Astro Boy

Astro Boy
Genre: Family, Animation

Starring: Freddie Highmore, Kristen Bell, Nicolas Cage, Bill Nighy, Donald Sutherland, Nathan Lane

Director: David Bowers

Release Date: October 23rd 2009

     In the floating metropolis of Metro City, technology has taken the form of robots that serve society's every whim.  They cook for us, clean for us, drive for us, and when they become broken or outdated, they are discarded to the Earth's surface.  The most brilliant robotocist in Metro City is Dr. Tenma, widely respected yet wholly neglectful of his son, Toby, a genius in his own right.

     While demonstrating his new "Peacekeeper" robot, tragedy strikes for Dr. Tenma.  Stricken with grief, Tenma builds Astro Boy, a truly state-of-the-art robot packed with defensive capabilities, and bearing the name and memories of his son.  Powerful people have other designs for the boy, though.  Can this new Toby find his place in the world before it's too late.

     Adapted from the famous Japanese manga series of the same name, Astro Boy is a pleasant surprise amidst a slew of disappointing and lackluster family films.  Though a fan of manga and anime, I was not very familiar with the original Astro Boy series, and I think this probably worked in my favor as far as my enjoyment of the film goes.  I didn't go into it with lofty expectations, so I wasn't disappointed by any changes they may have made.

     The first thing I noticed is the art style.  They keep the over-exaggerated physical characteristics so common to anime in many places, and I think it worked well for the way the characters were designed.  Also, the animation itself is beautiful.  Every scene is clean and complete, with a great attention to detail that really made the sci-fi utopia Metro City really immersive.

     The action scenes were particularly well done, also.  Each choice of angle is well planned, and complements the scene without intruding.  I enjoyed the film overall, but the action/fight sequences particularly caught my attention.  It's not every day an animated film gets my adrenaline going.

     Having said that, the story is a bit formulaic.  There are some nice (though predictable) "surprises", but the writing wasn't award worthy by any meas.  That didn't detract from my enjoyment, though, as this is really a film for kids, and you have to approach it with that in mind.

     Despite other weaknesses in the script, though, there were some VERY funny moments.  As usual when he is part of the cast, most of these belonged to Bill Nighy.  The humor was not too highbrow, though.  Even though I enjoy when a movie like this can slip in some humor for the parents, I feel many movies these days try much too hard at that, and as a result, they miss opportunities for good humor that children will enjoy.  This one did a nice job in balancing that, though.

     The voice acting was all tolerable at least, and very good in some cases.  Nic Cage's voice tends to drive me a little crazy, but it wasn't too overwhelming in this.  The same goes for Donald Sutherland.  They irked me, but not too much.  Freddie Highmore and Kristen Bell both did nice jobs.  Nathan Lane and Bill Nighy are both old hats at voice acting and were, of course, the highlights for me.  Nighy actually played two roles in the movie, one of which I didn't even realize was him until the credits rolled.

     There are some potentially upsetting places, particularly when Toby dies in the beginning.  I think for the most part, though, this will be more distressing for parents than for children.  At least when we watched it, when my daughter saw the robot that looked like Toby, sounded like Toby, and acted like Toby, she just thought, "Okay, Toby's back."  My wife didn't get past that quite as easily.

     Overall, this was a very nice film, animated or no.  I think it really stands out amid the stock of family films that have come out recently, and I am sad it didn't get appreciated more than it did.  I know I didn't hear much about it until it hit DVD.  Hopefully if they make a sequel, they will keep the same spirit and quality, because they could have a very good franchise on their hands.

Story: 4 out of 5
Animation: 4.5 out of 5
Voice Acting: 3.5 out of 5 (rating the cast as a whole, good with the bad)
Overall Rating: 4 out of 5

Bandidas

Bandidas
Genre: Action, Comedy, Western

Starring: Salma Hayek, Penelope Cruz, Steve Zahn

Director: Joachim Roenning & Espen Sandberg

Release Date: January 18th 2006

Click the link below for this week's

Stir-Fry Cinema Podcast

Bandidas

I enjoyed the movie greatly...

...and E's lifelong dream of seeing Steve Zahn's

big white ass finally came true!

Bitch Slap

Bitch Slap
Genre: Action, Crime, Exploitation

Starring: Julia Voth, Erin Cummings, America Olivo, Michael Hurst, Kevin Sorbo

Director: Rick Jacobson

Release Date: November 6th 2009

Click the link below for this week's

Stir-Fry Cinema Podcast

Bitch Slap

E relaxes with a Twix bar and a drink...

...while I furiously TwitterCast.

Ninja Assassin

Ninja Assassin

Genre: Action, Martial Arts

Starring: Rain, Naomie Harris, Ben Miles, Sho Kosugi, Rick Yune

Release Date: November 25th 2009

     With a rather unimaginative title like Ninja Assassin, one would not be particularly inclined to expect much of a film  Especially if you, unlike me, are not predisposed to enjoy that sort of hyper-stylized film.  Despite this fact, Ninja Assassin is a brilliant martial arts spectacular.  The story is intriguing, the casting adequate in the worst case, fantastic in the best, and the action is on par with anything I have ever seen.  And believe me, I've seen a lot.

     Rain (that is actually the name under which he is billed) plays Raizo, a lone ninja fighting for his honor and for revenge.  As an orphan child, Raizo was taken into the Ozunu clan, one of the Nine Clan's comprising a secret order of assassins that has been active for more than a millenia.

     Throughout his youth, and into adulthood, Raizo is trained in body, mind, and soul in the ways of the ninja. This training comes from his clan leader, Ozunu, played by Sho Kosugi.  Kosugi brings poise and strength to the role, such that even at his most monstrous, Ozuna is a powerful character that captures and hold the audience's attention.

     Naomie Harris and Ben Miles play agents Mika and Maslow.  Mika, a forensic researcher has uncovered a number of seemingly random facts that, when put together, point to the existence of the secretive order.  Maslow, her fellow agent and superior, disbelieve the facts before him at first, but as event unfold, he has to believe whether he wants to or not.  Neither give career making performances, but neither are they unsatisfactory.  Harris in particular gets more and more likeable the more her character develops, largely through her growing connection to Raizo.

     Rick Yune plays Takeshi, Raizo's fellow ninja, older "brother", greatest rival, and eventually his sworn enemy.  Though his performances in the past (The Fast And The Furious, The Fifth Commandment) have been less than stellar, his action scenes are very well done, and he pulls off the balance of being intimidating and threating, without taking it too far and becoming cheesy.  My biggest complaint about this character was that the rivalry between him and Raizo never felt truly established for me.  Through the bulk of the film, Takeshi is only shown in the past, played by younger actors, so it was sometimes confusing to me that it was meant to be the same character.

     The action is very stylized, very effects laden, but the effects aren't used to make the action.  Rather, the are used to compliment the amazing fight choreography, executed to perfection by this incredible cast of martial artists.  There is, admittedly, a good deal of gore involved in the action (severed limbs, blood spray, etc.), and it is to a large enough extent that not everyone would enjoy it.  If you are not squeamish, though, or are at least willing to give it a much deserved chance, the fighting can't be beat.  I have found myself saying that a lot lately, because I've been fortunate enough to see some really great action films in recent weeks.  Still, Ninja Assassin is miles beyond anything I have seen.  The last series of fight sequences in particular are, quite possibly, the best I have ever seen.

     I feel this was a severely underrated, underbilled, and underexposed movie, and star Rain absolutely blew me away with his skill and technique.  I don't know how much of the fighting was him, or doubles, or even CGI, because he is so talented, his every move so crisp and precise, that even the most extreme and fantastical piece of choreography seemed entirely plausible in his capable hands.

     If you enjoyed the combat sequences of 300, or the hyper-stylized fighting of the Kill Bill movies, yo will love Ninja Assassin.  I know it's at the top of my "To Buy" list, at least.

Story and Script: 3.5 out of 5

Action and Effects: 5 out of 5

Rain and Sho Kosugi (they deserve their own category): 5 out of 5

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra

G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra
Genre: Action, Science Fiction

Starring: Channing Tatum, Marlon Wayans, Sienna Miller, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Dennis Quaid, Ray Park, Byung-hun Lee

Release Date: August 7th 2009






     G.I. Joe: The Rise Of Cobra is set in the near future, where weapons technology has evolved at an incredible rate, and a brand new science is changing the face of combat; nanotechnology.  Microscopic robots that have nearly unlimited destructive capabilities.  When these weapons fall into the wrong hands, it's up to top secret special-ops group G.I. Joe to get them back.  Highly trained and well equipped, the "Joe's" are our last line of defense.  As their commander summarizes, "When others fail...we don't."

     If you watched the cartoon as a kid (or a grownup, depending on how old you are) you will notice one change early on.  Whereas G.I. Joe used to be the "Real American Hero", now they are a virtual United Nations of soldiers and specialists.

     The film opens in the past, with a Scottish weapons dealer, McCulloch, being brought into a torture room by his French captors.  McCulloch has been selling to both sides, supplying their king, as well as the king of England, with arms.  McCulloch rails against them, saying his descendants will never stop, and he is proud to die.  Rather than kill him, though, they sear a white hot iron mask to his face, which he must "wear to the end of (his) days."  The mask, which will serve as his prison, will be easily recognizable to fans of the cartoon.

     This is the first and last scene not dominated by technology.  From here, the film leaps to the future, where McCulloch's descendant has developed a nanite warhead.  The weapon has the capability to destroy entire cities, and four such warheads are being sold to NATO.  The weapons are entrusted to a group of special operatives for delivery.  Leading them is Duke (Tatum).

     On their way to the delivery, things go predictably wrong.  It is only through the timely intervention of a group of Joe's that the weapons aren't lost.  After very little thought, Duke and his friend Ripcord (Wayans) want in.  They get their wish.  The rest of the movies is keeps a fast pace, full of action and littered with so-so dialogue.  Through the course of the film, the warheads change hands several times, and it is a constant struggle to keep them from being used.

     I didn't find myself cringing through any of the movie, but with a film like this, you can certainly expect to chuckle through at least some of the dialogue.  Likewise, no one actor really stood out over the rest, because none of them were particularly impressive.

     Channing Tatum was average in his portrayal of Duke.  He didn't show much emotion, except anger, but I expected that.  It is not only a fair description of the bulk of his career, but really is all that is required of the character.  He's tough, a good soldier, and nothing else about him really matters.

     Marlon Wayans, also, didn't seem to bring much actual "acting" to the film.  He played Ripcord the way he plays all his parts; as a smartass.  That's not to say it bothered me.  His humor kept a lightness to the film's tone that I really think it could have suffered without.  I just mean there were no surprises here.

     Sienna Miller plays Duchess, duke's ex-fiancee turned villainous killing machine.  Her performance was relatively dry, and yet still I found myself at several points thinking "Wow.  She's trying WAY too hard."  Her action scenes, on the other hand, were actually pretty well done.

     Dennis Quaid is General Hawk, leader of the Joe's.  Without a huge amount of screen time, we didn't really get much of a sense for his character.  We know he is a tough, no-nonsense military man (Yours, Mine And Ours anybody?) who cares deeply about every soldier under his command.  Quaid was good, of course.  He always is.  I just feel they underused him.

     The real highlights of the cast were Byung-hun Lee as Storm Shadow and Ray Park as Snake Eyes.  These two character, particularly Snake Eyes, have been fan favorites for decades.  Fans, I promise, regardless of anything else about the movie, these two will not disappoint.  Both are brilliant martial artists, and they really got to showcase their talent.  Whatever else you say about the production team, you have to give them this; they nailed the fight scenes.  But, how could you not with the man behind Darth Maul.  He was the highlight of the whole film for me, and he never said so much as a word.  when it comes to non-asian martial artists working in the industry today, he is top of the list for me.

     I ahve heard some complaints from people about the amount of attention these two were given.  One friend said, "They should have just called it 'Snake Eyes: The Movie'".  After watching it, though, I have to disagree.  Yes there are a number of scenes featuring him, but he is a crucial part of the G.I. Joe universe.  Yes, there was a lot of backstory scenes for him and Storm Shadow, but how else are you going to get this information when the character doesn't speak?  Overall, I thought these wound up being some of the better parts of the movie.

     Finally, despite the weak points in the script, the action and effects were amazing.  The technology didn't seem thrown together or out of place, but were (for the characters) a natural part of the world they inhabit.  Also, I must say it has been a long time since I saw action and fight sequences of this caliber, with Park and Lee standing out even above the rest of the excellently executed action.

     Would I recommend this?  Sure!  It was a fun movie, one I'm glad I watched.  If you like action, no movie has come out in some time that can compete.  Don't expect too much from the story or the actors, and just let yourself enjoy it.  This is not a movie to be overthought, so just sit back, relax, and watch the pretty explosions.

Story: 2.5 out of 5 (formulaic)
Performances: 3.5 out of 5 (raised from 2.5 thanks to Park and Lee)
Action: 5 out of 5
Overall Rating: 3.5 out of 5

Dragonball: Evolution

Dragonball: Evolution
Genre: Action (Martial Arts)

Starring: Justin Chatwin, Yun-Fat Chow, Emmy Rossum

Release Date: April 10th 2009








     Just to be perfectly clear, I did not come into this movie with high expectations.  I am not, nor have I ever been, a fan of "Dragonball Z" (the anime that was the basis for this movie).  I have the highest respect for anime as a whole, and am a devoted fan of a variety of different series.  "Dragonball Z", though, has always been, to my mind, a cookie cutter show; cheaply made, mass produced drivel.  I don't say this to offend anyone, and there are no accusations being made towards or about the legions of fans both in Japan and Stateside.  I simply feel it is important for my readers to know my mindsight upon viewing.

     Dragonball: Evolution is the story of Goku, a high school student who sticks out as much as his hair sticks up (read: severely).  After a brief narrative filling us in on the history of the movie world, the movie begins on the morning of Goku's 18th birthday, with Goku in the middle of martial arts training with his grandfather, Gohan.  From the first scene, we are treated to a brilliantly choreographed and equally well executed fight scene between the two.  If you don't know me, understand that nothing grabs my attention like a good fight scene.  My interest was piqued.

     After the fight ends (with Goku on his hind end in the dirt), Gohan gives him his birthday present.  A small, glowing orb, with four stars shining within.  This is a Dragonball.  Gohan tells Goku the legend of the Dragonballs.  Seven in number, collecting them all grants the holder one perfect wish.

     The movie keeps a nice steady pace throughout.  We see Goku in highschool, the target of bullying, but unable to do anything about it due to an oath to his grandfather that he wouldn't fight.  Likewise, we see him pining after the popular girl, and accidentally impressing her, despite a severe case of nerves.  If this section sounds rather formulaic, that's because it is, and I will admit that it started to lose my interest, however briefly.

     Tragedy strikes for Goku, sending him on a mission to retrieve the Dragonballs to stop world takeover by the alien warlord Piccolo.  Through various hardships and trials, and a healthy dose of stylized fight scenes, we see Goku grow steadily in skill and power, but also in character, culminating in a battle of powers and wills with Piccolo.  Along the way, he makes a few unlikely allies, such as the sassy and brilliant Bulma Briefs (Rossum) and the aging but immensely skilled Master Roshi.  Roshi is played to perfection by the incomparable martial artist and action star, Yun-Fat Chow (Crouching Tiger, Replacement Killers, Curse of the Golden Flower).  At times severe, at times the living embodiment of many a over-the-top and mildly perverted anime character, Yun-Fat is perfectly cast for this role, and I thoroughly enjoyed every second he was on screen.

     The movie does stick to a formula.  Likewise, the twists are, for the most part, pretty predictable.  This fact is even more true if you are at all familiar with the anime.  Those things didn't bother me, though.  Once I realized that the high level of quality action was not a fluke, that the filmmakers were, for better or worse, picking a style and a story, and sticking to it no matter what, and that these were going to be defining and consistent strengths for the film, I was able to let go of any expectations and just get caught up in the movie.  Admittedly, it might have helped that I was watching it with my children, who are much more easily pleased than I am.

     Was the acting dry in places?  Yes.  There is no discussion on this point.  The pitfall of action movies in general, and martial arts movies in particular, is that the creators are well aware beforehand that the action will likely eclipse any story that may be present.  As a result, many often don't give this crucial element the respect and attention it deserves.

     It is also true that, aside from Goku, there is VERY little development of the core characters.  Dragonball has always, in my experience, been "all about the action", and character development has not only fallen by the wayside, but largely been ignored, and when you are working from that kind of source material, you have to work with what you have.  You can't develop a character that has been given no depth to begin with, no chance to take on that life that the truly amazing and awe-inspiring characters do, and this is a failing that I do not blame the film for at all.  You can only make so many changes to a story like this, even if they are for the better, before you wake up one day to find legions of Otaku shouting "Blasphemy!" outside your front door.

     The thing that made this movie for me was (as I'm sure you can guess) the action.  The quality never slips, not even for a second.  That's not to say it is the best I have seen, but consistency counts for a lot, and Dragonball: Evolution has it in spades.  Additionally, Chatwin handled the fighting with respect and skill, to the point where I honestly couldn't tell for certain what was him and what was a stunt double.  I find that impressive in a younger actor, particularly one who (as near as I can tell) has no background in martial arts.  Despite my misgivings about having a white guy play Goku, he handled it perfectly, with great comedic timing where appropriate, and tons of honesty throughout, easily making his performance the highlight of the movie.

     So, despite my apprehensions, I enjoyed myself quite a lot.  I'm not going to be rushing out to buy the collected editions of "Dragonball Z" any time soon, but I will definitely be watching this again (often, if my kids have their way).

     I never thought I'd say this, but I can't wait for the sequel.

Action: 4.5 out of 5
Story: 3 out of 5
Overall: 3.75 out of 5

Crank 2: High Voltage

Crank 2: High Voltage

Genre: Action

Starring: Jason Statham, Amy Smart, Dwight Yoakam, Clifton Collins Junior, Efren Ramirez, Bai Ling, David Carradine

Release Date: April 17th 2009

*Contains Spoilers*

     Crank 2: High Voltage, the sequel to the relatively well received Crank (2006), is a very complicated and thought provoking move.  Oh, wait, no it isn't.  Not in the slightest.

     Jason Statham plays Chev Chelios, a hitman who, in the first movie, has to find an antidote for a new Chinese poison which slows his heart and kills him.  So, how does he avoid this?  Chelios tears across the city, hunting those responsible, while taking on any and every dangerous stunt he can think of to keep his adrenaline pumping and his heart beating, until ultimately, he falls out of a helicopter.

     That's right, he falls out of a freaking helicopter.  And by the way, we aren't talking about a little fall, here.  The helicopter isn't in the middle of take-off, and he tumbles out, and scrapes his knee, and needs a bandaid for his boo-boo.  He falls long enough to take out his cellphone, call his girlfriend (Smart), and leave her a long-winded apology message, before bouncing off and crushing a parked car and splatting in the middle of the sidewalk.

     Here's the good news.  Change the end I just described to the beginning, switch up one or two details in the first paragraph, and in the words of Emeril, "Bam!", you've got Crank 2, complete with dead prostitute aux jus.  This time though, it's his heart.  As in, Chinese mobsters have cut it out in a dirty motel, and considerately replaced it with something that looks like they stole it from the prop closet of Robin Williams' "Bicentennial Man".  The kicker this time is, the new heart is run by a battery pack, which being the fun-loving guy he is, Chelios destroys within minutes while crashing his car into a concrete abutment.

     This is where I started to think I'd already seen this movie.  Chelios, once again, tears a** around the city looking for the bastards who have his "Strawberry Tart".  Along the way, he throws plenty of kicks, punches, and vaguely British sounding witticisms as often as the film-maker thought it necessary to show bare breasts (which is a LOT).  So, in order to keep his ticker ticking, he is jumped by a car battery, tazed, electrocuted, sticks his finger in the A/C port of a limousine, wears a dog's shock collar, and climbs a telephone pole to grab the exposed wires there.

     The director even found a reason for him to publicly hump Amy Smart again.  Last time it was for the adrenaline, this time it's for the static electricity from the friction.  Yep, you heard that right.  And it's in the middle of a horse track.  You heard that right, too.  It's in the middle of a horse track, during a race, with the sounds of "Gamblers and Degenerate Low-Lives" cheering and SCREAMING their heads off from the stands.

     The movie ends with the expected "Gunfight At The OK Corral" type of scene, and the promise that Chelios is, you guessed it, still alive.

     So, this begs the question, if the movie was so ludicrous, so poorly written, so downright bad (and it was), why in the name of God am I completely prepared to sit through it again?

     Because Jason Statham is the F*%KING MAN!

Action: 4 out of 5

Story: 1 out of 5

Overall: 2.5 out of 5