The Pot Calling The Kettle...Harry Potter and the Deadly Hollows pt.2

4 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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I knew with the slow set up of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hollows Part 1., that something had to be brewing in the mind of J.K. Rowlings, that was sure to explode in the 2nd installment. The movie was too slow and too careful in not revealing anything further in the story except Harry's quest for the horcruxed (read my review on the part 1).

And according to my expectations, everything and more was delivered in the second installment. The saga is sent off in style and quite frankly history. It reminded me less of The Lord Of The Rings - and its multiple endings; and more of the end of the Star Wars series (for those who can remember that original thrill). Harry Potter Part 2, ties up many loose ends, some I had forgotten about - like the lives of his parents - and some I had been curious about...and some I didn't see coming.


While I still have a few misgivings about the whole witch/warlock training elite come from Britain's most illustrious school - but I suppose in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, we did actually meet students from other schools across the country (we just didn't know what country they were from...and many still seemed to have that British accent). Regardless, Harry Potter has always transcended these boundaries, and through seven earlier films, we have grown up with these characters, and know them well enough that they have become attached to our hearts as out own relatives.

We're Off To See The Wizard....

Harry Potter Part2 wont appeal to everyone - because from what I understand, the books have  a lot more detail, a lot more action, and a whole different path to the ending - but this is a movie, and you can't cram everything from such an acclaimed novel into it (and luckily I have not read the books, so my judgement isn't clouded...at least for now). This last of the saga is quite entertaining, and very adult in its presentation; what I mean by that is that while there isn't a barrage of action, and the actors do seem to expound quite a lot (they are British after all), and it does have it light moments of camp-comedy - it doesn't pull away from the movies as a whole. Harry's life is on the line, and many of his friends as well. The mood is dark, and the movie long because it has to be to convey this final journey that Harry is embarking upon.


I can't say too much that goes on in this movie, because this is a loose-end movie, and much is tied up from the other movies. It opens where the last left off, and the burial of Dobbie. This sets the tone for how grave Harry's mission is. His friends are there of course - Ron Weasly (Rupert Grint - turning into quite the lumber-jack type), and Hermoine Granger (Emma Watson - my, how she has matured). You can feel their urgency as they continue to search for the missing horcruxes that are small parts of Lord Voldemort's soul. Voldemort discovers their journey, and begins to attach Hogwarts, and all that reside within; hoping that this will bring Harry out in the open.


So begins good against evil, with many of the British Acting Elite on display, and having a good time it seems giving their best performances to date. Because the battle is so evenly matched with good and evil and on each side there are powerful wizards and witches alike - that the battle scenes seem a bit bland. The real Powers That Be are Harry and Lord Voldermort - and well, we have to wait until the end before they meet of course, and even then it is anti-climactic. I believe it is because with a children's novel, it is more emotional based, and I would not be surprised if the novels reflect this aspect that the movies have always had difficulty in capturing.


But like any journey, it is always good when it is finally over, and the way Harry Potter Part2 wraps up its serial, is clean and well thought out, and a pleasant way to bring this to its finale. For some it may seem too talky, and other it may appear too slow, and others it may appear less action-induced...but one thing it isn't - is disappointing.

Don't Drink The Koolaid - SuckerPunch

2 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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Sucker Punch reminds me of real punch...tasty when you put it in your mouth, but boring when you present it.


Sucker Punch is a menagerie of sights and sounds; the look is a cross between Sin City and 300 - and of course it is done by the same director; but the script is so convoluted and scattered, it feels as if it was created from other scripts that were pulled out of a pile of rejects. Now...if you want something that is eye catching, this would be it, but the look of Sucker Punch only excites for an hour before you get bored, and try to understand the subplot.


The plot stars off promising, with a 20 year old girl named Babydoll (Emily Browning) is sent to the crazy house by her stepfather (Gerard Plunkett), who we later find out was very upset when the mother passed away and left her fortune not to him, but to Babydoll and her younger sister. Well, the stepfather is seen abusing the sexually abusing the young girls, and when Babydoll steps in to try to save her younger sister, she is accidentally killed. The Stepfather blames the death on Babydoll, thus insuring the stepfather gets the inheritance. The Stepfather says the girl was insane, and institutionalizes her - paying the attendant there part of his riches to make sure she stays there; and the attendant forges papers to have her lobotomized.

Pussy Cat Dolls of the Future

This is where Sucker Punch starts its plot, for Babydoll meets a Dr. Vera Gorski (Carla Gugino), who seems to sympathize with the girl, and tells her the only way for her to survive her stay here until her operation, is to basically "escape within herself", which she does, by fantasizing her environment, and a few friends she has made, into some sort of espionage group bound for escape.


Suckerpunch tries to meld reality with fantasy all within look that seems very Gothic, ethereal, and music video (it does have a rocking soundtrack). But without a cohesive storyline, it fails greatly to capture the reason for all this dreaming Babydoll's does in order to escape from the trauma's of her life and deal with her present reality.


It sets up a strange quest where a Wise Man (Scott Glenn), tell her that she has to obtain five items in order to escape - and at first, I believed she was escaping in reality, but after dwelling on the film later, I believe she was escaping from the five-days or so left before her mind was to be surgically removed; and her sanity was the reward. Quite frankly, I would prefer to go crazy a little early.


The scenes with her and her friends going through this quest, also touches on Babydoll's reality too, as certain items and actions cross over, and some subplots go deeper into the dream. This just turns out to be a movie about some hot looking girls for the male movie-going audience as most of the dream sequences take place in a brothel, and Babydoll and her friends are all clad in Pussycat Dolls (some irony in that name don't you think) outfits strutting around bonding, fighting, and dying.


...It all left me a little drowsy, yet very afraid to dream again.

Quiet on The Set - Super 8

4 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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Yes it's true. Super 8 is so filled with the nuance of old film making, while giving you a jolt of the new, that it felt like being on a kiddie ride that suddenly dips onto the rollercoster ride of a lifetime.

The film stars a pretty good cast, with Joe Lamb (Joel Courtney),  and his father Jackson (Kyle Chandler) still dealing with the loss of their mother/wife. The film is about Joe and his friends, who are using old Super 8 film to create a low-budget zombie picture. Super 8 is filmed at a teenage angle, and much of it is waist-high to the adults...this is good, and keeps the kids in focus. One of the kids, Alice (Elle Fanning) - the oldest, maybe 15yrs and only girl of this crew - takes her father's car so that the gang can film near a train station. During a delightful scene, where Alice wows the boys with her acting prowess, a runaway pick-up truck is seen heading towards the track, where a train is coming in the other direction.

Rollin' Rollin' Rollin...

A crash happens, and the kids are caught in the middle of it, dropping their camera, while it is still filming. Later, Joe and his friend Charles (Riley Griffiths), review the film, and discover that more than just cargo was on that train, and witness what looks like an passenger was on that train...alien in nature. In the midst, the Air Force discovers the loss of this precious cargo, because it is running amok in the town, and happens to also take Alice. And so when Joe discovers this, he sets off to find her, and so their adventure begins...


Super 8 has great pacing, and although it does bring back the style of Stephen Spielberg, it doesn't feel as timeless as his projects. The alienation of the alien seems to be the problem with this, because in a Spielberg film, everyone has a part...even in Close Encounters, we assessed the aliens by what the selected township thought of them, and in the way their calm allowed us to believe that the aliens were friendly. This film has an alien that isn't really evil, but it does do some things quite frightening to survive. We sympathize with its fear.


The town - and of course I have to wonder - where is the diversity? Back in the day, the alien would have been thought of as the minority in the film, but I don't feel like going there. This is how Hollywood is, and many black film makers go with their point of view too. I am just miffed at how few diversity filled films there are for the younger child viewer. But with a production like this, it is about the fun of the film, and quite frankly, I suppose that it can be remade under any ethnic group, since it isn't very specific about that...okay, now that I have got that little bit off my chest...


As for the storyline and the actors, I did like them, you relate with the kids quickly, and you understand their urgency at finding their friend, and the danger that the town is in. I believe that this is the influence of J.J. Abrams as being the director. He can set a mood, and knows how to work with developing a storyline for the actors very quickly. I believe that this is more of a family movie, because it doesn't offend, it doesn't gore you out, there are some scary moments, and the ending wraps up nicely (although too cleanly for my taste. I would have liked to see how the town recovered from something like this), so yes, you may want to buy this one for when you feel like you just need a break from the day and your mind, and you're feeling a little spaced out by the whole world.

Bride of Frank-Zilla-Chucky - Bridesmaids

4 1/2 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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Laugh Out Loud

There are some movies tht are Laugh-Out-Loud...and then there are those that are Laugh-In-You-Head...and lastly, there are those, that if they were transformed into a cold drink - they would give you brain freeze.

Bridesmaids is the latter.

This is a movie that sneaks up on you and smacks you upside the head as it delivers upfront on what type of humor it is willing to give, but also surprises you on what it dares to deliver.

This movie begins with two best friends Annie (Kristen Wiig) and Lillian (Maya Rudolph) who are talking about the night they have just had with their uncommitted lovers. The discussion takes on such a turn, that one would be appalled at two seemingly career-minded women, would begin talking as if they had just come from a screen-test of Sex In The City. But as their talk continues we discover that Lillian has just been proposed to by her now fiance - who has gotten a promotion which has put Lillian in at a class level that Annie hasn't reached; this also explains why they have lost touch with each other, as Lillan has been hobnobbing with the elite. But because of their childhood history, Lillian asks Annie to plan her wedding, and takes her to a small party to introduce her to her bridesmaids.

This is where Annie meets Helen; Lillian's sister-in-law and new friend, who now wants to have the title of Best Friend. So as Anna meets a hilarious crew of bridesmaids, we see that Helen is undermining her every idea - and this takes us on a journey into the lives of these women, the ideas of friendship, and an adventure that is at once funny, and delightfully shocking at others.

Bridesmaids starts of running and seems to never stop, at least until about the middle of the movie where there develops a romantic segue into Annie's life - which is good, because between her job at a jewelry store, her aging mother, her sex-buddy buddy, and her co-dependant friendship - she has enough going on. Then we take a dip into the other actors, all sharp, all funny, and all feed off each other, and we have one of the best buddy-movies this year.

Much has been said about the character of Megan (Melissa McCarthy), and all of it is true. She is the healthy looking of the crew, and the most sexiest of them as well. Her seriousness in her actions make her the Straight-Woman in this group. She stands out because her actions are done with forethought. Annie and Helen are great rivals in the film, and it is good to see what develops between them.

I can't reveal too much on this film, because I believe this will surprise anyone. You will love it for its freshness and shock value, or you will be just vexed...but most likely you will be pleased at this invitation to a most delightful pre-wedding you may see in a long time.

Animal Crackers in my soup - The Zookeeper

3 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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The Zookeeper works, although I'm not sure on what level.

It is very sophomoric at times, and the believability of the animals talking becomes rather annoying, as the lip syncing and verbal jokes are all too human in nature. I always get annoyed at movies where male animals are turned on by the human female form to such a degree that you would be under the impression that they have actually "experienced" it. I have never been turned on by female monkey's, lioness', or the giraffe form - no matter how high the skirt was.

The Zookeeper feels like a Saturday morning children's skit, where the actors break the Third Wall to tell us what the letter-of-the-day is. Television however is usually free...not where you pay an admittance price, concessions, and parking to see. This doesn't make The Zookeeper a flop, it just makes it watchable...and ultimately, predictable.

I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that most of the talking animals in The Zookeeper are adults, and they are trying to assist in an adult scenario. These movies work better when there are children interacting with younger animals, or guided by the adult ones. Talking animals are a childish whimsy fantasy, and the human lead needs to have this quality in order to bring it all together.

Monkey See Monkey Do...

The Zookeeper involves a...well zookeeper, named Griffin (Kevin James), who loves his job, and the animals he cares for. They love him too. But one day a woman he once dated and pined over for years, Stephanie (Leslie Bibb), comes to visit him. The only reason she never went further with him was she just didn't do the zookeeper thing (or zookeepers for that matter) - but she still loves the zoo (and in a sense, Griffin too). Griffin is a bit overweight and slightly clueless, and she is curvaceous and beautiful - but according to the new Book Of Hollywood, this is called a match made in heaven. Griffin also works with others that love their job too, especially Kate (Rosario Dawson), who works in the vet-hospital at the zoo, who is his closest friend and adviser. All these, beauty and beast, come to Griffin's aid when they see he is still in love with this girl, but lacks the skills to actually hook her.

What confused me about this plot, is that if Griffin had already dated Stephanie, wasn't there a point in his life where he had already hooked her without the help of talking animals? What makes matters more challenging is that there is another man after Stephanie, so this adds a competition and deadline to the plot which cause the animals to act faster in revealing their ability to speak and for Griffin to act.

While The Zookeeper is fun to watch, it suspends too much belief from the audience (adult and child alike) to believe that an adult would take the sort of advice that these animals serve - and that is mostly because Griffin seems much smarter than he is suppose to be. His antics are clownish, but his words are very wise, caring, and have forethought. He is already very typical of the male species in the real world. Him falling clumsily over things, or knocking things over, isn't funny, it's just distracting.

What these animals needed to really help him with, was his resume in getting a new job - because the staff (with the exception of one), are ideal caregivers along with Griffin. He could volunteer on the weekends, visit as a patron, do a webinar already. But that would be too much for a movie like this to think about. Had this been a movie where Griffin had fallen asleep in the monkey house and dreamt the animals were talking and giving him advice, this movie would have worked a lot better...

...but maybe that would have been a bit too cagey. This one is fun, light, well acted, inwardly funny - but it's not a day at the zoo.

It's Hammer-Time! - Thor

2 1/2 Popcorn Kernels out of 5

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As a fan of comic books, Thor is pretty good - it creates a visual marvel (despite more CGI effects than should be permitted); but as an overall movie masterpiece (where the standard has been set by the Xmen, Spiderman, and Iron Man franchises) it falls a grade below. 


This movie seems to be just a quick vehicle as a lead-in to the Avengers movie that is soon to come out; and if you didn't know - the Avengers are a league of superheroes that come together (sanctioned by Nick Fury (Samuel l. Jackson) of S.H.I.E.L.D.) to fight a global threat. This league includes Captian America, Iron Man, Thor, Hulk...and others as the FIRST Avengers. I wont get too much into that - considering the movie wont be onscreen until 2012; but this story of Thor feels put together with cosmic dust and spit if you ask me...and here's why...

Father Son Moment

Odin (Anthony Hopkins) is the king of Asgard, and he is in the decision of deciding which of his sons will be his next successor; they are, Thor (Chris Hemsworth) handsome but a handful, and Loki (Tom Hiddleston) smart but cunning. He chooses Thor, but as the ceromony begins, there is a attempted theft in the castle. They are currently at peace  from another race on another planet, called the Frost Giants, who's planet is well...pretty darn cold. Back in the day, the warriors of Asgard stole their source of power, known as a Casket of Ancient Winters (a small box-looking thing), and kept it from them so they would not use it to conquer the Nine Realms (which Earth is a part of). Well, they decided to sneak back into Asgard to claim back the Casket - but this attempt fails. If someone took the source of my power, well I would want it back too, dontcha think?


Whew...you with me so far? Good. Well, Thor...being Thor - the hot headed spoiled little brat that he is, from living the good life with his father, and from hanging out with his crowd of friends, who all have different powers bequithed upon them (Thor gets a powerful hammer that does all kinds of damage and stuff), well he is angry because Odin decides to investigate this thieft and hold off on choosing a successor. This does not make Thor happy, and he decides to take his anger out on the Frost Giants by visiting their planet (along with his friends), and wiping out the whole race of them. Unfortunately, he starts to make a mess of things, so Odin has to intervene...saving the day, but now the Frost Giants have declared war - this causes Odin to become very angry at Thor (what's a father to do). He banishes Thor to Earth without his Hammer...and there he meets storm-chaser Jane Foster (Natalie Portman), her assistant Darcy (Kat Dennings), and their founder Dr. Erik Selvig, as Thor shoots from the heavens to Earth. Of course S.H.I.E.L.D. agent Phil (Clark Gregg) also notices the disruption in the Earth's atmosphere (caused when Odin tosses the Hammer to Earth -  only to be lifted by Thor when he has learned his lesson), and goes on alert to find the source.


With me so far...well, Loki assumes the throne when his father becomes ill from all this worry and excitement, and plans to keep Thor on Earth no matter what, although Thor's little playmates want him back...

Remaining Lo-Ki

Okay, you can get the jist of the rest of the story. Thor flounces the tourist population of this small town with his golden skin and fluid pecks, while Jane (are they all called Jane), at first tries to ignore him but of course who could resist those Norse Gods? We then have battle scenes that are so dipped in special effects, that they should just be called Special Sauce, cause everyone bounces back as beautiful as ever...until the final battle of Brother against Brother.


I have to give kudos to the one black character in this film...the gatekeeper of worlds Heimdall (Idris Elba), who despite a limited role (and one of obvious servitude), did a good job of acting as we sense his struggle between loyalty (saving Thor) and duty (obeying Loki), for he guards Thors gateway back home. Loki also was a very intriguing character who I wanted to see more of in the film...he was one of those smart villians that used words more than brawn to get his deeds across; very Shakesperian - but instead of choosing wit to battle Thor, he chooses more etheral methods - yet on every other character in the movie he outwitted the situation with a sort of panache.


Now, I did like this movie as an escapism. It is fun to see my comic heroes as a child on the big screen, no matter the taste of the movie. But we have to like them a little to begin with, and Thor is just not likeable. Iron Man's Tony Stark was a "B!&@*" too, but he was a "B" to other industry-type "B's", and didn't just cause mayhem cause he was bored. Tony also listened to those around him when getting advice. Thor the movie is enjoyable, but it won't be remembered the next day, cause not much happens, the other characters are all forgettable, and the love interest is really...well...really...he only met one gal in a sea of thousands. Surely there are other Asgard women (a township we never see), who are wayyyyyy hotter I'm sure! 


This movie will be great to complete your collection of Avenger movies. Just as the use of Thor's Hammer may only be used to drive a nail through wood, this movie is only an excuse to get inside and soak up some air conditioning. (also...wait until the movie credits are over to see the start of something AVENGER-ous).

The Color of Money - Jumping The Broom

3 out of 5 Popcorn Kernels

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The tradition of jumping the broom dates back to the time of Black slavery, when the union of marriage wasn't recognized within that group - it was both symbolic as well as set the duties of the wife as homekeeper; where the broom was usually set in the doorway of their new residence. In the movie Jumping The Broom - the tradition is brushed aside slightly in light of the union and exploration of social classes among African Americans.

This type of movie was also explored in both Madea's Happy Family as well as Noah's Arc: Jumping The Broom (the latter much better than the former) - and many of the themes are seen in both, but Jumping The Broom I believe explores them in many more diverse ways, thus making this a very enjoyable movie which for some (non-African Americans) may border on average viewing.

Mr. Right...on the Beach

The Premise: Sabrina Watson (Paula Patton of Precious fame), after an ephifany-date with a hunk, realises she wants more than just the average one-night-stand, and asks God to bring along Mr. Right - and she quickly gets her wish (I'm still waiting for that winning lottery ticket however), in Jason Taylor (Laz Alonso). They date, and soon marriage is brought up, but both come from different sides of the track; Sabrina from a wealthy family, and Jason from a more modest one - and they have yet to have their families introduced, so before the wedding (days actually), they do this where the cerimony will talke place: at Jason's parents place at Martha's Vineyard.


The parents make this movie. Mrs Watson (Angela Bassett), and Mrs Taylor (Loretta Devine) are such opposites and so immersed in their characters, that although it borders on over-the-top performances, they both bounce off each other with the ease of a trapeze artist. The rest of the cast provides the many interlinking stories involving romance and relationships involving both the social classes, family, loyalty, and to a smaller aspect of child rearing and family secrets. We also have a new take on age and love which I liked. The characters are smart and assertive, and not dumed down in the sterotypes that plague movies of the African American nature.


I was really impressed with the diversity of the cast, but T.D. Jake's movies seem to have this, without throwing morality lessons in the mix as Tyler Perry movies do (although T.D. could use an acting class more). This could have been a simple Lifetime movie, but seeing it on the big screen with a mostly African American cast is refreshing in the light of so few of them being on screen to begin with. The subltle implications of the meaning of Jumping The Broom is brought up by Mrs. Taylor, who's family has passed down this old tradition - and is rejected by the more progressive Mrs. Watson who although having a family which owned slaves, wants nothing to do with the traditions of those her ancestors most likely rejected as their servants.

Couch Potatoes

What I was suprised at was at how bubbly Sabrina is in trying to bring the peace among families. It would have become annoying, but she shows her angry side when it comes to her views and later when her family ties are threatened. On some level, the situations in this movie appears to be written for a much younger cast, but the roster of African American actors in their 20's isn't very long. I would like to see her in something more dramatic where she is the star - she has a very appealing presence along with her beauty; reminded me slightly of a young Halle Berry.


Overall, this is a great date/single movie, where the story is very straight-forward, the acting good, the look of it very beautiful, and the cast...in a word...colorful.