A change of major proportions is sweeping through Gotham’s underworld.  A shady figure known as The Red Hood (Jensen Ackles) has decided to unite and organize the city’s various dealers under his rule.  His violent campaign threatens the livelihood of the Black Mask, Gotham’s first true crime boss in decades.

Black Mask eventually enlists the help of the Joker (John Dimaggio) to maintain his rule.  Batman (Bruce Greenwood) immediately springs into action to prevent the war that will surely result.  While hot on the Red Hood’s trail, Batman realizes that he may be linked to him in a most unexpected and tragic way.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the eighth straight to DVD feature from the DC Animated Universe.  It adapts two well known storylines from the comics: the controversial “Death in the Family” and the more recent “Under the Hood”. These two story arcs are combined into grim narrative that will definitely satisfy those who prefer the darkest possible iteration of the character.

The visual palette of Batman: Under the Red Hood stays true to the aesthetic established in earlier Bruce Timm productions.  Gotham city is almost never seen in daylight, and the mood is very reminiscent of the classic Warner Brothers gangster films of the 30’s.  The villains inhabit secret meeting places, while Batman patrols the rooftops, ledges and alley ways.  It is not a total facsimile of Batman: The Animated Series, but it is shrouded in a similar mood.

Fight scenes are always a centerpiece of DC Animated Universe productions, and Batman: Under The Red Hood is no exception.  Director Brandon Vietti ups the ante in terms of brutality, offering fight scenes that will have viewers wincing in pain as Batman inflicts serious injury on his opponents.  The level of ferocity is enhanced by the quick cuts and unusual angles.  Though occasionally bloody, none of it is truly gruesome and is done in the style of adventure serial.

The story wallows in the darkest of themes and emotions, offering a Batman that is perpetually grim and racked with guilt; carrying his past sins like baggage.  It also takes a decidedly less light hearted view of Batman’s partnerships with those who have fought alongside him as Robin.  The concept of child endangerment is never spelled out in the dialogue, but it lurks just beneath the surface.  The villains go to greater lengths than we are used to seeing in American animation, administering severe beatings among other acts of terrorism.

Anyone who voices the caped crusader will be standing in the shadow of Kevin Conroy due to his legendary work on Batman: The Animated series.  Perhaps realizing this, Bruce Greenwood opts to get in the good graces of fans by imitating Conroy’s vocal inflections.  His decision is a good one, and helps to maintain a continuity of sorts with past DCAU productions.  Neil Patrick Harris is somewhat inconsequential as Nightwing.  John Dimaggio leaves a lasting impression with relatively little screen time.  His characterization of the Joker owes much to Heath Ledger.

Batman: Under the Red Hood is the most intense DC Animated original movie yet.  It’s every bit as dark and unrelenting as its recent live action counterparts.  Those who enjoyed both Batman Begins and The Dark Knight will feel right at home here.  It’s the perfect combination of substance and style, showing that animation is just as viable a form of storytelling as any other medium.

4.25 Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

The original Tron broke new ground with its use of computer graphics, blazing a trail for future visual effects technicians to follow.  Over the last 20 years, the use of computer generated imagery has become the rule rather than the exception, supplanting more practical methods.  When the upcoming Tron: Legacy was first announced, much of the anticipation centered on what the film would look like.  From a visual standpoint, the original stood out from its peers.  Would this sequel be able to achieve a similar feat?

The earlier trailers for Tron: Legacy played like a travelogue for the cyber-universe in which the film takes place.  The new theatrical trailer focuses squarely on the action, giving us numerous adoring shots of updated light cycles and discs.  The digital world introduced in the original Tron has not only become infinitely better looking but considerably more fearsome.  The stakes for the game warriors have been upped.  Jeff Bridges appears just as young as he did in the original, showing just how far digital effects have come in 28 years.

Director Joseph Kosinski has obviously studied the blueprint of the original and made the necessary enhancements.  Tron: Legacy will likely not be a mere retread of its predecessor, but a newer model that moves faster and offers much more.  Disney has spared no expense and the money is right there on the screen.  If the story is as satisfying as the visuals, Tron: Legacy has a legitimate shot at transcending the cult status achieved by the original.

By Malice Intended

Dom Cobb (Leonardo Dicaprio) makes his living by burglarizing your dreams. He is an extractor, specializing in a unique form of idea theft. He breaches the defenses of your mind and plucks thoughts from your subconscious.

When his skills are commissioned by shady businessman Saito (Ken Wantanabe), Dom organizes a team of fellow dream crashers to plant an idea in a targets mind rather than steal one. This task proves more dangerous than expected, as Dom himself is increasingly losing his grip on reality.Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Tom Hardy, and Cillian Murphy round out the supporting cast. All are flawless.

Inception is Christopher Nolan’s first film after the cultural phenomenon that was The Dark Knight. Here, he returns to his psychological thriller roots, while retaining many of the crowd pleasing tricks he learned while helming two Batman films. The result is a mind boggling crowd pleaser that may very well be seen as a watershed film in years to come and an Oscar contender come next winter.

While the Batman films contained some truly seamless computer generated imagery, the effects work on Inception is infinitely more elaborate but no less convincing. The dream world established in the film achieves a feeling of surrealism without allowing visuals to become too outlandish. The film stays comfortably within the confines of science fiction without veering completely into the realm of outlandish fantasy.

The action scenes manifest on a scale unlike anything Nolan has attempted before. They play with gravity and physics in a way that is every bit as innovative as the “bullet time” optical effects in The Matrix. The extras on the inevitable special edition DVD and blu-ray should be a joy to behold, as many parts of this movie will have audiences wondering just how the filmmakers pulled it off.

From a writing standpoint, the internal logic of the film is at times questionable but the story remains amazingly intact. Like the protagonists, the audience is sometimes made to feel unsure about the reality of what they are watching. In fact, Inception invites the viewer to question the very fabric of reality itself. The plot and ideas are intricately layered, seeming impenetrable to analysis. Every answer brings about more questions, making for a film that can be analyzed and interpreted endlessly.

Leonardo DiCaprio is quite convincing as an action hero. Though he exudes vulnerability, he is very believable as a take charge everyman. Ellen Page is good as Ariadne, eager to explore this amazing new world, yet cautious about the secrets that Cobb is harboring. Ken Watanabe, Michael Caine,

Inceptionis a beautiful mind game destined to spawn a rabid and compulsive fanbase that will dissect and devour every aspect of it. Christopher Nolan has hit a new gear, offering something for that stimulates both the intellect and the adrenal gland. Rarely are blockbusters this thoroughly entertaining, rarely does such visceral filmmaking come at the service of such a complex story. Inception is quite simply the stuff that dreams are made of.

 Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

It’s difficult to remember what life was like before social networking sites made it a much smaller place.  Even harder is imagining that the story behind the founding of the most popular of these sites would actually make for an interesting movie.  Film maker David Fincher is banking on exactly that.  He has taken a break from the world of dark suspense thrillers to show us how Facebook came to be with his latest film, The Social Network.

While the premise might sound dull, one should consider the title of the book on which the film is based.  The screenplay was adapted from the New York Times bestseller The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal.  Any further doubts should be washed away with one look at the new trailer.  The clip builds a steady momentum that makes the film feel as fast paced as any number of action driven blockbusters.  The dialogue sounds crisp and funny and the sepia toned visuals are haunting.

The cast includes Jesse Eisenberg as Mark Zuckerberg, Justin Timberlake as Sean Parker, Andrew Garfield as Eduardo Saverin, and Joseph Mazzello as Dustin Moskovitz.  With that line up it’s evident that film is clearly trying to capture the youthful demographic that makes up a sizable portion of Facebook’s user base.  The fall release date suggests a bid for Oscar consideration.

The Social Network looks to be a turning point in the career of David Fincher, as it is markedly different from anything that he’s ever attempted before.  His eye for visuals is clearly evident in every frame of the trailer, as is his understanding of human drama.  It appears Fincher may have crafted a mundane subject into a very interesting film. The Social Network will be released on October 1^st, 2010.

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The look and production design are straight from the original. The forest stretches out infinitely in all directions. Noises on the periphery keep the audience on edge, tipping them off that someone or something is always watching the protagonists. The weaponry also pays homage to the original, with one of the characters wielding a helicopter mounted Gatling gun. Even Alan Silvestri’s instantly recognizable musical score is dusted off and updated. Predators is clearly proud of its legacy. What better way to resurrect and repair a beloved franchise than to return it to its roots?

The action scenes also reference the original. Nimrod Antal uses a subdued style that is at times a bit flat. The set pieces are serviceable, but lack any real flair or personality. John Mctiernan’s original had an inherent understanding of the genre that is not wholly present in Predators. While none of the sequences are staged ineptly, it would have been nice for the filmmakers to throw a few curveballs to the audience and give them something more than what’s expected. Altogether it just feels a bit too safe at times.

While the premise itself is more frightening than the one in the original, the ineptitude of the Predators themselves threatens to undermine the fear factor at times. When you consider that in the original film, just one predator managed to wipe out an entire battalion of elite commandos in the first film, one would figure that a group of Predators would present a more than formidable threat. Yet, the protagonists are sometimes able to evade them in ways that seem a bit a less than plausible given what we have been lead to believe about these creatures. It is to Nimrod Antal’s credit that we still manage to be afraid from these characters despite the inconsistencies in storytelling.

Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

David (Mike Adler), Tino (Florian Renner), Elyas (Elyas M’Barek) and Achim (Jacob Matschenz) are the preeminent crew of graffiti “writers” in their area.  Their lives revolve around gracing city walls and commuter trains with their glorious artwork.  Cops, rivals, and the responsibilities of adulthood prove to be formidable obstacles to such pursuits.  As the threat represented by the aforementioned elements becomes more apparent, the foursome become ever more determined to live their dream.

Florian Gaag’s Wholetrain follows in the same tradition as seminal Hip-Hop films such as Wild Style and Beat Street.  While those served as an overall showcase for the culture at a time when the mainstream still had a limited awareness of it, Wholetrain doesn’t care to educate its viewers or turn them on to something new.  It is content to be a coming of age drama that uses the world of “bombing” and graffiti art as a backdrop for its story.

Wholetrain is shot in a guerilla style that does not forsake professionalism or basic filmmaking.  The scenes where the main characters invade train yards at night have a voyeuristic documentary quality as the foursome look to complete their stealth missions and avoid detection by the authorities.  These scenes feel authentic and generate palpable tension.  The gritty feel of the film comes about organically as opposed to strategically.  It doesn’t feel calculated.

The screenplay provides the principals with dilemmas that don’t feel forced or melodramatic.  The lack of a musical score during the dramatic moments allows the viewer to draw their own conclusions without subtle psychological manipulation.  The only noticeable musical accompaniment comes by way of the songs on the soundtrack, which is only used at the appropriate moments.

Mike Adler brings world weary credibility to the character of David.  He looks after his crew with the ferocity of a guard dog, but he is also cautious and surprisingly tender.  Florian Renner brings a hippie sensibility to his portrayal of Tino, who has little if any sense of responsibility to anything other than his art. 

At times, the ambitions of Wholetrain are a bit too meager.  It boasts a credible cast and solid filmmaking, yet it ends up feeling a bit less than the sum of its parts.  Some more insight into the mentality that drives this outlaw subculture would have been more than welcome.  We never really understand why these kids have decided to dedicate themselves so completely to this lifestyle.

Wholetrain gives some much needed light to a somewhat neglected element of Hip-Hop culture, one that provides ample opportunities for drama and excitement.  While it may not be a monumental achievement, Wholetrain is perhaps the most competent and credible graffiti film ever made.  It hints at the cinematic potential of this subculture while being a satisfying enough offering in its own right.  It is a throwback to any earlier and much fabled era that still exerts considerable influence and continues in a diminished capacity.

Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

Since the release of Spider-Man in 2002, superhero movies have been all the rage.  With both Marvel and DC readying one flag ship character after another for the big screen treatment, the well of highly recognizable characters is beginning to run dry.  In order to keep the phenomenon going strong, Hollywood is now looking beyond comics and into just about any medium that has spawned a well-known costumed crime fighter.

The Green Hornet is a big screen adaptation of a masked crime fighter popularized on radio and television.  The television series is perhaps best known for having introduced Bruce Lee to American audiences.  Britt Reid (Seth Rogan) is a newspaper publisher who moonlights as a masked crime fighter known as The Green Hornet.  His valet, Kato (Jay Chou) is proficient in the martial arts and doubles as The Green Hornet’s sidekick.  Lenore “Casey” Case (Cameron Diaz) is Reid’s secretary and amateur private investigator.    Together they take on Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz), a crime lord who seeks to unite the gangs of L.A. into one unstoppable crime syndicate.

Rogan, known mostly for starring in Judd Apatow comedies, would seemingly be out of place in this sort of film.  To accommodate this, he and director Michel Gondry have crafted a superhero tale that doesn’t take itself all that seriously.  While the slick, dark look of the film might recall the noir approach of Michael Mann’s recent Batman flicks, the tongue in cheek tone suggests something much less intense, framing Britt as a likable slacker, which fits right in with Rogan’s usual shtick.  While the fight scenes look more than competent, there doesn’t seem to be much else that distinguishes the project from the many super heroic tales that precede it.  It looks solid, but unspectacular.

Undoubtedly, more footage will surface between now and the film’s January 2011 release date.  By then there should be enough of an advance buzz to give us an idea of what to expect.  Teaser trailers often elicit lukewarm responses as the fans try to reconcile the images on screen with the ones in their heads.  The uninitiated will likely not care as long as the finished product delivers on the promised action and thrills.  In other words, it’s business as usual in blockbuster land.

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By Malice Intended

Colonel Hannibal Smith (Liam Neeson), Templeton “Faceman” Peck (Bradley Cooper), Bosco “B.A.” Baracus (Quinton “Rampage” Jackson), and H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock (Sharlto Copley) make up an eccentric but highly efficient military unit that performs a number of successful missions in Iraq.  After performing a black ops mission at the request of a CIA agent known only as Lynch (Patrick Wilson), they are subjected to military discipline and sentenced to ten years in a federal prison.  The team escapes incarceration intent on completing the failed mission and clearing their names.  Thus begins the saga of The A-Team.

The A-Team is based on the wildly popular action/adventure show from the 1980’s.  It comes to the silver screen by way of film maker Joe Carnahan, director of Narc and Smokin Aces.  It retains the spirit of the show, placing the characters in a situation more outlandish than anything they encountered in the 98 episodes of the series.  The film itself could almost serve as a feature length pilot to a new, bigger budgeted iteration.

Joe Carnahan employs the type jarring camera work and frantic editing that has become familiar to audiences for contemporary action films.  During the films opening, this technique renders any number of elaborate set pieces virtually unwatchable.  It also infuses the proceedings with nervous energy that robs the film of self assuredness. Thankfully, the technique is employed less and less as the film wears on.

The film completely botches the introductions of almost every single team member, giving us situations that are true to their characters but still poorly conceived.  Team based action films depend heavily on how the characters are introduced to the audience.  Joe Carnahan nearly stumbles out of the gate, though to his credit the film recovers nicely during the second act. 

Much of what works in the film is due to the casting.  Liam Neeson, Bradley Cooper, and Sharlto Copley all do an uncanny job of channeling the small screen versions of their characters.  They create credibly larger than life versions of them instead of just doing impersonations.  Sadly, Quinton, “Rampage” Jackson is rather ineffectual as “B.A.” Baracus.  He isn’t horrible in the role, but he pales in comparison to the charismatic Mr.T.

The plot is a bit too convoluted for its own good, and in that sense the film deviates from the simple formula of the show.  Story wise, it’s much more akin to the Mission: Impossible franchise or any other contemporary espionage flick.  In just about every other aspect, the film is strikingly similar to the series.  The team pulls off one ridiculously elaborate plan after another, with each member bringing a unique skill set to the table.

As blockbuster adaptations of popular television series go, The A-Team is as solid as any fan can hope for.  It is mindful of what made the show popular and incorporates that into a larger framework that accommodates general audiences.  Though the tongue-in-cheek presentation might be a bit much for some, knowledgeable viewers will realize that this approach suits the material best.  The A-Team was never known for grit or realism, and the movie wisely avoids any attempt to be taken seriously in that regard.

 Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

Factory worker Sherry Parker (Taraji P. Henson) relocates from Detroit, Michigan to Beijing, China after the death of her husband.  Once there, her preteen son Dre (Jaden Smith) experiences culture shock of the worst sort.  While innocently making friends with a young violinist name Mei Ying (Wen Wen Han), he unwittingly draws the ire of a fierce young martial artist named Cheng (Zhenwei Wang). 

Cheng and his pals begin dishing out beatings to Dre on a regular basis.  All seems lost until a mysterious maintenance man named Mr. Han (Jackie Chan) steps in and begins instructing Dre in the art of Kung-Fu.  Their relationship blossoms into something more beneficial than either could have anticipated.  Dre learns that the philosophy of Kung Fu goes well beyond self defense.

The Karate Kid is a remake of the classic 1984 film starring Ralph Macchio and Pat Morita.  That film has become second nature to those who grew up with it, and the new version hopes to be held in the same esteem by the current generation.  While it tells the exact same story, it manages to distinguish itself in a few key ways that establish it as its entity.

The film makes full use of its exotic locale while avoiding the tendency to portray China as a mythic land where everyone is a martial artist.  Aside from the expected cultural barriers, life in China is shows as being rather mundane in many regards.  Young Dre’s life consists mostly of the same activities he’d encounter in the states.  It’s not until the second half that elements of mysticism and folklore are introduced and even then only sparingly.      

The fight scenes are not plentiful, but they are effective and brutal.  The prepubescent characters inflict physical punishment on each other in a way that may take some audience members aback.  None of the violence is graphic, but it is unflinching.  What’s more, a variety of close ups allow us to see pain reflected in the protagonists face.  Whereas the original was a drama that featured a few fight scenes, the remake is essentially an action film centered on kids.  As such, it is effective.

Jackie Chan wisely avoids trying to recreate the magic that Pat Morita worked as Mr. Miyagi.  Instead, Mr. Han is emotionally distant.  He exhibits even more of a reluctance to get involved in someone else’s fight.  He is emotionally detached and only gradually reveals his true self.  While Mr. Han won’t have the same cultural impact as Mr. Miyagi, he is still a solid mentor figure in his own right. 

As Dre, Jaden Smith is more than a little reminiscent of his father.  He exudes the same sort of goofy charm that a much younger Will Smith might have brought to the role.  That’s not to say that he simply emulates his father for the duration of the film, only that he has clearly been studying from his dad’s playbook.  As time goes on, Jaden will surely establish an onscreen identity separate from his dad.  For now, he is just fine as Dre.

The Karate Kid is could have used some trimming in the editing room.  One can feel every second of the 131 minute run time, especially in the drawn out first act.  Also, some of the relationships between characters could have been punched up a bit.  The conflict between Dre and Cheng never feels quite personal enough, and Taraji’s role feels perfunctory, like it was included out of a sense of requirement rather than necessity.

The Karate Kid does not work the same magic as the original, but it generates an undeniable adrenaline rush in the viewer.  It is a worthy and robust retelling of a very timeless story, executed in a way that today’s kids will definitely respond to.  A bit of trimming could have improved it considerably, but its strengths allow you to forgive the bloat and enjoy the good stuff.

3.75 Out of 5

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By Malice Intended

The consequences for playing God can be dire.  Genetic engineers Clive Nicoli (Adrien Brody) and Elsa Kast (Sarah Polley) are on the verge of making the biggest breakthrough in the history of their field.  They ignore the legal and ethical constraints put on them and experiment with Human DNA, splicing it with the DNA of other species in order to create the ultimate hybrid.  Initially working under the delusion that they are doing this for the benefit of science and that they can control the situation, they soon learn otherwise.  Their creation, Dren (Delphine Chanéac), refuses to merely be contained and studied.  Like all life forms, she longs to actually live.

Splice is the latest soon to be cult classic from writer/director Vincenzo Natali, who has traveled similar territory before with the sci-fi mindbender Cube.  Splice is more in the body horror variety, though the focus is not on stomach churning effects as much as it is on disturbing possibilities.  The rather typical idea of an experiment gone wrong is taken down some rather unexpected paths, resulting in a film that is familiar in its premise but still has the power to make us uneasy.

The cold, antiseptic visual palette is a mixture of blues, white and grays.  The lab in which Clive and Elsa create Dren is about as inviting as an emergency room.  The apartment they share together is one of the only other locations we ever get to see.  This emphasizes the limits of Drens world.  She is a living being, brought into this world through no fault of her own, yet forced to live under constraints suitable for pets and guinea pigs.

The understated special effects are used sparingly and effectively.  Dren goes through many stages during her lifecycle, each one requiring slightly different CGI and prosthetics.  The face of the actress is never completely obscured, allowing us to connect with Dren in way that is unusual for today’s special effects creations.  As the film progresses, Drens design becomes more elaborate as each new experience uncovers a hidden ability.

Adrien Brody provides the film with its conflicted moral center.  His sense of compassion overrides his ambition as a scientist, but he’s just not assertive enough.  Sarah Polley keeps the audience guessing about Elsa.  We see that her intentions are not pure, sensing something a bit more sinister in her interactions with Dren.  As the adult Dren, Delphine Chanéac has the unenviable position of not letting the effects overwhelm her performance.  Thankfully, she rises to the occasion.

If Splice has one flaw, it’s the rather implausible behavior exhibited by the principal characters at certain points.  We understand the motivations well enough, but some of the conclusions and character arcs are reached a bit too quickly.  The screenplay could have used a bit more refinement.  That would have made the difference between a good film and a great one.

Splice is an eerie blend of sci-fi, horror and sexuality.  It serves as a reminder that modern sci-fi need not always be a showcase for the big action sequences and the latest, shiniest technological innovations.  Sci-fi feeds on ideas and works best as a study in human frailty.  Even when pursued with the best of intentions, our dreams and ambitions rarely pan out the way we would hope.  Splice explores the perverse underbelly of scientific study.

Out of 5

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