Olympus Has Fallen (Jo***)

'Olympus Has Fallen' is a quintessential summer movie, somehow planted in the early part of Spring. A movie that pulls themes from 'Die Hard' and 'Air Force One,' here is an action movie with a high level of engagement and a portion less of brains.

The movie opens with President Asher (Aaron Eckhart) losing his wife in a fatal car crash en route to a holiday party. The Secret Service agent who saved his life is Mike Banning (Gerald Butler), who is reassigned to the US Treasury to help the President move on from the accident.

Then comes the action. Through an air raid over all of Washington DC, a large military plane flies low, shooting at will, while a group of North Korean rebels attack from the ground. In 13 minutes (the leader so proudly brags), the White House is completely overtaken, while the President finds himself captive in his own bunker, along with the two other government officials who hold the unique codes to launch every nuclear weapon in the country. We are reminded that the codes can only be changed from within this bunker, and the acting President, the Speaker of the House (Morgan Freeman) must choose between withdrawing troops from Korea or losing the President. Banning ends up as the only survivor of the attack still in the White House, and with a seemingly unlimited amount of ammo and guns from the piles of corpses nearby, he launches a one-man assault against the terrorists.

As a film, the movie is dumb fun, nothing you should spend too much thought on. The action sequences are quick-cut and surprisingly violent, while Butler carries the film in one of his better roles. Eckhart is fine in his role as a pushover President who buckles under pressure, even in the face of total US annihilation. Freeman, on the other hand, is level-headed and confident - perhaps because he's used to the role of President, especially in the face of national emergency.

Would events play out like this in real life? I would hope not. I doubt a group of terrorists would so easily overpower one of the most heavily-guarded places on Earth with mere machine guns. I doubted the ease with which one character becomes a traitor (with no clear motive, nonetheless). I doubt government officials would so easily buckle under pressure to divulge life-threatening information. That's not to say I didn't like the film, or its performances. A movie lives or dies on its villain, and Rick Yune as Kang, the leader of the rebels, is quietly powerful and sharp as an arrow.

For an action flick, you could pick a much worse movie. Perhaps the film got too enamored with its own need for destruction, or maybe it became a bit too unbelievable even for itself. One thing we still know for sure: the US government will never negotiate with terrorists (unless that guy has you in a tight spot, of course).

(Awards potential: Best Sound Mixing, Best Sound Editing)

Spring Breakers (Jo****)

One of the most bizarre and hypnotic movies of the new year is one that many audience members will completely miss. After all, a movie about spring break starring Selena Gomez and Vanessa Hudgens is not something that sounds like stunning cinema. But, to the surprise of many (including myself), here is a beautiful movie, full of danger, violence, sex, and ideas. 

From the director of the notoriously banned 'Kids' (1995) comes yet another movie in which the teenagers of a generation are analyzed and probed. The premise is simple enough: four girls commit armed robbery to afford a week-long trip to Florida. After being arrested for drug use, the girls are bailed out by a white thug named Alien (James Franco), and slowly they descend further and further into a world they did not expect to find. A reverse 'Wizard of Oz,' of sorts...

I liked the movie, a lot actually. I admired a film where the stars are those we would not expect to find in such a graphic story. Vanessa Hudgens, especially, should be praised for her work, creating a character that stands out of the group. She is filed with unpredictability, and every moment seems to be a ticking bomb as we wait for her to crack. The same can be said for James Franco. Fresh off his shortcomings in 'Oz,' he manages to create a character that is both memorable and central to the story. With corn rows and grills, Franco is an unlikely choice to play the drug dealing rapper, but he brings to the role a level of quiet sophistication and preparation - and he will surely be remembered as one of the more memorable supporting roles of the year. 

The film itself is beautiful, with vivid colors and shots that are pure eye candy for the viewer. With a brooding and absorbing soundtrack layered on top (one composer of 'Drive' fame), we are reminded of a visual style not unlike Sophia Coppola, and Harmony Korine (the director) surely has a remarkable future ahead as he branches more and more towards a potential mainstream audiences. 

With the explorations of race, idealism versus reality, sex, and the ever-increasing awareness of violence amongst America's youth, 'Spring Breakers' is a disturbing marvel. Perhaps the film at times aims too high, or perhaps the story's attempt at satire sometimes misses the mark. On the whole, though, this is a movie that will not soon be forgotten. 

Spring break… Spring break… Spring break forever….. 

(Awards potential: Best Supporting Actress (Hudgens), Best Supporting Actor (Franco), Best Original Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Cinematography)

Oz the Great and Powerful (Jo *)

'Oz The Great and Powerful' is a colossal misfire, a film that launched and exploded shortly after take off. A film that is so lacking in originality that one wonders how films like this are even green lit in the first place. We live in a time where they can reboot an entire series in 10 years. It's a wonder it took them so long to make this film in the first place.

Okay, we know the story. The 'wizard' arrives in Oz, fulfills a prophecy of some sort that is never really explained too well (why do movies continue to use the 'prophecy' aspect anyways? The Matrix, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Alice In Wonderland, etc…. Lazy, overused, boring) and the stage is set for the 1939 MGM 'The Wizard of Oz.' Done. If only this film understood the magic of the original, perhaps they could have salvaged some aspects of this misguided story. 

Perhaps a reimagining of the cast, starting with James Franco as the lead. The Oscar-nominated actor truly phones this role in, and his collaborations with Sam Raimi (Spider-Man) continue to produce lackluster performances. Maybe Mila Kunis can make an attractive witch, but throw green makeup on her and keep her voice unaltered, and whose mind doesn't immediately associate that voice with Meg from 'Family Guy?' Compared to the iconic Margaret Hamilton in the original film, Kunis would barely pass an amateur talent show. 

Visually some will claim this is a stunning film. Come now. The 'spectacular' landscapes we see are poor imitations from more visually challenging films (Avatar, Alice, etc) and the special effects are subpar to match. How many instances of poorly-rendered green screen can one film fit in the first 30 minutes? Answer: a lot. 

And the ending, Lord. Here is where we see the true changes in cinema from the 1930's to now. Of course there must be a battle, of course good triumphs, but does the character of the Wizard deserve to get the girl, too? The film depicts him as a womanizer, degenerate, scumbag, a creep who literally goes through zero change throughout the film. Why am I to believe his relationship with Glinda will last more than 5 minutes past the end of the film? 'The Wizard of Oz' succeeded on fantasy alone without the additional weight of a romance. 'Oz' buckles under all the pressure. 

Save your money and see another movie more worthy of your time. As of now, that literally means any other film currently in theaters. 

(Awards potential: No awards potential)

85th Academy Awards Reaction

The 2012 mania that was the Oscar race has finally come to a close, in one of the most surprising finishes of all: the lack of surprises. In a year that was marked with so many momentous firsts (first 3-time Best Actor Award crowned, youngest and oldest Best Actress nominees ever, first woman wins Best Animated Feature, first time all nominees in an acting category are all past winners (Supporting Actor, etc), the final outcome of Oscar night was exactly what was expected, and the entirety of the night was almost free of spoilers or 'shockers.'

Although we predicted Emmanuelle Riva to pull an upset in the Best Actress category, perhaps we should have read the blatant tea leaves and called it for Jennifer Lawrence, who won in a moment of pure star power and charisma. The same goes for Daniel Day-Lewis, who gave the night's most humble, funny, and moving speech and tribute to the career he has made. What did we tell you, Christoph Waltz pulled off an expected win in Supporting Actor, and joined Dianne Weist as the second actor to win multiple acting awards for the same director (Weist's director being Woody Allen). And Anne Hathaway, well, what can we say. She pulled off the expected sweep of the season, though her rehearsed speech and nipple dress just left us with a bad taste in our mouthes, instead.

The show itself was hopefully what the producers were going for by bringing in Seth MacFarlane to host: edgy, big, and different. We doubt MacFarlane will be asked to return, and yes his performance drew as many 'boos' as it did praise. I, personally, thought he was stellar. Here was a star who sang, dance, entertained, and understood the responsibilities of a host. Yes, he was often risque (his joke about Rihanna and Chris Brown was perhaps too far) but when you think of hosts in past years (quick, who hosted the 84th Oscars? No, it wasn't Anne and James), MacFarlane created a memorable night.

Of course Argo pulled off he victory in the end, grabbing the two biggest awards after Picture and Director (Editing & Screenplay), and Ben Affleck nervously squeaked his way through another cute and touching Oscar speech. Perhaps the most rewarding moment of the night was Ang Lee's well-earned victory in the Best Director category, edging out Steven Spielberg and earning a standing ovation. Life of Pi, in the end, won the most Oscars of the night, and we can't help but wonder how far behind the film was to beating Argo for the top prize. Ang Lee now shares the company of a small group of Oscar winners to win 2 Best Director trophies with neither film winning Best Picture (Brokeback Mountain).

Our predictions were a far cry from the year prior, and we accurately guessed 15 correct winners. Perhaps too many of our guesses were long shots, or predicted spoilers (Argo for Score, Emmanuelle Riva...) but many were simply ignored in favor of the other front runner in each category. Perhaps the biggest 'spoiler' was Lincoln winning for Production Design, though that's hardly a spoiler people will discuss at the office the next morning. Another surprise was the tie in Sound Editing category, though neither winner (Skyfall & Zero Dark Thirty) were what we expected (Life of Pi).

Next year, who knows what to expect. As far as predictions go, year by year we realize that to accurately predict these winners, it cannot be viewed with any emotional connection. The Oscars are a popularity contest, first and foremost, and in many cases you can make accurate predictions just based off numbers. Overall, the 85th Oscars were a great success, and we are excited to see what 2013 has in store for the world of cinema.