, some of the dialogue, exchanges and witty one-liners resulted in a hand-to-head gesture.

But where’s the fashion? We see the clothes but it’s as if we barely touch the material. They rarely come into conversation,  aside from one dress acknowledging from Samantha. Where’s the writer Carrie? We never quite find out what she was writing for Vogue, and her book kind of gets thrown out the window along with the story. And most of all- where’s the go-getter Miranda? The Miranda we know and love would have handled her job situation a bit differently. Instead, we get the encyclopedia/travel guide, “fun” Miranda that’s a bit too unfamiliar. It’s a melange of unfinished business, with no real heightened conflict for anyone besides Carrie, and only in the last few minutes of the film.

I suppose Sex and the City 2 can be likened to another Samantha experience: you know ladies, it’s like when you meet a man that appears to have what you’re looking for. The walk and the talk….the smile and the eyes…

But then you find out- just like with this film, he is nothing more than disappointment when the lights go off.

Rating: 2.5/5

More often than not, Bollywood films err more on the side of cheesy than the average American movie-goer can take…but there’s something about Kites that softened my pseudo-American heart, making judgement and cynicism melt right away while watching this jack-of-all-trades flick.

J (Hrithik Roshan) is a Vegas man through and through, a dance instructor by day and fedora-clad fox by night- using “get rich quick” tactics to make money.  Selling his services as a husband to illegal immigrant women looking for their green cards, for a mere $700 he’ll sign the marriage papers and send you on your way to liberation. When J meets the wealthy Gina (Kangana Ranaut) smitten by his charm, he immediately sees the chance for a lucrative business deal. But, he later finds that a woman named Natasha (Barbara Mori) is doing just the same to Gina’s brother Tony (Nicholas Brown). What they both learn- messing with this family could get them mixed up in more than just dead presidents.

There is no clear cut genre in this film from director Anurag Basu (Kucch to Hai, Life in a Metro) as sweeping romance meets film-noir fight scenes, high speed action and a touch of true Bollywood. The intensity of sound used to magnify every emotion and every breath is captivating, while the careful cinematography nods to the intention of crossing-over to Hollywood relevance. It works.

But, like many other Bollywood movies, the overbearing violin-clad music and the superficial acknowledging of physical beauty has the power to trump all, and steer the film towards being extremely cheesy. Maybe it’s because actor Hrithik Roshan (Khabi Kushi Khabie Gham, Dhoom 2) and telenovela actress Barbara Mori could pass for the physical personifications of two Nora Roberts characters, but there’s more time spent watching them smile and watching their perfect bodies (especially his eyes) than actually seeing them act.  But who can blame the director for this blatant sexploitation? Certainly not me.

Nevermind that this movie can be regarded as a breakthrough for the alliance between the two Woods, Holly and Bolly. And nevermind that the incorporation of a Latina leading lady in an Indian film is unprecedented, and possibly ground breaking. No…instead we’re too busy watching the film bounce back and forth between genres and watching the actors smile and dance, mesmerized.

Rating: 3.5/5

(+) Lots of action, romance, car chases and impressive stunts

(-) Slightly cheesy, aspects of melodrama rather overbearing

“In times of tyranny and injustice…when the law oppresses the people…the outlaw will take his place in history.”

Forget the childhood animated fox fairytale you once knew. Abandon the images of men in tights and Kevin Costner stealing from the rich and giving to the poor. This is not that kind of Robin Hood story. Instead, this Robin Hood tells the tale of a soul-searching man rising and rising again, “until lambs become lions” in the face of his own personal battles along with looming war between England and France.

We meet this new man Robin Longstride (Russell Crowe) on a crusade with the King of England Richard the Lion Heart (Danny Huston), promising a dying soldier that he will return a beloved sword to the man’s father. What ensues is Robin’s acceptance of a new identity- filling the gap he once bore for family, and introducing him to the lovely Marion Loxley (Cate Blanchett) and her father-in-law Sir Walter (Max von Sydow) as they defend their dear Nottingham and the neighboring towns from the new king’s impossible taxation, a decree carried out by the cold hearted Sir Godfrey (Mark Strong).

Meanwhile Prince John (Oscar Isaac), the incompetent new king, reigns unaware of the French empire’s plan to take over England, a plot orchestrated in secret by a member of the English court right under his nose. A money hungry, power hungry, struggle between men place kingdom against kingdom, and kingdom against king.

Director Ridley Scott (Gladiator, Black Hawk Down, Body of Lies) gives us the prequel, so to speak, to the Robin Hood we all know in this film.  Instead of a hero character, we get a mere man coming into his own strength and identity. Scott, a director very fond of his flashbacks and fight scenes, presents the striking resemblance in cinematography to the other Russell Crowe epic film, Gladiator, unmistakably. With his tendencies to take you inside the battle with jerking camera movements, intense close ups and visible blood, sweat and tears, Scott’s comprehension of how to make a good action film is just as apparent.

The major detraction from what would have been an excellent film, is the awkward romance intertwined with a messy plot surrounding the leading characters. Russell Crowe (Gladiator, A Beautiful Mind, Cinderella Man) and Cate Blanchett (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Babel) shine in scenes without each other, lending significantly to their abilities as Hollywood powerhouse actors, but when they’re together- it’s hard to pick who to look at; resembling more of a battle of the better actor, rather than a romantic exchange.

In addition, there is a lot of information to process for the movie goer, most of which is new. Lots of towns to distinguish from another, lots of characters that get lost, and even a few symbolic themes that don’t follow through (for example, the significance of the sword is later lost, and how does Sir Walter know about Robin’s past, anyway?)

But nonetheless the film is saved by the composition of the fighting, and even more so by the power of the cast. Mark Strong (Sherlock Holmes, Body of Lies) couldn’t be any better as the villainous Sir Godfrey. His familiarity with both Scott and Crowe’s techniques add a touch of familiarity.  Same goes for Oscar Isaac (here as Prince John) another actor from Body of Lies, and William Hurt (The Incredible Hulk) is a scene stealer in his lesser role as the courageous William Marshall.

Robin Hood is overall beautifully written, very well acted, and masterfully shot by a veteran action/adventure director. And though he’s getting a lot older and farther from the days of Gladiator brawn, Russell Crowe proves again he never was a lamb of an actor… always, always a lion.

Rating: 3.5/5

(+) Incredible action, battles, wit and characters

(-) Confusing at times, no romantic chemistry between Blanchett & Crowe

You know what’s awesome…

When a sequel is actually good. That’s enough to make anyone’s day, especially a movie critic’s. Not since the Spiderman trilogy have I seen a sequel worthy of my time, but it’s RDJ’s reprise as the man Tony Stark in Iron Man 2 that takes the gold medal when it comes to actually being well done, in addition to being worthy of my time.

We pick up where the first movie left off, Stark’s (Robert Downey Jr.) reveal to the press that he is the iron-clad hero, though this time through the television of a new face- the angry, scary, tatted-up Ivan Vanko (Mickey Rourke), who has a personal vendetta against the Stark legacy. We see this potential new villain brandishing what looks like an electric whip to be used against the man of the moment, no doubt.

Meanwhile, halfway across the world Stark and Justin Hammer (Sam Rockwell) duke it out for the number one spot in weaponry. Hammer, who desperately seeks the key (or the key person) to overthrowing the Stark name, is like a mosquito- always showing up where he’s not wanted, and as annoying as can be. Hammer joins up with the military- still looking to control the iron suit, while Rhodey (a much better Don Cheadle replacement of Terrence Howard) has to determine where his loyalties lie.

Throw in the ever faithful Pepper Potts (Gwenyth Paltrow), pushed yet again to the limit chasing after her promiscuous boss, and add a little bit of Natalie Rushman (Scarlett Johansson), a new sweet-tart of a secretary that Tony just has to have…

And there you have it. Plus, a little Samuel L. Jackson for shits and giggles.

What ensues is a 2 hour race against time for several of the characters: to come up with an even better weapon to beat Stark’s iron giant, to find a suitable substitute for palladium, to get to the Grand Prix in Monaco… Random, isn’t it.

Well nevermind the story line, what makes this film a worthwhile sequel is the cast. There isn’t a boring moment in this movie thanks to the back and forth banter, the witty one-liners (and you know how I love those), the sexual innuendo, and the screen chemistry between just about everybody on screen. And- Mickey Rourke’s new look is a win (he should look like that all the time).

Thanks, in large part to director and actor Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Elf), and writer Justin Theroux whose acting chops lend to their abilities to produce quality, screen worthy scenes. Already fans of these guys separately, the combination is lethal.

It’s no secret- the CGI incorporation is heavy, it almost has to be to top some of the stuff we’re seeing these days. But honestly, it only lends a little extra. I’ll give you fight scenes- it is an action movie so we have to see the machines at work, but the face time is far more entertaining than the fighting.

Sequel skeptics will bitch and moan about how much better the first movie is, and I agree. Iron Man is hard to top. But I’ll defend Iron Man 2 for what it is: entertaining, engaging, 2 hours and 5 minutes of reasons why Robert Downey Jr. was the go-to guy.

Plus, a little Samuel L. Jackson for shits and giggles.

Rating: 4.3/5

(+) Great acting, entertaining, funny, a worthy sequel

(-) Random, maybe too much new information/characters

Every sure sign of summer is apparent immediately in the month of May. The sun feels confident enough to shine daily, the menu changes from winter to summer fruits and meats, the birds and the bees are as lively as they could be….and of course, the trailers for summer blockbusters start to resemble local car dealership commercials…

They’re everywhere. So, naturally, we must acknowledge them.

The month of May comes in where April 30th left off. With Furry Vengeance and  A Nightmare on Elm Street wreaking havoc on the first weekend.

But once May gets on its own two feet, it comes in with a punch. An Iron punch, that is. Opening May 7th is the highly anticipated return of Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark in Iron Man 2. Choc-full of adventure with Mickey Rourke, Gwenyth Paltrow, Scarlett Johansson and Don Cheadle on board. The comic book sequel to be one of, if not the blockbuster hit of the summer. Also opening to select theaters, a dramatic look at the relationships within families in Mother and Child, starring Kerry Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, and Naomi Watts.

Then, on May 14th, Amanda Seyfried is back with Letters to Juliet, a romantic story making reference to the Shakespearian play. Also opening that weekend is Robin Hood, a seemingly epic new take on the classic tale starring Russell Crowe and Cate Blanchett. And, taking a step away from the one liners in action movies- rapper/actor Common stars in Just Wright with Queen Latifah, this time playing a basketball star looking for love.

And May 21st brings the funny with MacGruber, a new character that’s sure to go down in famous one-line history, given to us from a guy that knows the funny quite well- Will Forte. Also opening, the family friendly funny  Shrek Forever After, the fourth installment of  our favorite ogre’s adventures. With the voices of Mike Myers, Cameron Diaz and Eddie Murphy among others, all back for more.

And just as loudly as May came in, the month goes out with a big, sexy, feminine punch- opening on May 27th is the long awaited Sex And The City 2. Equally big and sexy but not quite as feminine, Disney brings us Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time opening May 28th, starring Jake Gyllenhaal. The light action-adventure is sure to be the next chronicled successful saga from the Disney camp.

Yep, it’s beginning to look a lot like summer.

C.A.M.