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The Conjuring 2013 review C-

*Clap* *Clap*------- The Conjuring is currently scaring in theaters.  This is James Wan's latest foray into the horror genre.  Before I get into my review a little background on this director Wan begun his career by making a short film which would later become the Saw franchise.  He shopped it around to investors and was able to procure financing.  After Saw became a bonafide hit Wan had proven himself a bankable talent.

However multiple instalments later Saw ended up diluting the original direction of the first film.  Wan later went onto direct Insidious a creepy movie about a haunted child.  In it he continued his theme of utilizing creepy dolls and practical F/X work.  So when it comes to The Conjuring I am extremely excited.  I am familiar with the case and the people depicted therein.  Ed and Lorraine Warren are famous paranormal investigators.  They are controversial people because they have been accused of being charlatans but they welcome skeptics and present compelling paranormal evidence.

In "The Demonologist" the Warrens explain the demonic strategy for creating fear.  Infestation, oppression and possession.  Infestation is the first stage of a haunting... floor creeks, apparitions, shadows out the corner of your eye basic creepy stuff...oppression is when something happen to oppress the will of the victim to make them give up.  And possession is when one surrenders complete control of their body and mind to a demonic spirit usually ending in the victims death.

My problem with the The Conjuring is that it shows someone being possessed at the will of a demon which is incorrect because a human cannot be possessed unless permission is given.  The ending was overly dramatic for me.  Paranormal novices will find The Conjuring entertaining but I'm giving this movie a C-.

I'm giving it this grade because there are story elements that are left hanging and the computer graphics are bad.  This would have been better if it were released on Redbox.

Star Trek Into Darkness review 2013 grade A

Star Trek is about working together to advance society.  In the Abrams era of Star Trek most of this tone has been lost in favor of a more action oriented story telling.  Its brisk it's kinetic its a fresh cote paint of on an old car.  So when I get into my review of Into Darkness I'm focusing on whats under the hood.

The story pulls us in with an Indiana Jones style action sequence where Kirk and Dr McCoy are running from a prehistoric extraterrestrial culture.  The dialogue is snappy and traded via banter in the middle of an action scene.  It seems like these new films are obsessed with entertaining you.   I have no problem with that but I do have an issue with invoking 9/11 like imagery to give the movie modern gravitas.

My issue with 9/11 imagery is that it is beginning to become cliche' with themes of smoking buildings, hunting terrorists, quick retribution this cheapens the events of  that horrible day by using it as an entertainment context.  The antagonist is Khan played marvelously by Benedict Cumberbatch.  Khan is a genetically engineered super human fighting for his people.  After blowing up a Star Fleet building the Enterprise is dispatched to terminate him without trial.  Raising moral and ethical conflicts among the crew.  After Kirk makes the choice not to kill Khan we later learn of a bigger Star Fleet conspiracy.

I love the action and where the story seems to be going and if this is any indication of what the new Star Wars sequels could be then this is a galaxy I want to continue to explore.

Movie grade A.

Man of Steel 2013 review B-

Superman has always been a difficult comic book character to write for because he is impervious to everything.  To hurt Kal-El (Superman's kryptonian name) you needed a plot device like Kryptonite a rock that could kill him or a threat to someone he loves to heighten the drama.  When I first heard Zach Snider was directing the next cinematic outing for Kal-El I was ecstatic I suffered through allot of lackluster films. 

Snider is a director who seemingly came from nowhere. His wife is a famous producer which helps in the business but he really is a good director.   He takes on risky projects and makes them incredibly entertaining and profitable at the box office.  This is the director of Watchmen a graphic novel adaptation and 300 another graphic novel written by Frank Miller.   He doesn't necessarily have a visual style but all of his films feature some type of action element with an incredible amount of computer graphics.  

So his role as director of Man of Steel had me pumped and reminiscing on the previous films.  Anyone remember Superman 3 co-starring Richard Pryor where we literally see a drunken superman?  Followed up by that god-awful Supergirl movie and my least favorite Quest for Peace with Nuclear Man.  Superman Returns directed by Bryan Singer was a missed opportunity to take the story in new direction.  Instead what we got was a continuation of the Donnor films with a hint of dead beat father thrown into the mix. 

In Man of Steel we get an origin story focusing on Clark Kent learning who he really is and where he came from.  He learns to accept his role as the symbol for hope.  Its interesting that he doesn't actually call himself Superman in the movie.  I loved this because what we get is more like a Superman Begins movie.  The script was penned by Michigan native David Goyer who gives us a story that explores the pivotal moment where Clark Kent accepts his unique abilities and assumes his role as protector of humanity.

Krypton plays a significant role in Man of Steel, heavily inspired by the matrix.  Apparently on this world people are bio engineered to fulfil a specific societal need.  Kal-El's birth is significant because he was naturally conceived and given the choice to grow up and be who he wants to be.   The enivitable destruction of Krypton is realized through cutting edge computer graphics however the movie ventures into sensory overload because most of the violence has little consequence. 

I have a problem with endless punching between two super powered beings with no indication of fatigue.  The antagonist Zod is a good villain but I would have preferred someone who hasn't been in a Superman movie before… Lobo… Darkseid maybe?  This movie grade is a solid B- because the final battle reminded me of that battle from Matrix revolutions which was way too long.  And I did not like Superman’s lack of concern for human life.  Why didn’t he take the battle to the moon away from populated cities? 

 It is good to see the S on the big screen again but I think they should find a way to show us Superman’s physical limitations to make the conflict mean something.

White House Down 2013 review C+

What started out as a well thought out political thriller ended on a low note for me.  Roland Emmerich's latest foray into the destruction genre has yielded a pretty standard piece of entertainment.  " White House Down" was viewed by MC at North Hollywood's Laemmle theater a nice venue for movies, small intimate definitely getting the MC stamp of approval.  Unfortunately the same cannot be given to this movie's main character Carl played by Channing Tatum.        

 He is the typical working parent unable to maintain a good relationship with his daughter.  Carl is interviewing for a positing in the President's secret service detail he is denied because he has a record of not finishing anything he starts.  This theme is the set up to why Carl is committed to getting his daughter back at the end.

The White House is taken over by a ruthless gang of mercenaries eager to start World War 3.  The movie reveals the President's hired help to be a bunch of bad shots and woefully unprepared for a surprise attack.  I doubt such disorganization would exist in reality but it fun to see how such an attack would play out.  It was fun seeing what all the hi-tech White House gadgetry can do.  Jamie Foxx plays a nerdy President derivative of our current Commander and Chief President Obama.

 He does a good job without getting overly political and staying inspirational but I don't think I'm going to vote Jamie Foxx for President anytime soon because he's best when he's laying flawed and broken characters not politicians.   I 'm giving this movie a C+ because of the annoying daughter Tatum is figuratively going through hell trying to rescue.  I found her antics insufferable along with the armature visual effects work dollar show this movie.