The Dark Knight Official Teaser Trailer

Next summer keeps getting better and better!

REVIEW: Ratatouille

What more can I say, PIXAR is nothing short of the greatest film company currently on the planet. They have produced not one, not two, but EIGHT hit films since there debut feature, the beloved TOY STORY in 1995. Since then they have had made one great film after another including A BUG’S LIFE, TOY STORY 2, MONSTER’S INC, FINDING NEMO, THE INCREDIBLES, and CARS. Their newest film, RATATOUILLE, is nothing short of a worthy addition to the PIXAR anthology.

RATATOUILLE, directed by Brad Bird (THE IRON GIANT, THE INCREDIBLES) is about a rat named Remy who dreams of being a chef in Paris France. He eventually finds himself in the kitchen of Gusteau’s, formerly one of the greatest restaurants in all of Paris until its master chef, Gusteau, suddenly dies. Since his death, the restaurant has fallen into disarray after receiving a slew of bad reviews from Paris’s top food critic, Anton Ego. After befriending a newly hired garbage boy named Linguini, Remy realizes that through his new friend, his dream of cooking is possible. As the story unfolds, their friendship will be tested as they try their best to rekindle the sumptuous tastes of gourmet cuisine that Gusteau’s once represented, and they will also face the dangers of self-discovery from the villainous chef Skinner, who has taken control of the restaurant.

The most remarkable thing about RATATOUILLE is its incredible fish-out-of-water story. In its essence, it is about a rat who wants to do the one of the most unlikely things that one would ever wish or hope for a rat to do, cook in a kitchen. In our world rats are suppose to represent the epitome of filth and disease, but not Remy. Remy would rather walk on two feet to keep his paws, which he uses to cook, from getting too dirty. He tries his hardest to get the point across to his rodent friends and family that they don’t have to just eat garbage all the time, that there is something more wonderful and delightful in this world for them to eat. Remy also realizes the potential that “Anyone can cook” which is the title of his favorite cook book, written by none other than Gustaeu himself. Through Remy, a rat, the audience is taken on an adventure through a farm house, sewers, a restaurant kitchen, allies, and the streets of Paris all the time discovering what friendship is all about, that we all have purpose in this world, that humility and service are always better than selfishness and pride, and that “Anyone can cook!”

Once again, PIXAR has elevated its technical mastery of the animated world, making it look so surreal that every moment leaves you breathless. From the glowing lights of Paris, to the vibrant colors of food, and to the lifelike movements of the swarms of rodents that perpetuate the screen. One particular scene involving a sewer is one of the most thrilling scenes in an animated scene that I have ever scene, so thrilling in fact, that at times it doesn’t even feel like your watching an animated movie, its just that amazing. Furthermore, I have yet to see fur come to life in a animated world that is this free flowing, fluffy, and as realistic when wet, it just shimmers in the light. There is no doubt that PIXAR models itself after Walt Disney himself, pouring out a sense of passion and care in every detail of their projects for the sake of pure artistry and excellence. So many animated films in the past years have had something to say, last years HAPPY FEET is the first to come to mind, where as PIXAR just tells a truthful and honest tale, and allows the audience to discover the meaning for themselves. Isn’t that what good stories are suppose to do?

I have never been so convinced then now to call Brad Bird one of the greatest filmmakers of our time. To date he has made three outstanding pictures, and I sense and hope that we will be seeing much more from him in the future. He has truly set up shop at PIXAR with the likes of John Lasseter, and Andrew Stanton, and I can’t wait to see where they go from here. One of Birds most accomplished moves in this film, is his choice of voice casting, he has a gift with it that very few have. Where other animated features pick big stars for their characters voices, purely for the chance to place their names on the poster, Bird and the PIXAR team actually pick voice talent based on the characters within their stories, based purely on who they think will give life to their characters in the most original and profound way, not simply because their currently a hot commodity in Hollywood. For Remy, Bird gives uses the voice talent of Patton Oswalt, most notably known as being a radio comic. Oswalt gives Remy a sense of such sincerity that the unthinkable happens, your bias against him as being a nothing more than a mangy rat begins to fade, and all that remains is a relatable and likable character that you can’t help but cheer for every minute he is on screen. Bird’s most brilliant casting move of all was for character of the food critic Anton Ego, voiced with perfection from the legendary Peter O. Toole. If Robin Williams can receive an Oscar nomination from his work in ALLADIN, then Peter O. Toole deserves nothing less. With his deep set voice, and eloquent speech, this stiff necked critic comes to life with a sense of cold-hearted intention, only for his hard shell to be melted away by the first bite of a peasant dish called RATATOUILLE. Every scene with Ego is memorable and remarkable, commanding your attention, something I never imagined an animated film could do. Ian Holm (Bilbo Baggins) is also perfectly cast as the villainous Skinner, the master chef who has snatched a diabolical plan to solve the riddle of just how Linguini is cooking up so many masterful dishes, and to stop him from taking over Gustaeu’s of which he is the rightful heir.

To say RATATUILLE is just a sumptuous treat is to not say enough. RATATOUILLE is the greatest film yet to be released in 2007, and it will for sure be on of the greatest films of the year. In a summer that has been filled with one disappointment after another, it is nothing short of a miracle to finally see a film where story takes center stage, where excellence and artistry are upheld from beginning to end, and where whit, charm, and entertainment finally balance themselves out to become something packed with meaning, non-stop laughs, and breathtaking visuals. This is a film that will be remembered!

GRADE: A

RECOMMENDATION: This is a film for EVERYONE!

Indiana Jones at Comic-Con 2007

INDIANA JONES CAST PHOTO!

It is barely even August yet I find myself yearning for next May already. Not only will we be getting IRONMAN starring Robert Downey Jr., THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA: PRINCE CASPIAN, but the supreme event being the release of INDIANA JONES 4. The thought of another adventure alongside Indiana sends chills down my spine, and a smile to my face. Indiana Jones is one of the greatest American icons of film history, and there is something special about the fact that he will be gracing the silver screen yet again. The following photo comes to us from Comic Con 2007 in San Diego, and could not make this INDIANA fanatic more giddy. The fact that Karen Allen is returning to her role as Marian Ravenwood only makes it that more momentous. Karen Allen will join Cate Blanchett, Ray Winstone, Shia Lebouf, and of course Harrison Ford in an all-star cast (I am hoping for at least a cameo with John Rys Davis). Here is the photo to wet your appetite...

REVIEW: Transformers

Summer 2007 is becoming quite dismal at the cinema with its pop and circumstance of anticipation, and its lack-luster ability to actually turn out anything worthy of such anticipation, or the audiences $11. Director Michael Bay continues the trend of disappointing summer fair by delivering a somewhat solid summer popcorn flick with his much anticipated TRANSFORMERS.The story is somewhat simple, aliens both good (Autobots) and evil (Deceptacons) come from their desolate world to Earth in search of a galactic energy source known as the Allspark. This energy source governs power over all mechanical life in the universe and can be used to both create and destroy such life depending on whose hands it falls into. The aliens come to our planet in the form of TRANSFORMERS, larger than life robots with ultra strength and power that can morph into a variety of technical machinery such as cars, trucks, helicopters, jets, cell phones, even boom boxes. The Autobots, led by Optimus Prime, and voiced perfectly by Peter Cullen, find there only hope in a young man named Sam (Shia Lebouf), who holds the secret to finding the Allspark, though he doesn’t know it. Sam’s initial introduction to the transformers is through Bumblebee, a transformer that happens to be his newly purchased used Chevy. The Autobot's mission soon becomes one desperation and survival as they search the world for the Allspark, at the same time protecting Sam from the Deceptacons who will destroy anything in their path to achieve their ultamate mission of carnage and destruction.

While I did find Bay's film fairly enjoyable, it was defiantly not without its major problems, the biggest being the director himself. I simply have never been much of a fan of his films which include ARMEGEDDON, THE ROCK, BAD BOYS, and THE ISLAND. For me, Bay simply places a higher regard for style over substance. He would rather have blistering explosions, pervasive language, non-stop action, and card board characters over a story with any real sense of meaning, inspiration, or value. Not to say that pure entertainment doesn’t have its place in American Cinema, I think the first PIRATES OF THE CARRIBEAN played the role of pure popcorn entertainment excellently. However, the difference being that PIRATES was not without its charm, intelligence, and comical whimsy, all while telling a fun and family-friendly tale that fit perfectly within the scope and nature of its source material, which happened to be an amusement park ride. While PIRATES brought its ride to life clearly and effectively, TRANSFORMERS takes its humble beginnings as a Japanese inspired action figure which was later picked up by Hasbro, a major action figure manufacturer, and befuddles itself with mediocre characters, an action centered plot, and the director’s trade mark egoistic flurries.

Also, the quick-cut editing in the film, which kept a lot of action scenes unclear as the viewers are thrown into countless skirmishes of Autobots fighting Deceptacons where only hunks of twisted metal can be seen thrashing around, was at times headache inducing. Throw in several moments of cheesy dialogue, and an overall lack of character development in which I found myself not really caring about the humans or the transformers, and you get muddled action with little emotional resonance. Furthermore, Bays lack of sincerity with the horrific subject matter by choosing cheap laughs over more gritty and heart warming drama only cheapens the overall sense of the characters, making them more like cardboard cut-outs then real people, and lessons the audience’s ability to invest. The transformers themselves, which should have inspired us with breathtaking awe at every on-screen appearance, seem more like politically correct pop icons then towering symbols of heroism. And did anyone sense the similarities between TRANSFORMERS and INDEPENDENCE DAY? Secret bases that the Secretary of Defense (Jon Voight) doesn’t know about, a frozen transformer that crash landed years ago, embedded codes in the transformer signals to each other, and the fact that the government is so deeply involved in the plot.

One element that is hard to miss is the overwhelming amount of product placement seen throughout the film. GM especially makes its mark in that all of the featured Autobots are GM models. I am willing to cut the filmmakers a little slack in that a movie which so adamantly involvs cars and trucks is bound to have some product placement, but it is at times embellished beyond what's reasonable.

Shia LeBouf (HOLES, DISTURBIA) does a fine job as the films central human character, but his co-star Megan Fox, in her tight miniskirt, perfectly tanned body, and skimpy outfit, doesn't quite fit Shia's more ordinary, yet dorky personality and is simply there for looks and sex appeal, another common trait of Bay’s films. I will say that the films strength does lay in that it boasts some of the best visuals yet to be seen this year, expect ILM to win the BEST VISUAL EFFECTS Oscar for this film. However, have we come to the point in cinematic history when visuals out way story? The magnificence of TITANTIC and LORD OF THE RINGS was that they boasted exhaustive visuals, but never at the expense of the story being told. But it seems that directors these days feel that pushing the limits of CGI effects, and the number of actions sequences are more important then the characters being enveloped by them, or the story being told. What has happened to story, or is it itself in danger of becoming a thing of the past. The most discouraging factor is that audiences eat it up left and right. We have become a society that purely wants to be entertained, and could care less about substance, sophistication, or excellent art.

Overall, TRANSFORMERS is a decent summer film which is lacking in many areas, but still contains a mostly enjoyable ride. Do I smell sequels or a FRANCHISE in its future? Imagine that... One thing I still ponder is what this film would have been like in the hands of Executive Producer Steven Spielberg? I guess we will just have to hope and pray for great things to come next may, when Indiana Jones 4 takes the big screen by storm.

GRADE: C+

RECOMMENDATION: See it for its sheer visual splendor, but don't expect much story.