‘Hunter’ won’t capture you (2/5)

Starring: Jennifer Aniston, Gerard Butler, Dorian Missick.
Directed by: Andy Tennant.
Rating: PG-13 for sexual content including suggestive comments, language and some violence.
Running time: 1 hour, 50 minutes.

“The Bounty Hunter” is fun but forgettable.

Jennifer Aniston stars as Nicole Hurley, a reporter on the verge of unearthing the secret behind a “suicide.”

Hurley is a woman of work-work-work. She even skips out on her bail hearing to meet up with a source that has some information regarding the suicide.

But when her source gets kidnapped and the judge issues a warrant for Hurley’s arrest, in steps Milo Boyd (Gerard Butler), ex-cop-turned-bounty-hunter and, oh yeah, Hurley’s ex-husband. His next assignment? Who else but (to his obvious glee) Nicole.

It’s a very fun concept that lends itself to some awkward and funny situations (the various methods Boyd uses to “arrest” Nicole and her escape attempts; a night spent at their former honeymoon bed and breakfast). But, for its “fun,” there isn’t much to say about it. It’s a pretty cookie-cutter film that you may not even remember the next day. And if you do remember it, it may be only the bad things that stand out.

One scene that did stand out was the opening sequence, but not in a positive manner. In a chase scene focusing on Boyd hunting down a stilt-walking Uncle Sam in a Fourth of July parade, someone made the poor decision to stick in Sean Kingston’s “Fire Burning,” which was totally irrelevant and distracting and didn’t set a good tone for the rest of the film.

Let’s just say that this film is not getting shining reviews. If you’re really interested in seeing this movie, I would suggest waiting for it to come out on DVD. The “theater experience” lends nothing but a good chunk of cash down the drain.

“Bounty Hunter” is entertaining, but it certainly won’t capture you.

At the beginning of the year, I did a column looking ahead at 2010 and what movies would be coming out to look forward to. Here it is, the end of March, and my hopes are dwindling. And we haven’t even come into the enormous phase of notoriously groanworthy sequels awaiting us. I’ll make my prediction now that next year’s “Best Picture” winner will be a sleeper hit similar to “The Hurt Locker.” The glitzy, star-studded, heavily advertised blockbusters are turning into nothing but disappointments, and there’s no hint of change anytime soon.

The big film companies seem to have lost their heart and are sticking with carbon copies of past successes — but they are patronizing their audiences. Most viewers can appreciate risks taken in plot, casting and direction. These risks have been sorely lacking as of late.

2 of 5 stars

‘Green Zone’ director takes brave risk (3.5/5)

Green Zone

Starring: Matt Damon, Brendan Gleeson, Khalid Abdalla
Directed by: Paul Greengrass
Rating: R for violence and language
Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes.

“Green Zone” is an exceptionally risky film for director Paul Greengrass (“Bourne Ultimatum,” “United 93”) to take on so soon after the Iraq invasion.

Make no mistake, Greengrass doesn’t shirk from accusing the United States government of fabricating the Weapons of Mass Destruction.

In fact, that’s pretty much the point of the whole movie.

Based on the 2006 nonfiction “Imperial Life in the Emerald City” by journalist Rajiv Chandrasekaran, “Green Zone” focuses on Chief Warrant Officer Roy Miller (Matt Damon in his traditional comfort role of a butt-kicking rogue seeking the truth). Miller is getting just a little miffed that the WMDs he is searching for with the government’s intel just don’t seem to be there.

When Miller dares to voice his doubts about the questionable intel at a debriefing, much to the chagrin of his superiors, he catches the eye of CIA Baghdad Bureau Chief Martin Brown (Brendan Gleeson) who also doubts the intel and motivation of the United States.

An outstanding addition to the movie is the character of Freddy (Khalid Abdalla), an Iraqi who risks his life to aid the American soldiers and, he hopes, to save his country from sinking even further into death and despair. Freddy often serves as the voice of the film’s moral points.

An unnerved Freddy leads Miller and his team to the hideout of “Jack of Clubs” Al-Rawi, a senior Iraqi government official, and what they uncover pushes Miller’s doubts in his own government even further.

A particularly poignant moment comes when Freddy tells Miller, the traditional protagonist and character whom the audience is supposed to want to see succeed, that it is not up to Miller and the Americans to determine the fate of his country, combating our “American” drive to “fix” everything.

An important but forgettable character, Washington Post journalist Lawrie Dayne (Amy Ryan), shows the media’s role in getting caught up with the faulty intel themselves but realizing, perhaps too late, the obscene lack of evidence. Dayne consistently aggravates her government source, Pentagon Special Intelligence officer Clark Poundstone, who tells her repeatedly that access to Iraqi intel source “Magellan” won’t happen.

Another driving scene is the Iraqi’s response to “American puppet” Ahmed Zubaidi attempting to petition for the country’s leadership, and Poundstone’s realization that such a move will not be as easy as he and others had expected.

Despite its political wrappings, however, “Green Zone” is an action movie at its heart, complete with good guy vs. bad guy charisma; long, pointless chase scenes; and a very, very hefty amount of vertigo-inducing shaky camera scenes reminiscent of the “Bourne” films.

But the appeal of this movie comes from its absolute relevance to today’s world. “Green Zone” is a highly thought-provoking film that dares to thrust into the fore the nearly taboo thought (to some) of fabricated intel as a basis for a war which has cost so much.

3 1/2 of 5 stars

Burton’s ‘Alice’ disappoints (2/5)

Alice in Wonderland

Starring: Mia Wasikowska, Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter
Directed by: Tim Burton
Rating: PG for fantasy action/violence involving scary images and situations, and for a smoking caterpillar
Running time: 1 hour, 48 minutes.

I should really know better than to get very excited over a movie, but, I’ll tell you, I was psyched about “Alice in Wonderland.”

Tim Burton and Johnny Depp? One of my all-time favorite director-actor combinations in film.

I’d even be willing to forgive them for the “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory” fiasco if (and this is a very important “if”) they actually learned something.

They didn’t. And what was hyped to be one of the must-see movies of 2010 ended up being a complete dud.

The creative visionary behind such engaging films as “Beetle Juice,” “Edward Scissorhands,” “The Nightmare Before Christmas” and “Sleepy Hollow” has hit creator’s block.

And Depp’s talent is going to waste in an effort to be loyal to the man who springboarded his career.
“Charlie” showed us that Burton’s aptitude does not lie in remakes. He is simply too original of a man to contain himself in someone else’s creative mind.

But “Alice” should have worked. The storyline is as twisted as anything that Burton could come up with himself. And yet, it fell horribly, dismally flat. In 3-D, no less, proving that adding another dimension to the screen doesn’t add dimension to the plot.

Mia Wasikowski plays 19-year-old Alice, whose world is going just a little too quick. Too, she is plagued with nightmares of another land full of odd creatures. To escape the pressures of her world (namely an engagement to an unappealing aristocrat), she finds herself chasing a white rabbit down his hole into Underland, a world populated by such odd creatures as the deranged Mad Hatter (Johnny Depp) and the literally big-headed Red Queen (Helena Bonham Carter).

There is a prophecy to fulfill (isn’t there always?) in which Alice will be pitted against the fabled Jabberwocky during a battle between the Red Queen and the White Queen (Anne Hathaway).

But you know where “Wonderland” is headed from the opening credits. There are no moments of surprise or revelation. And, sadly, there is no imagination infused in this story based on a standard of fantasy.

The actors seem to know how expected and uninspired the plot is, because the characters reflect it perfectly. Wooden performances abound, and Hathaway’s Queen interpretation was perplexing and nonsensical … and not in the good “Alice in Wonderland”-type way.

Overall (and I really, really hate to say it), “Wonderland” lacks any real wonder. The plot is dull, the performances are stiff and the 3-D aspect adds nothing to the mildly decent visuals.

Mr. Burton, come back. We miss you.

2 of 5 stars

Rachel’s five-star fav flicks

In honor of the 82nd Academy Awards taking place this Sunday, here’s a list of my five favorite movies of all-time and, in my opinion, some of the best films ever created (being the Times’ sole in-house movie reviewer, I’m allowed such hubris):

Gettysburg
(1993. Starring Tom Berenger, Martin Sheen, Jeff Daniels; Directed by Ronald F. Maxwell; Rated PG)

Blame this one on my mother. I was only 7 when this movie came out and she dragged my family and me off to the nearest theater showing it (45 minutes away; we live in a cow town). Then once out on VHS, this four-hour epic played nearly every weekend at our home. And that’s not to mention the camping excursions to Gettysburg, Pa.

Despite my pure familiarity, what I love most about this film is the sheer humanity of it. You empathize with Robert E. Lee and James Longstreet as much as you do with the Union’s Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, who held Little Round Top against the Confederates and was arguably one of the main reasons the Union was victorious in the three-day battle.

It’s a beautiful movie (visually and narratively) that not enough people are familiar with.

Lord of the Rings
(2001-2003. Starring Elijah Wood, Viggo Mortenson, Sir Ian McKellen; Directed by Peter Jackson; Rated PG-13)

All right, so technically this is three movies, but it’s one story. And in an industry running low on ideas and swiftly churning out book adaptations (if you’re a frequent reader, bad adaptations is one pet peeve of mine that you’ll notice will never go away), this was actually a spectacular one.

Not only is the story itself compelling, but the sheer amount of effort put in at every single angle for this trilogy is beyond compare. Beautiful filmography, notable acting and a fantastic soundtrack, Peter Jackson pulled out all the stops and then sent a ringwraith to chase them far, far away.

And it made it OK for people to enjoy fantasy and actually have an imagination for a couple of years. Who would have thought that people could still do that?

Love Actually
(2003. Starring Hugh Grant, Bill Nighy, Liam Neeson; Directed by Richard Curtis; Rated R)

Hilarious and heart-warming, “Love Actually,” though often categorized as a “romantic comedy” and therefore a “chick flick,” really can be enjoyed by both genders.

OK, maybe my boyfriend lied to me because he knows how attached I get to my movies, but I really think he actually liked it. Or at least tolerated it enough to not walk out in the middle of it.

Regardless, “Love Actually” is a wonderful ensemble piece and, no matter my mood going in, always puts a smile on my face.

Stand By Me
(1986. Starring Wil Wheaton, River Phoenix, Corey Feldman, Jerry O’Connell; Directed by Rob Reiner; Rated R)

“Stand By Me” has been my favorite movie since I first watched it over 10 years ago (I consider it a good sign that the movie came out the year I was born).

The late River Phoenix, at the age of 16, gives an indescribable performance as the troubled Christopher Chambers. “Stand By Me” gives a painful and exceptionally moving glimpse into what it means to be young and human.

Who would have guessed a movie this steeped in emotion and the bonds of friendship stemmed from a short story written by horror master Stephen King?

Superbad
(2007. Starring Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse; Directed by Greg Mottola; Rated R)

The most hilarious movie I have ever seen, ever.

It’s hard to explain the appeal of “Superbad” to someone who hasn’t seen it. If you don’t appreciate excessive vulgarity and just plain crude behavior, you won’t appreciate this movie; but “Superbad” somehow managed to transcend a typical young adult comedy. The highly quotable lines and nonstop entertainment make this a movie you can watch over and over again (in fact, I watched it twice just this past weekend).

A kid I went to high school with is an extra in the home economics scene, so that’s an added plus.