‘Rise of the Lycans’ good for a prequel (3.5/5)

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

Starring: Michael Sheen, Bill Nighy, Rhona Mitra.
Directed by: Patrick Tatopoulos.
Rating: R for bloody violence and some sexuality.
Running time: 1 hour, 32 minutes.

Next to pirates, vampires are my favorite Halloween costume stand-by. I feel inclined every October to watch a few films featuring the undead, mostly because they’re not overly scary but still put me in that “Halloween” mood rivaled only by “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”

What I like most about vampire movies is the dark mythology of it all. While still classified as “action” films, they often tend to have a better backstory and more structure and depth than the “Diehards” or anything with Vin Diesel.

So enjoying the “Underworld” series hasn’t been a stretch for me. And the latest installment, “Rise of the Lycans,” was as good as the other two (if not much better than “Evolution”).

Prequels can be tricky to pull off. The advantage that director Patrick Tatopoulos had is that most of the characters within the series are immortal, and so having the original two movies set in present day and the prequel in the Medieval Ages was easier than it could have been.

If you’ve seen the first two movies, you’re already familiar with the plot of “Lycans” (another tricky aspect of choosing to film a prequel). Essentially, it tells the backstory and origin of the war between the vampires and lycans.

For those who aren’t familiar, here’s a quick rundown:

The first vampire, Markus, and the first werewolf, William, were brothers. Unlike the common idea of a werewolf, in which a human becomes a savage animal at the full moon, William is constantly in the savage wolf state and cannot become human again.

William went on to infect many others, creating a large number of fellow werewolves. In an effort to stop him, Markus approached a Hungarian general and warlord, Viktor, and offered him immortality in return for Viktor’s aid in eradicating all werewolves except William.

Viktor captured William and the vampires made an agreement to have only one “elder” awake and ruling at a time.

At the start of “Lycans,” Viktor is the ruler of the vampires. He and his clan live in a castle and discover a human baby born to a werewolf. Viktor finds that the child is able to transform between human- and wolf-shape, so he saves the child and names him Lucian.

Soon after, Viktor has a daughter named Sonja, who is raised along with Lucian, whom she eventually falls in love with.

As Lucian grew up, he was forced to create others like him by Viktor. This new breed, called Lycans, is used by Viktor as “guard dogs.” Eventually, despite his love for Sonja, Lucian tires of his life as a slave and plans a revolution.

Although this film is nothing new, both in terms of the plot being explained in the other two and in the Romeo-and-Juliet-esque romance, the movie thrives on the characterization and historical aspect rather than the “surprise ending.”

Most of the actors did a great job. Bill Nighy as the cruel Viktor steals the stage in every scene, of course, but is given a good run for his money by Michael Sheen as the impassioned Lucian. As for Rhona Mitra as Sonja, I have to admit I actually thought it was Kate Beckinsale. Perhaps she was chosen for her resemblance rather than her skills.

The movie itself is dark in the sense that it is at times difficult to see what is going on, and the werewolf costumes are simply laughable. But if you can get beyond that, it’s a fairly good film, and its short running time shouldn’t leave you too fidgety. Overall, it’s been done before, but it’s still a fun adventure.

Hope everyone has a safe and happy Halloween, and a very happy birthday to my boyfriend, Chase, who is turning 25 on Sunday.

3 1/2 of 5 stars

‘Wild Things’ not so wild after all (2.5/5)

Where the Wild Things Are

Starring: Max Records, James Gandolfini, Catherine Keener.
Directed by: Spike Jonze.
Rating: PG for mild thematic elements, some adventure action and brief language.
Running time: 1 hour, 34 minutes.

“Where the Wild Things Are” ended up being, sadly, rather tame.

It seemed hard to go wrong. As far as book adaptations go, the expectations for taking a 10-sentence-long picture book to the big screen are vastly different than condensing an 800-page novel. Where screenwriters paring down a large text need to interpret and slice out scenes that readers know and cherish, it seemed that the beloved “Wild Things” would merely need an expansion.

And with author/illustrator Maurice Sendak himself in collaboration with director Spike Jonze, the movie was set to not only remain faithful to the book, but also to fully explore the book’s inherent feelings of childhood, imagination and freedom.

So what went wrong?

The film had a promising opening. Talented young actor Max Records seemed born for the role of the impetuous Max. His performance alone is reason enough to see the movie. “Wild Things” starts off strong, immediately throwing the older members of the audience into nostalgia.

The audience is with Max from the beginning, from the playfulness of a good snowball fight to the sadness of a ruined fort and the subsequent anger.

If the movie had ended after just these 10 minutes, it would have been an undeniable masterpiece.

Instead, Jonze begins to ruin things by introducing the “divorced parents” subplot. After that, Max’s outbursts suddenly take on the tint of “well, he’s acting out because his parents are divorced,” instead of “he’s acting out because he’s a kid.”

So when Max gets in trouble with his mother (who is frustrated with Max for embarrassing her in front of a gentleman friend) and runs away, the audience is almost inclined to think the divorce is why he is running away.

Introduce the “Wild Things” — sort of. Soon after being introduced to the creatures of the island, I found myself wondering “Just where ARE the Wild Things?”

I suppose if you think of the Wild Things as loving, relationship-capable, fuzzy emotional wrecks, then you won’t be disappointed.

But for those of us who pictured the Wild Things as, well, wild, you may want to see what else is playing.

With names like Carol, Ira, Douglas and KW, the “monsters” don’t really send off an intimidating vibe.

In fact, the Wild Things are more like adults in gigantic monster garb who act more like kids than anything “monstrous.”

When Max arrives, he finds the Wild Thing Carol upset that another Wild Thing, KW, has other friends. To alleviate his anger, Carol tosses his friends about and destroys their makeshift houses.

Finding this behavior suitable to his taste, Max unabashedly charges in and begins helping Carol.
When confronted by the other Wild Things, Max conjures up a story of his past kingdom and is crowned King of the Wild Things.

The rest of the film plays out as a group therapy session, as Max and Carol both try to cope with their feelings of abandonment.

One thing that Jonze did get right (other than the casting of Max Records) is to resist the urge of animation. Had this movie been animated, it would have been a total mess. Instead, the film masquerades as a deep, plot-driven movie while distracting the audience with cool costumes.

In the end, the unfortunate truth is that the movie seemed more like an opportunity for Jonze to explore whatever issues with divorce he may have and to project those into a “kids film” rather than to actually make a movie about the “Wild Things.” A very disappointing adaptation.

For any considering going to see the movie, I would recommend going to the library instead and borrowing the book.

2 1/2 of 5 stars

Funny ‘Zombieland’ still scares

Zombieland

Starring: Jesse Eisenberg, Woody Harrelson, Emma Stone.
Directed by: Ruben Fleischer.
Rating: R for horror violence/gore and language.
Running time: 1 hour, 20 minutes.

It’s that time of year again.

Time for costumes, candy and, oh yeah, horror films.

I am not the scary movie type. I was the one hiding in a corner with a blanket over my head while my friends watched the Chinese version of “The Eye” (you think it’s hard to watch a movie with subtitles, try to do it when you’re not even looking at the screen). But, to be fair, “The Eye” is a legitimate scary movie — at least the Chinese version is; I can’t vouch for the Jessica Alba fiasco.

I can take most slasher films. I actually really enjoy the “Saw” series. It’s the supernatural stuff that gets me, especially ones involving creepy little kids.

But that’s all beside the point. I watched “Zombieland” recently and had to keep myself in check — this was, after all, a comedy.

Doesn’t mean I didn’t jump on occasion. But, for fellow timid moviegoers, this film manages to satisfy the obligatory Halloween viewing without leaving you checking under your bed.

In “Zombieland,” the majority of the population has turned into (shockingly) zombies. The narrator (Jessie Eisenberg of “Adventureland” notoriety) tells the audience that these transformations began after a bad experience with a Mad Cow-diseased hamburger. And it was all downhill from there.

Now, the number of zombies greatly outnumbers that of normal humans. In fact, at the start, the narrator is our only known character, and he introduces us to the world by giving us a few of his most important zombie survival rules.

Rule No. 1: Cardio.

Narrator is a college-aged kid who was studying at the University of Texas when the mayhem struck and is now on his way back home to Columbus, Ohio, to see if his family is still alive.

On his way, he meets a tough, gun-toting, zombie-killing maniac (Woody Harrelson) who agrees to give him a ride in his truck. But, in order to avoid familiarity and, thus, any sort of friendship, he insists on calling the narrator by his destination, Columbus, and he refers to himself as Tallahassee.

Columbus soon discovers Tallahassee’s one weakness: Twinkies. It’s during a foray into a grocery store in search of the spongey snacks that they run into the untrusting Wichita (Emma Stone) and her intelligent 12-year-old sister, Little Rock (Abigail Breslin), who are headed to the rumored-to-be zombie-free amusement park Pacific Playland.

“Zombieland” is a fun, offbeat, clever film. Columbus’ “rules,” playing off the horror-flick stereotypes and the hilarious celebrity cameo, are reason enough to watch it.

Woody Harrelson is in a realm of his own in his role and is one of the main sources of the film’s entertainment.

Abigail Breslin also had a shining performance as the mouthy, know-it-all preteen, and it will be interesting to see what future roles she will decide to choose.

The one thing that really gets me is Jesse Eisenberg. I saw him in “Adventureland” too and I just can’t fathom how someone can look, act and talk so much like Michael Cera ("Superbad,” “Juno”) and not be related. It’s like watching someone acting like Michael Cera while he’s acting. But, besides that, Eisenberg did a great job.

And, though I would rather qualify “Zombieland” as the one “scary” movie I need to watch by Halloween, I grudgingly promised my boyfriend I’d watch an actual scary one soon. He may not be so eager to watch another after my fingernails have dug into his arm for an hour and a half.

3 1/2 of 5 stars

‘Devil’ — fun, but superficial (3/5)

The Devil Wears Prada

Starring: Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Emily Blunt.
Directed by: David Frankel.
Rating: PG-13 for some sensuality.
Running time: 1 hours, 39 minutes.

Looking for a fun little chick flick? “The Devil Wears Prada” (2006) is it, but not much more.

The movie itself is actually great, but it’s what they left out that plummets this movie back into the realm of typical.

“Prada” follows the course of Andy Sachs’ (Anne Hathaway) assistant tenure under the indomitable Miranda Priestly (Meryl Streep), editor-in-chief of Runway, the nation’s leading fashion magazine.

Andy makes no mistake — she doesn’t fit into this world of makeup, dressup, overbearing stress and 10-inch waists. But, as she tells Miranda at her interview, she’s smart.

After landing the job, Andy struggles to keep up in the fast-paced life of fashion and New York City, only to realize that her best efforts aren’t good enough. She seeks help from a fellow assistant, the conceited and pompous Emily (Emily Blunt), and from the magazine’s creative director, the harsh but kind-hearted Nigel (Stanley Tucci), but eventually realizes that the only person who can help her at her job is herself.

Andy undergoes a physical transformation to better fit in to the crowd of Runway and to show Miranda her serious intentions, and it isn’t long before she begins a mental and emotional change as well, sending her life careening into a pile of trendy handbags and designer scarves.

One aspect that David Frankel absolutely nailed was the casting. Every actor was sublime in her role. Meryl Streep simply is the boss from hell, but she also brings a sense of depth to Miranda that makes her seem like a real person rather than a horrific compilation of everything awful in a superior. Too, Anne Hathaway is the perfect go-to actress for a naive girl who undergoes a transformation.

The movie’s absolute scene stealer, however, is Emily Blunt. I had seen her before in “The Jane Austen Book Club,” and I look forward to a long and productive career from her.

One of the movie’s central themes of women in the workplace was insightful and refreshing.


Throughout high school and college, and now with my first “real” job, I have always been a work-oriented girl — and, through trial and error, have learned how work and life can never be truly separated. “Prada” shows the integration of life and work, and how one must be careful to not allow one to overcome the other.

In “The Devil Wears Prada,” the movie manages to capture an abhorrent work environment and yet keep the tone of the film light and fun. But, in doing so, many things fell by the wayside.

The most noticeable issue (as could be expected in a movie regarding the fashion industry) is weight. Nigel tells Andy that her size 6 is now considered a “size 14,” and there are countless insinuations about her size being a detriment throughout the script, including Miranda flat out calling her “fat.”

The movie addresses clothes as being a superficial element, but barely brushes on the absurd and unhealthy weight loss that so many in the industry feel forced to do. And even Andy celebrates becoming a size 4 near the end of the movie. With so many people, even those in the film’s target audience, struggling with weight issues and the feeling of self-consciousness, this should have been a point of higher value.

Too, the reconciliation between Andy and her boyfriend seemed lacking. Andy’s boyfriend, Nate, had a greater presence than I was expecting — up until the end. In fact, here her other friends who had been made to seem important in Andy’s life and as sources of love and support are inexplicably missing as well.

But, for its weaknesses, “Prada” was a fun watch and offered some neat insights into the fashion industry.

3 of 5 stars

Marvel’s ‘Iron Man’ nothing to be wary about (4/5)

Iron Man

Starring: Robert Downey Jr., Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges.
Directed by: Jon Favreau.
Rating: PG-13 for some intense sequences of sci-fi action and violence, and brief suggestive content.
Running time: 2 hours, 6 minutes.

In keeping with my superhero flick kick (and also because it was next on my boyfriend’s Netflix list), I finally had the opportunity to watch the much-acclaimed “Iron Man.”

And, thankfully, it didn’t disappoint.

Last week’s “Wolverine” threw me for a bit of a loop, and I simply didn’t know what to expect from comic adaptations anymore. But there’s no point in comparing the two, really. “Iron Man” blows “Wolverine” out of the water in any imaginable instance. Thank goodness.

First, Robert Downey Jr. was the perfect actor for the intelligent, womanizing, self-serving, pompous jerk-turned-unlikely-hero Tony Stark (a.k.a. Iron Man).

The humor that Downey brings to the role complements the film excellently and is a constant undercurrent through the movie. The script in itself had decent pacing, and though the beginning seems to drag a bit after an awesome start, you’ll quickly find yourself re-immersed.

The basic plot follows weapons inventor Tony Stark through his realization of what his work truly does to the world and his attempt to right his wrongs — and how else to accomplish this goal but to don an astonishingly technologically advanced supersuit.

It’s a fun movie that introduces some sobering topics but never takes itself too seriously. Instead, it’s a great foray into adventure, action and comedy.

Perhaps what makes this movie stand out from the others is that the hero doesn’t start out as someone “good.” He makes his living off of, essentially, killing others. Most comic book heroes start off good. It’s the villains who do the changing — sometimes from normal, well-adjusted people to crazed madmen. But Tony Stark is different, and it’s refreshing. His self-realization is the driving force behind the Iron Man character.

Although the comics in themselves are about four decades old, the movie studio wisely moved the timeline of “Iron Man” from the Vietnamese war to the trials in Afghanistan and the Middle East, helping the film to feel contemporary and to better pull in the audience. Besides, if Robert Downey Jr. were traipsing about the jungle again, I’d wonder where he’d left his blackface makeup from “Tropic Thunder.”

Behind the camera, director Jon Favreau (“Elf,” “Zathura”) shows his immense capabilities, and I hope we see much more of him in the future.

Rest assured, fellow wary comic-adaptationists, “Iron Man” is “Marvel”-ous.

4 of 5 stars