DEATH OF TRADITIONAL CINEMA

And we waited about a year for this? GI JOE RETALIATION was set to be released summer of 2012, but it was delayed for a whooping EIGHT months reportedly to have the film in 3D. However, news leaked that the real reason for the sudden change in release date is to allow filming for Channing Tatum's character Duke, and not have him killed in the first 10 minutes of the film, at least. I guess most of the fans were shellshocked when a version of the trailer came out that had Duke die early in the movie.  Upon seeing the finished film, I could not help but feel that GI JOE RETALIATION is heavily re-edited to the point of non-comprehension. The sequences do not feel connected, and any trace to its predecessor is almost wiped out of our consciousness. If you are wondering what happened to Ripcord and Scarlett and whether or not they'll be a couple, or where the heck is Ana and why isn't Duke even mentioning her, or who the hell are these new characters, then I'm...

Expect some twisted scheme in a Park Chan-wook movie. In fact, expect some very elaborate twisted scheme, but in STOKER however, you wouldn't guess who does the scheming until the very last bit. Brilliantly written by Wentworth Miller (yes, the PRISON BREAK guy and the runaway guy from the Mariah Carey video) and carefully staged by Chan-wook, STOKER is a suspense film so endlessly riddled with clues that the experience of piecing them altogether is worth the watch alone.  India Stoker (Mia Wasikowska) is suddenly without a father after the unfateful car accident of Richard Stoker (Dermot Mulroney). Left in the care of her distant mother Evelyn (Nicole Kidman), things go for the worse upon the arrival of Uncle Charlie (Matthew Goode). India is quick to notice that there is far deeper connection between her mom and Uncle Charlie than just familial bond. Evelyn acts as if no death has occurred in the family. India becomes increasingly distraught. So much sexual tension o...

ADMISSION ought to be credited as the film that made college admission deliberations exciting. It's as if the whole film is riding on that particular scene, and like Tina Fey's character, we grip as tight as we can and cross our fingers. Kudos to Tina Fey for showcasing a side that we haven't seen yet. Sure her sarcasm fires aplenty, and it still feels like we are watching Liz Lemon, but Tina Fey manages to surprise when her character, Portia Nathan has to deal with long-unresolved family issues, unleashing unimaginable amount of anger, and disappointment. In fact, Fey's character Portia, an admissions officer at Princeton is the unexpected antihero, because she might come off as nice and charming, but her moral foundations will prove to be a surprise. Of course, Portia is as human as anyone, but as one viewer lamented after watching this movie, "it made me feel sad, after all". ADMISSION starts off light as a breeze, with occasional laughs, m...

The incredible thing about THE INCREDIBLE BURT WONDERSTONE is that you have three comic actors, each dishing out their brand of humor, and when they start firing gags, you might want to get out of the way. Whereas we all know that Jim Carrey became known for his exaggerated faces and over-the-top acting, Steve Carell although somewhat similar to Carrey in style, approaches his characters with mildness that slowly but strongly shifts into absurd.  Then there's Steve Buscemi, who is usually low key but he knows how to handle a satire every now and then.  After all, this ought to be a celebration for Jim Carrey's return to form. We all miss insane Jim Carrey, with the big eyes and the big mouth. As a hotshot street magician named Steve Gray, Carrey outcrazies the ceiling for crazy. Meanwhile, Carell performs well as a magician who has been consumed by his ego over the years. Buscemi plays his trusty sidekick, whom he constantly abuses. There's even a rich back...