"Lockout" review by Chris

There was once a time when the simplest plots could sell tickets, as long as the film had quality craftsmanship and was filled with action. "Lockout" harkens back to ‘80s action films with its plot, script and tough rogue hero. Snow (Guy Pearce) is a wise cracking government agent falsely accused of murder. He can clear his name only if he saves the president's daughter from prison… IN SPACE!! With that brilliantly cheesy plot in place it's up to the acting and direction to set this film apart.

Guy Pearce presents Snow with abundant charisma. His first few lines establish him as a tough yet light hearted lead who, regardless of the dangers he's facing, rarely stops making jokes. Maggie Grace, who plays the president’s daughter Emilie, starts the complete opposite. She is overly serious and runs, kicking and screaming from danger. Through her interactions with Snow, she transforms into a more entertaining and likeable character. Their scenes are easily the best parts of the film, even with all guns blazing.

Lennie James as Secret Service agent Shaw and Vincent Regan as the leader of the prisoners both give notable performances, but the gem of the side characters is Hydell (Joeseph Gilgun). Like the story, he's a villain ripped straight from the past. He's the kind of psychopath that feels like he'd blow up the world to kill a single man. He's easily hated, which is a solid counterbalance to Snow's lovable personality.

Directors James Mather and Stephen St. Leger revel in an old school feel, and cheesy plot. The action is at its best when it embraces absurdity to the extreme. Unrealistic moments, like when a prisoner’s head explodes, show enough to be understood but the film also avoids disturbing the audience. Sadly, the bizarre nature of the movie isn't always embraced. Many of the gunfights are generic, and most scenes take place in grey hallways or dark storage rooms. The film would have benefited from better use of the more open areas and a more spacious atmosphere (no pun intended… wait, yes it was).

"Lockout" isn't the kind of film that tries to be what it isn't. It's highly self-aware and playful with an intentionally generic plot and nonsensical moments. The creators had fun with it, and so will you.

3 "Space Jails" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

"American Reunion" Review by Chris

Jim, Oz, Kevin, Finch and Stifler are back on the silver screen after a 13-year absence, but have they been gone too long for a sequel? The short answer is yes. After 13 years, a little maturity from adult characters is expected, but it seems like time stood still for these guys. There are plenty of cookie cutter back-stories for what each character has been doing, but their individual details form only sub plots, while "getting laid" is still the focus of the "story."

But none of that stops this from being a hilarious and raunchy film. Being a "reunion" movie, some humor references the original film, but the majority is new, while still capturing the same awkward, fan-pleasing, “American Pie” humor. The characters also hold to their classic shtick: Stifler remains an ass, Finch is mysterious, and the moments between Jim and his father (Eugene Levy) continue to steal the show. Like seeing old friends, it feels comfortable and easy to fit back into their lives.

That comfort isn't necessarily a good thing though. Despite all the new jokes, it begins to feel like we've seen this all before. The humor and story follow the same patterns of previous films, and the characters all act like desperate high school students. Things like marriage, children and careers have barely affected them. It seems like the story is picking up where it left off 13 years ago.

"American Reunion" is a hilarious film that keeps the laughs rolling. The humor is still funny today, but unlike the characters, the film’s target audience has matured and moved on with their lives. Like a real high school reunion, you'll have fun seeing everyone again and when it's over, you'll go back to your life, forget about them, and say to yourself, “thank god I got that over with.”

2.5 "Flutes" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

"Wrath of the Titans" review by Chris

With the gods losing their powers, Zeus (Liam Neeson) asks his son Perseus (Sam Worthington) to save humanity from Kronos, in Jonathan Liebesman’s "Wrath of the Titans." Joining him are Queen Andromeda (Rosamund Pike) and Agenor (Toby Kebbell). Keeping the Titans from rising again and a minor story about Perseus protecting his son are all this movie has going for it plot-wise, and you’d hope the action would make up for it. You’d be disappointed.

Despite Zeus stating on multiple occasions that Perseus's human half is the most important, Worthington does a spectacular job portraying Perseus as a vacuous doornail. While Agenor exudes personality and humor, his jokes literally fade away before the punch lines are delivered. The movie also finds excuses to whisk him away, leaving Perseus alone with the other blank character slates.

Aside from a lack of development, the plot is missing several pieces throughout. Perseus meets several characters who he’s met but weren’t in the first film. While the film gives you enough information to understand the story, it assumes familiarity with Greek mythology and leaves out points that explain character motivations.

It’s fortunate the action helps drag along the film’s weaker points, or it would go entirely unredeemed. Perseus is a force to be reckoned with, and the monsters are fitting and well crafted. The film suffers from overused action clichés and overly abundant desert environments, but that doesn't keep it from being exciting.

But the sound design doesn’t add anything to the film either. Whether it's a battle or a conversation, the music is always intense. Rocks can be heard crumbling even when none can be seen. The film lacks the ups and downs necessary for drama. The constant audible tension becomes monotonous, and makes action scenes unremarkable amid a constant haze of action music.

"Wrath of the Titans" suffers from the same mistakes the first movie did: its spectacular visuals and intense action are dragged down by flat performances and an empty plot. I guess you can enjoy it as a mindless action flick, but even that’s a stretch.

1.5 "Fallen Gods" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

“The Hunger Games” review by Chris

It seems again time for another wildly popular book turned moneymaking blockbuster. Suzanne Collins’s story, “The Hunger Games,” is widely loved, which makes it a low risk franchise. If this film has one thing going for it, it’s that Suzanne Collins adapted the story herself. We’ll assume it’s an accurate interpretation of the book. With her screenplay in place, it’s up to the director and actors to bring the script to life.

The story revolves around Katniss Everdeen, a teenage girl living in a dystopian future. To save her sister, she volunteers to battle other teens to the death, but this isn’t just a contest of strength — to survive, she’ll have to traverse dangerous environments and outwit her enemies. The first half of the film is spent in the lavish capital city, training the teens and finding them sponsors to help them survive the oncoming hardships.

Jennifer Lawrence fills the role of the strong and silent Katniss, whose stoicism enhances the less frequent moments of raw emotion, when things finally become too much for Katniss to bear quietly. Alongside her, Josh Hutcherson plays Peeta Mellark. Unlike Katniss, he wears his emotions on his sleeve, which gives the characters a lot to play off each other. Joining them is an all-star cast with many great performances.

Director Gary Ross captures each moment with a PG-13 rating in mind. He gives the audience enough information to establish emotion without making it unsuitable for younger viewers. This helps many scenes achieve a level more graceful than gruesome, but can work against others. The final fight in particular is so zoomed in and shaky that it’s almost impossible to tell what’s happening, and these being the final survival moments of the film, it would have been nice to feel more connected to the action.

There are other minor flaws, but “The Hunger Games” is a stunning, emotionally taxing film with brilliant acting and tense action.

4.5 “Mockingjays” out of 5

Written By Chris
Edited by Aaron

"Jeff, Who Lives at Home" review by Chris

Jeff warns viewers exactly what kind of movie “Jeff, Who Lives at Home” will be from the opening line. The motion picture begins with Jeff (Jason Segel) explaining his love the movie "Signs" — he says it’s a collection of seemingly random events that come together in the end, and that it gets better with each viewing. Jeff attempts to live his life inspired by that theme by searching for signs and connections to his life meaning. His journey often crosses paths with his brother Pat (Ed Helms), who is having troubles with his marriage. Together they attempt to find solutions in their lives.

The titular character is lovable and easy to connect to, despite his oddball nature. He hasn't let his less-than-stellar life keep him from being blindly optimistic, while his brother Pat sees only life’s negatives. The brothers have opposing philosophies that give Jason and Ed countless opportunities for comedy and drama. They mesh beautifully thanks to Segel, Helms and a brilliantly crafted script. Susan Sarandon also gives a notable performance as Sharon, their mother. She kick starts Jeff's journey by forcing him out of the house on an errand.

As stated from the beginning, the final connection is what the entire film is about, so pay attention: every piece of information has some value. The movie's short length keeps the subtle moments from muddling the larger story, which is good since much of the story is predictable. Sharon's story, although enjoyable, is the most predictable and the least related to the main thread.

This is the kind of film that makes you think about life. It reminds us to look for the magic of every moment, not brush it aside. Its story isn't anything new, but great acting and a solid script make it special. The subtle connections warrant a second viewing, but even taken only once, this is a charming journey.

4 "Signs" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

"John Carter" review by Chris

In 1912 Edger Rice Burroughs released a book called "A Princess of Mars." From it sprouted a series of adventure books taking place on Mars and following the life of John Carter, a Civil War vet from Earth who had been transported to Mars. Edger's stories helped form the science fiction genre and pieces of his stories can still be seen in modern works. Disney has decided that it’s prime time to restore Edger's tales to glory with their new film "John Carter."

During John Carter’s (Taylor Kitsch) hunt for gold, he becomes magically whisked to Mars. He quickly learns its lower gravity grants him superhuman agility and strength, and this draws the attention of the four-armed natives. They help him learn their language and teach him of Barsoom, which is their name for Mars. This begins the first of the film’s small handful of flaws: there’s an absurd amount of terminology to keep track of. Moreover, the film presents each new term like it‘s important, while only about a third of it actually is. Despite this, it's easy to follow the film — just don't expect to remember every name and term your first viewing.

The pacing of the film also suffers from some dated methods. Many points in the film are slow and add nothing to the atmosphere or story. These moments aren't frequent and can be ignored, but the film could have benefited from speedier pacing to help the action. The sci-fi elements also suffer from feeling outdated and overused, even though the John Carter books are actually the progenitors to these kinds of expansive worlds. The elements that have been seen before in other films have their origin in the Barsoom books.

"John Carter" is a grand adventure. Taylor Kitsch captures the everyman, making him an easily liked and relatable character. His history as a soldier, along with the Mars environment makes his fights believable, and a highlight of the film. Despite his super strength, there's still an established fear that he may lose the next battle. The more John learns about Mars, the more it seems he may never get home, and that Mars is destined to fall into an endless war.

The visuals are stunning, and the environments are magically unique without being unrealistic. The flying technology has a simple beauty that captures the eye as the ships soar on light waves. The battles are choreographed brilliantly, and every blow feels powerful but dangerously risky, like the character himself.

"John Carter" is not a perfect film, but its flaws are small, and they shouldn't stop anyone from enjoying it. Suspend your disbelief, and get ready to enjoy a great space adventure that helped to found the genre of science fiction.

4 "Martians" out of Five

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron

"Project X" Review by Chris

Most teens dream of having the most epic party of all time, but when 17-year-old Thomas’s (Thomas Mann) birthday party guest list goes viral, thanks mostly to his friend Costa (Oliver Cooper), he gets the chance to have that epic party. As expected, everything gets out of hand, and he'll either have to go with the flow or have his reputation ruined forever.

"Project X" is little more than a collection of youtube videos cut together to make a story. This works well for a found footage documentary feel, but video quality is sacrificed. The majority of the shots are fuzzy and wobbly, which doesn't make it a comfortable movie to watch. Around a third of the shots are of people partying that don’t add anything to the story. But this being a party film, you're not coming here for quality cinematography or a deep story.

Comedy is what "Project X" is all about. From beginning to end, this film gets progressively crazier and sets some hilarious scenes. Thomas's reactions to the events are only semi-realistic, and in contrast Costa's, are over the top. Neither actor presents a hashed out or realistic performance, but they’re adequate enough to move the movie forward. Once the party gets started, their dialogue is humorous and well planned, but in earlier scenes it feels improvised and contains mostly profanity.

The other half of the comedy is a "best of youtube" reel blown drastically out of proportion. Nut shots, car crashes and vomiting are the film’s bread and butter. Don't expect to see footage you can find on the Internet because even the simplest act is pushed to the extreme. Adding to the craziness is a collection of events that are completely implausible children with tasers and balloon-airlifted dogs are just the beginning of these shenanigans.

"Project X" is a funny and energetic film, but its comedic style, language and nudity make it suitable only for a specific audience. It will give more enjoyment to older teens and young adults, and is best seen with a group of friends who are ready to laugh at its craziness. It has no lasting appeal beyond the first viewing.

2.5 "Crazy Parties" out of 5

Written by Chris
Edited by Aaron