Tag: Jeremy Renner

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Tag

by MCDave

Oscar Wilde once said that “life imitates art far more than art imitates life”, but that isn’t the case with Jeff Tomsic’s debut feature film, Tag. The comedy opens with a claim that the film is based on true events, prompting me to immediately turn to my guest and casually remark at the looseness of the inspiration. And as the film navigates through its wild premise into a warm and heartfelt conclusion, Tag closes with real-life footage of the actual men behind the decades-long game that influenced the film, most of which closely resembled the hilarious onscreen moments captured by Tomsic and instantly spawned a newfound appreciation for the story.

Five childhood friends embrace the mantra that “we don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing”, and it’s resulted in an intricate lifelong game of Tag that spans the entire country during the month of May every year. These committed participants use the elaborate game to strengthen the bond of their friendship and keep correspondence as they grow older. Yet, the stakes get raised when Hoagie (Ed Helms) informs the other guys that Jerry (Jeremy Renner), the game’s most accomplished player who’s never been tagged before, plans to retire at the end of May. Therefore, Hoagie and the rest of the crew engage in multiple plots to finally tag Jerry once and for all.

Jeff Tomsic’s perfectly cast debut feature comes with many strengths and weaknesses en route to a satisfying finale that culminates on a completely uplifting note. And while this softens the blow regarding the film’s various miscues and shortcomings, Tag‘s wonderful closing sequence fails to mask blatantly egregious issues within the movie. For starters, I immediately picked up on a clear violation of the game’s “no tag back” rule. An error like this is small and forgivable, yet a massive writing blunder surrounding Tag‘s unexpected “twist” at the end of the film proves much more detrimental. An earlier line of dialogue completely contradicts the story’s attempted misdirection and this careless lack of attention to detail stains an otherwise decent effort. Admittedly, Tag‘s characters are relentless in their quests for laughs, mostly at the hands of comedy stalwarts Hannibal Buress, Jake Johnson and Isla Fisher, hitting on jokes nearly as often as they whiff. Consequently, this approach keeps a light-hearted and persistently funny foundation constant throughout the film, however it also shines a bright spotlight on the frequent failed attempts at generating laughs. And although Tag begins with a clever and unique story, the novelty begins to wear off throughout the film’s latter stages, which mounts pressure to deliver on a strong conclusion. Thankfully the film does just that, leaving Tag as a teetering comedic effort whose countless highs and lows will tip the scale in different directions for each individual viewer.

GRADE: 3/5

For more reviews, trailers and movie lists visit MCDAVE’s host site

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Wind River

by MCDave

Oscar-nominated screenwriter Taylor Sheridan (Hell or High Water and Sicario) knows a thing or two about crafting a well-oiled story. But nowadays, the hot commodity has his sights set on a larger role as he directs his first feature film since 2011, the Wyoming-set crime thriller Wind River. Sheridan’s Cannes and Sundance selected feature takes a little time to get going, but it ultimately plays quite well by the time the credits roll.
Cory Lambert (Jeremy) works as a hunter and tracker for the Department of Game and Fish in the snowy mountains of Wyoming. And when Cory stumbles upon the body of a dead girl on a Native American reservation, he teams with a rookie FBI agent (Elizabeth Olsen) and the reservation’s head of police (Graham Greene) to investigate the murder. Together they battle jurisdiction complications and harsh wintry conditions while trying to solve the local crime.

Taylor Sheridan’s Wind River struggles through a moping first act that reaches boldly for distractingly ineffective dramatics. Leading pair Jeremy Renner and Elizabeth Olsen also stumble out of the gate, never feeling right for their roles at first glance. But as Sheridan’s cohesive story begins to take shape so do their characters, which allows the film to build momentum en route to its sleekly delivered “big reveal”. Wind River‘s mystery comes together through an original and remarkably fluid explanation that reminds us just how talented of a writer Sheridan truly is. And although his direction clearly plays second fiddle to a riveting murder mystery, Wind River improves with every passing minute and closes with an absolute bang, once again solidifying the writer/director’s standing in contemporary Hollywood.

GRADE: 3.5/5

For other reviews, trailers and movie lists, visit MCDAVE’s host site

Geekscape Movie Review: ‘Arrival’

by AllieHanley

There’s a titillating excitement for that first glimpse of the aliens in new science fiction film “Arrival,” starring Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner opening this weekend.

https://youtu.be/7eCdgsoHm7E

From director Denis Villeneuve (Sicario) is an intellectual sci/fi thriller about a talented linguist charged with the challenge of making first contact with aliens who arrive mysteriously in twelve different ships scattered randomly across Earth.

If you are familiar with the term slow-boil where a story takes it’s time to heat up, “Arrival” can be compared to a crock-pot. There’s a lot of good elements piled together in this film including some smart script writing from Eric Heisserer who has the tricky challenge of writing a moving human tale balanced with high-concept science fiction.

It comes down to do you want to make a film that is popcorn fodder like “Independence Day” or do you want to do something intelligent? Thankfully, Villeneuve chooses the high road taking the story based on Ted Chiang’s “Story of Your Life” and shaping it visually into a high concept movie from a micro viewpoint of mainly two scientists and their relationship with themselves and the aliens.

Just like the film “Interstellar” that was terrific up until the end when it went high concept and left more than half the audience behind “Arrival” faces similar challenges. Even so, Villeneuve stays true to the genre which is about challenging what is, and asking what if.

On that basis “Arrival” is stunning as it covers new ground incorporating what life and communication might be outside of the spacial dimension of time.

“Arrival” reminds me of two films that both beautifully captured high concept science fiction, “Cloud Atlas” and “The Fountain,” but ended up leaving half their audiences’ in the dust and frustrated with understanding what the heck was going on. “Arrival” faces similar challenges if conversations over heard after the screening can be trusted, and questions I personally answered to several who both enjoyed the film but didn’t quite grasp why things happened the way they did.

The lack of understanding for some will mean an uninspired reaction while others will fully embrace and appreciate a story of this magnitude.

Bottom Line: High praise is deserved for director Villeneuve who visually takes a high concept of science and incorporates it into a moving story about humanity and the nuances of life on Earth and not of Earth. Fans of science fiction will surely embrace this film of first contact while others who don’t fully comprehend may be confused in the end. Incoporating main stream talented actors like Adams and Renner, intriguing visuals, and a sumptious sound track that delivers quiet moments and powerful equally in resouding ways will go a long ways in helping those who don’t quite get the story to still enjoy the over-all film.

4 out of 5

PG-13,  1 hr. 56 min.

Drama, Mystery & Suspense, Science Fiction & Fantasy

Directed By:    Denis Villeneuve

In Theaters:    Nov 11, 2016 Wide

Watch Hawkeye Sing About All Of His Powers

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: I just arrived home from my Avengers: Age of Ultron screening, and what better way to wrap up that busy and action-packed flick than to listen to one of it’s heroes sing about all of the powers he has.

You don’t get to see all of Hawkeyes abilities onscreen (and it’s clear from the tune that he has a lot of them), but he does get the best line in the film (in my opinion).

This one’s set to the tune of Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud, and it’s freaking wonderful.

https://youtu.be/aQ27iS1mkuo

Have you already caught Age of Ultron? What did you think?

‘Avengers’ Fans Angry at Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner “Slut” Jokes, For Good Reason

by Eric Francisco

With Avengers: Age of Ultron set to premiere in the United States in just over a week, the press tour has gone into overdrive, and the headlining stories have been… unfortunate. They’re anything but the movie, for one thing.

Yesterday, Robert Downey Jr. suffered an extremely uncomfortable interview that prompted him to awkwardly walk out with tears in his eyes. It was a heartbreaking, sobering moment for a man we’ve seen as a titan in armor. Today, stars Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner are facing backlash for some questionable comments.

By questionable, I mean totally random and kind of bad.

“She’s a slut,” Jeremy Renner refers to fictional character Black Widow, the lone woman of the blockbuster super team.

“She has a prosthetic leg anyway,” says Chris Evans. (We’ll get to this one in a little bit.)

Let’s get this on the table first: They were jokes. Coming off an exhaustive shoot for a multi-million dollar movie, going on endless press tours answering the same, numbing, corporate-approved questions over and over again while struggling just to stay awake thanks to jet lag and constant media attention, Renner and Evans probably were just looking to have some fun and kick back.

However, that doesn’t excuse it from being bad jokes.

First, they’re a bit out of context. Defenders of these comments will argue that we’re taking their remarks out of context, but I question whether they actually have the ability to follow a conversation.The subject that prompted the remarks was about shipping Black Widow with some of the other Avengers (which I’d normally also stamp as sexist, but it’s such a popular topic amongst fans, particularly the female fans, there isn’t much negative baggage associated with it), and it would have just been harmless, if pointless babble.

Then Jeremy Renner called Black Widow a slut.

I mean, it’s jarring. Yeah, it’s about a fictional character, and that’s just what I’d even point out: she’s a fictional character. What the fuck is the point even mentioning her sex life? This isn’t Nymphomaniac either where sex is a major theme. This is Avengers where the goal is to sell t-shirts and toys.

It’s unfortunate this had to happen the same week Marvel — often the exemplars of progressive, inclusive storytelling and representation — are still reflecting some dumb boy’s club attitudes. In one major example, they’ve come under fire for not selling Black Widow merchandise at the same volume of her male counterparts. Being sold and marketed to isn’t exactly the pinnacle of diversity in my eyes, but it’s certainly reflective of larger attitudes at work.

More toys means more kids can grow up enjoying this stuff. It ensures the things you loved will live on for generations long after you’re rotting in the ground. Besides, pretend you’re a kid again and think about it: You don’t want others to play toys with? I was pretty lonely playing Power Rangers toys by myself as a kid, I would have been happy if anyone else, whoever they were, wanted to join me.

Black Widow, however problematic her character may be (not sure if a cold-hearted killer is a great role model for anybody) has become something of a spirit animal for much of the female Marvel fans, who are literally half the movie-going audience. The slut-shaming comments by two of the film’s stars against the one female character has caused quite the dissonance and vitriol from fans — and defenders of comedy or some kind of bullshit alike.

https://twitter.com/julietaube/status/591121136240431104

https://twitter.com/TrancewithMe/status/591111886999048192

https://twitter.com/ItsAshRush/status/590893729243734016

(I only pulled these four tweets just to illustrate, you can find far more with a simple search on Twitter or any comment on every article about this story on every other online outlet. Go nuts.)

I can’t quite subscribe to the “she’s a fictional character” argument. Not only are we in this kinda fucked up era where weirdos in Japan try to marry anime characters and you can’t surf Tumblr without readiNG CAPS-LOCK LADEN POSTS ABOUT THE FEELS AND REALNESS OF fiction, but we also project pieces of ourselves onto the inanimate figures who live only on paper and binary codes. How we treat and view those characters can be telling, because in some weird way it’s kind of how we treat ourselves. Ever took up martial arts because of your favorite Power Ranger? There’s a whole sect of ’90s kids who did.

If I really wanted to push buttons I’d say there’s a whole population of people who worship fictional characters and that I attended school for eighteen years devoted to said fictional characters, but I’m not in that kind of mood right now.

All of this is just unfortunate. Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner are humans and they deserve to fuck up, whether they think they were or not.

But they’ve also demonstrated themselves to be exemplary role models, and their fame in portraying superheroes have elevated them into a unique position where once only sports athletes occupied. They literally act out acts of heroism, and to an 8-year-old kid it doesn’t matter how much CGI and rendering it took because Captain America just saved people from falling wreckage! We can debate the merits and responsibilities of celebrities as a whole all day, but that won’t change the fact that people like Chris Evans and Jeremy Renner do have young eyes watching their every move and will imitate them in every way they can.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEgzt9FP9gI

I’m happy “slut-shaming” and other types of body-shaming actually have names and that more and more people are speaking out against them. It’s insidious discrimination, to categorize people as lesser than you without actually assigning them a specific water fountain they can drink from. It’s blatant sexism, and I can’t defend that kind of casual hate speech — and make no mistake, casual, everyday, “we’re just joking” speech does as much damage as any major protest or discriminatory law can. I can speak from experience.

These are jokes, but they’re bad jokes and they shouldn’t just be “let go.” Let’s not crucify Renner and Evans and acknowledge that we’re all hella stoked for Avengers: Age of Ultron next week. But after this and Trevor Noah,* can we finally talk about what actually constitutes as comedy and what doesn’t? Can we finally accept that “harmless” sexism is anything but harmless?

Can we just not accept people being a bunch of fucking douchebags for once?

As far as the “she’s got a prosthetic leg” comment goes, allow me to dip a toe into the misogyny pool and introduce you to someone who I’d totally take in a manly fashion.

If there’s one thing sexier than a nice pair of legs, it’s strength.

*Not sure where this belongs, but it’s necessary that we not forget that unlike Trevor Noah neither Evans or Renner have earned a paycheck doing stand-up. Arguments about defending comedy go out the window in this situation.

‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ Gets Two New Clips!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Avengers: Age of Ultron is fast approaching its May 1st release date, and Marvel has just debuted two fantastic new clips from the beyond-anticipated film.

In the movie, “When Tony Stark tries to jumpstart a dormant peacekeeping program, things go awry and Earth’s Mightiest Heroes, including Iron Man, Captain America, Thor, The Incredible Hulk, Black Widow and Hawkeye, are put to the ultimate test as the fate of the planet hangs in the balance. As the villainous Ultron emerges, it is up to the Avengers to stop him from enacting his terrible plans, and soon uneasy alliances and unexpected action pave the way for an epic and unique global adventure.”

The first clip shows just how Black Widow learns to calm down Hulk, while the second features a heated argument between the main cast. They’re not very spoiler-y, but it’s definitely starting to feel like we’ve seen the whole film at this point.

Take a look at the clips below, and be sure to let us know what you think!

https://youtu.be/fPJ90rSpFvE

https://youtu.be/_AFtMIBwKho

This New ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ Featurette Features Loads Of New Footage!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: Following the final trailer from a few days back, Marvel has just debuted a stellar new featurette for next month’s Avengers: Age of Ultron.

The video features interviews with much of the film’s cast, talking about the current dynamic of the group and who may step up as leader when crisis calls. It also happens to feature a ton of new footage, so if you feel as though you’ve already seen too much of the film, you’ll probably want to avoid it.

For everyone else, you can take a look at the new featurette below, and be sure to let us know what you think! Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theatres on May 1st!

https://youtu.be/xy9bGLj5faI

The Final Trailer For ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’ Is Here!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We’re finally just a few weeks away from the release of what has to be one of the most anticipated movies of the year, and what has to end up as one of the most successful films of the year, Avengers: Age of Ultron.

After releasing almost as many trailers as there are Avengers, the final trailer for the film finally hit the web today. It features a bunch of new footage, a bit more creepy Ultron, and dives a little deeper into Black Widow.

You can take a look at the final trailer below, and as always, be sure to let us know just how excited you are to line up on May 1st!

The Newest ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ TV Spot Will Make Your Adrenaline Pump

by Eric Francisco

We’re knee-deep in the storm that is the promotion for Avengers: Age of Ultron and I’m not complaining one bit. I’m stoked as hell and I’ll be there with the entire world at the midnight premiere. But until then I’m watching the trailers on an endless loop, and we’ve just been given another one to throw on rotation: the second TV spot that is nothing but energy and humor.

Unlike the morose, darker tone of the previous trailers complete with a haunting rendition of Pinocchio as metaphor, this one is a full-minute of action and humor with MTV-style kinetic energy. It’s the perfect wake up to that 3 PM slog you’ll have at work today. Watch this and you’ll want to run laps around the parking lot.

Loaded with new footage, the clear highlights are Thor/Cap’s impromptu t-ball with the shield and Quicksilver’s wonderfully cartoonish Russian accent. Plus, all the signature jokes you’ve come to expect by now.

Avengers: Age of Ultron will be released you know damn well when. (May 1.)

New ‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trailer to Premiere This Thursday

by Eric Francisco

Avengers: Age of Ultron just can’t arrive fast enough.

This past week, Robert Downey Jr. teased a “big announcement” coming March 5. Depending on your hype levels for the movie, it’s either super disappointing or super… something else to look forward to: a new trailer.

A new Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer will air this Thursday, March 5, during the premiere of American Crime at 10 PM EST.

I know, I know. A “big announcement” is just another new trailer. Kind of a bummer. But in addition to this yay?-level news, a new character poster has been released that will probably be your new iPhone wallpaper if you’re that kind of person: Jeremy Renner, looking mighty sad as Hawkeye, posted on his WhoSay account. Real question: who actually uses WhoSay? Besides Jeremy Renner.

Avengers: Age of Ultron is in theaters May 1, but I don’t think you need me to tell you that.

Watch The Extended Trailer For Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Age Of Ultron’!

by Derek Kraneveldt

Briefly: We all received a fantastic treat late last week when the first trailer for Marvel’s Avengers: Age of Ultron leaked online, DAYS before it’s scheduled launch on last night’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.

Marvel blamed it on Hydra, which was a hilarious and lighthearted way of looking at the leak. Not wanting to leave any of us S.H.I.E.L.D. fans hanging, the studio attached a special look at the film on last night’s episode. If you we’re lucky enough to be in Hall H at SDCC this past Summer, than it’s nothing new for you, but it’s exciting to see the scene online and official.

It’s also fantastic to see the look on Thor’s face when Cap almost lifts the hammer, and now we can see it over and over and over again. The rest of the video is pretty much the trailer we’ve already seen, but I’m not going to say no to watching that one again. Take a look at the video below, and let us know if you’re excited!

Avengers: Age of Ultron hits theatres on May 1st, 2015.

‘Avengers: Age of Ultron’ Trailer Now Online, Officially!

by Eric Francisco

LITERALLY NONE OF THESE WORDS MATTER. THESE ARE JUST WORDS. WHAT YOU WANT IS BELOW. But play along, please?

Earlier tonight the the much-anticipated Avengers: Age of Ultron trailer was leaked online. It was supposed to air during next week’s Mavel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. But because this is 2014, of course it didn’t! After a pretty amusing, self-deprecating tweet, Marvel has decided “eff it, let’s just do it.” The trailer is now on their official YouTube page, in crystal clear high-definition.

The trailer has all the neat stuff I kept hearing about from San Diego Comic-Con this summer. The Hulkbuster, an Avengers party, Ultron himself. It’s all really neat.

My favorite part, though, is what James Spader’s Ultron (and it’s so unmistakably him) says in the trailer: “You want to protect the world. But you don’t want it to change.” There is an ongoing, neverending debate that I love getting into about the true nature of superheroes. As protectors of the status-quo, what is their role when the world needs changing? Not that I expect Age of Ultron to be political in any shape or form, but the movie (I hope) will continue to change the superhero genre and begin to ask questions we, the dedicated superhero nerds who hold up this art to a higher level than most, might be uncomfortable to answer.

The Avengers: Age of Ultron will be released in 2015 and it will make so much money.

Geekscape Movie Reviews: Kill the Messenger

by MCDave

Brace yourself, because we could be in for a fantastic finish to the 2014 cinematic year. With an extensive list of highly anticipated features that began with last weekend’s release, David Fincher’s Gone Girl, there are plenty of reasons for optimism. Another such film is one I highlighted in my Fall Oscar Preview, Homeland director Michael Cuesta’s adapted biopic, Kill the Messenger.

Two-time Academy Award Nominee Jeremy Renner stars as San Jose Mercury News reporter Gary Webb, an investigative journalist who exposed the CIA and Reagan administration for their voluntary involvement in the rise of the crack cocaine epidemic that swept across the country during the 1980s. However, Webb quickly discovered that publishing such a story and taking on the U.S. government would be an uphill battle. The reporter accused the CIA of using their friends at the Washington Post and Los Angeles Times to question the story’s credibility and generate a widespread media-driven smear campaign that ultimately left Webb as a pariah in the journalist community.

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In the court of public opinion, everyone deserves a chance to defend themselves and have their side of the story told. For the late Gary Webb, Michael Cuesta’s Kill the Messenger represents that opportunity. While many will argue that Webb’s monumental reporting was reckless and lacked professionalism, Jeremy Renner’s towering performance convinces modern day audiences of just the opposite. Renner, whose latest work begs for awards season recognition, does an exceptional job in the lead role and single-handedly carries Cuesta’s film from start to finish. Unfortunately for the leading star, 2014’s Best Actor race appears to be a crowded competition that could find Renner on the outside looking in. Nonetheless, a gutsy and valiant portrayal assists an incredibly entertaining and multi-layered story. As a strong motion picture directorial debut from Michael Cuesta, Kill the Messenger is a compelling and well-made piece of cinema that’s guaranteed to satisfy conspiracy-craving audiences and beyond.

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Despite the glaring successes from the feature, Kill the Messenger struggles in a few key areas. Its finale is rather anti-climactic, however, the real-life story culminates in the exact same fashion. In addition, the first half of the film paces extremely well and builds nicely, giving the third act a dragging and sluggish feel by comparison. Yet, Kill the Messenger easily hurdles these faults and results in a finely executed and well-rounded film from the entire team involved.

For a cinematic year that could be flooded with copious amounts of superior titles, Michael Cuesta’s Kill the Messenger kicks off the late season run in grand fashion. And if not for an engaging and gripping true story, you’ll want to catch this film for Jeremy Renner’s wonderful performance. Opening in limited release this October, it’s worth checking out Kill the Messenger.

GRADE: 4/5

Check out other work from MCDAVE at his HOST SITE

Geekscape Second Opinion: ‘American Hustle’

by jake108

American Hustle is yet another entry into what is beginning to shape up as the Golden Era of David O. Russell’s career as a filmmaker. Following last year’s hit Silver Linings Playbook, Russell stacks his cast with many of the same faces. The film is set around two con artists and one FBI agent. The film begins by setting up the two con artists, using conventions and techniques usually found in the gangster genre. Think Casino. The first 20 or so minutes have inner monologues, tracking shots, and long takes that all take character over plot. However, as long as we’re talking about David O. Russell here, character over plot isn’t a bad thing.

American Hustle is very much a character driven film, as it should be. Christian Bale knocks this role out of the park. And Jeremy Renner? It almost made me completely forget about how static Hawkeye was in The Avengers. Moving on. Both Amy Adams and Jennifer Lawrence are definitely deserving of best acting nominations. As the film went on, I couldn’t help but think that the two were playing themselves in some scenes. This thought was solidified upon further reading that there was more than a few scenes where the actors would improv. Bradley Cooper delivers what seems to be his greatest performance yet and has great chemistry with both Adams and Bale. Regardless, an ensemble cast that works this well together should not be so quickly overlooked. American Hustle deserves audiences for this feat alone.

As hinted at earlier, Russell’s directorial style is hitting a smooth stride; a stride so flawless, so self-reflexive, you can tell he’s having fun with it. It’s a film made with the same love and care that Silver Linings came from. The director trademarks are there, such as close ups of handholding, and the various musical montages are a blast. All this while the production and costume design will have you invested in the film’s setting and story.

Aside from a few ADR and editing quips, American Hustle delivers a powerful experience, one that with themes and questions that’ll have you thinking while you’re walking out of the theater. In American Hustle, everyone hustles to survive. Do you?

American Hustle is currently in limited release and goes wide on December 20, 2013.

I’d love to talk more about the film as you all see it, so don’t be afraid to comment below!

Be sure to read MCDave’s review of the film here!

Geekscape Movie Reviews: American Hustle

by MCDave

To steal a quote from Woody Harrelson in the 1992 comedy White Men Can’t Jump, filmmaker David O. Russell is “in the zone”. Russell finds himself in the midst of an unbelievable directorial stretch that will surely bring him his third consecutive Best Picture Nomination when they’re officially announced early next year. In his latest masterpiece, American Hustle, the writer/director puts a clever fictionalized spin on the FBI’s ABSCAM operation which took place in the late 1970s. So clever, in fact, that we may have found our next Academy Awards Best Picture winner.

After con man Irving Rosenfeld (Christian Bale) and his seductive mistress, Sydney Prosser (Amy Adams), are arrested for loan fraud by up-and-coming FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Bradley Cooper), they have two options: either face some serious jail time, or help DiMaso bring down four other high profile criminals. Needless to say Irving and Sydney choose the latter, assisting DiMaso in a sting operation that couples New Jersey politician Camine Polito (Jeremy Renner), countless political officials and dangerous members of the mafia. The only wild card in the matter is Irving’s wife, Rosalyn (Jennifer Lawrence), whose instability could put the whole operation in jeopardy.

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With David O. Russell’s American Hustle, you can expect a big-time splash that will leave a ripple effect on just about every major Oscar race out there. The filmmaker has coached his two previous casts to 7 … let that sink in for a minute … 7 Oscar nominations with their work in both Silver Linings Playbook and The Fighter. Current cast members Christian Bale and Jennifer Lawrence understand the greatness of Russell as he helped lead both of them to their only Academy Awards victories. As expected, American Hustle delivers no shortage of fine performances. From top to bottom the cast is excellent. It all starts with leading man Christian Bale who packs on the pounds and shaves the center of his head to truly capture the art of the comb-over. Not only does Bale display onscreen excellence yet again, he continues to remind us of his dedication to the craft. There may not be a more committed actor on the entire planet. But he is far from the only shining star, perhaps Bradley Cooper is most impressive with a towering turn as Richie DiMaso, a young FBI agent who becomes more and more obsessed with making the biggest bust in U.S. history. And let’s not forget Jennifer Lawrence. While the young actress moseys along and embraces all of the onscreen recognition and public love she’s been receiving, her performance actually feels like one of the least convincing roles in the film, although still fantastic. American Hustle‘s ensemble is spectacular and, without question, the finest of the year.

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You’ll need to search for flaws in David O. Russell’s American Hustle, but one irritating aspect is the director’s fixation on the time period. There’s no subtlety to it whatsoever. Russell continually throws the 1970 vibe right in your face by purposely calling attention to it throughout the entire film. In some ways it feels as though he sacrifices substance for style and it’s a shame. Furthermore, American Hustle does tend to drag on in its latter stages. You can sense where the movie’s headed, but Russell takes his merry old time getting there. Thankfully, the writer/director has mastered the art of story-telling and uses a sharp comedic tone to help balance his out-stretched tale of power, greed and pushing the limits. By the time American Hustle is all said and done, it’s obvious that Russell has a winning effort on his hands, one that’s assured to garner plenty of attention on its road to the Oscars.

With the clock winding down and the cinematic year coming to a screeching halt, 2013 finally has a film that stands out above the rest. American Hustle is an energetic and hilarious adventure. And despite the fact that its dramatics aren’t overly “touching” or “moving”, nor should they be, American Hustle is a fun and engaging ride that you won’t want to miss.

GRADE: 4.5/5

Check out lots of other reviews and fun movie lists at Movie Reviews By Dave.

‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters’ Sequel In The Works

by Derek Kraneveldt

Hansel & Gretel:Witch Hunters wasn’t overly popular here, bringing in just $50 million on a $54 million budget. Overseas however, the film has fared quite well, just today crossing the $200 million box office mark worldwide.

 

As Deadline has learned, Paramount today officially confirmed that a sequel is in development. There’s no word yet on whether Jeremy Renner, Gemma Arterton, or director Tommy Wirkola will return for the sequel, but I’d expect that there would have been a sequel agreement in their contracts.

 

What did you think of the first film? Are you excited for this news?

 

 Source: Deadline

Hansel & Gretel Go Hunting On January 25th, Watch Two Clips Now!

by Derek Kraneveldt

After a new red band trailer earlier this week, Paramount has now treated us to two clips of the upcoming Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters.

The film stars Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) and Gemma Arterton (Prince of Persia, Clash of the Titans) as the brother and sister duo. 15 years after their well documented incident, they’ve become reputable bounty hunters of certain “witchly” beings. It certainly sounds like an interesting twist of the classic tale, and from the footage released so far, Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters looks as though it could almost (almost) be a spiritual successor to Terry Gilliam’s The Brothers Grimm.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters hits theatres on January 25th. Will you be checking it out?

 

Watch The New Red-Band Trailer For ‘Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D’

by Shawn Madden

Check out a brand new Red-Band trailer for the upcoming Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D,  starring Jeremy Renner (The Avengers) and Gemma Arterton (Prince Of Persia).

Fifteen years after their traumatic gingerbread-house incident, siblings Hansel and Gretel have become a formidable team of bounty hunters who track and kill witches all over the world.

Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters 3D hits theaters January 25th, 2013.

Check Out The First Trailer For ‘Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters’!

by Shawn Madden

Well, not really sure how to feel about this one. I’ve heard quite positive reviews from advance screenings of this movie but to be honest this trailer reminds me of Van Helsing and Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Could this end up being good? Sure. Does this look boring and quite on the “eh” side at the moment? Definitely. The last line in this trailer may end up describing the whole movie. But then again…I have been wrong before.

Catching up with Hansel (Renner) and Gretel (Arterton) 15 years after the traumatic incident involving a gingerbread house, the siblings have evolved into vengeful bounty hunters dedicated to exterminating witches. Over the years, the siblings became expert hunters, famous for their proficiency at tracking and taking down their prey. Although still recovering from their ordeal, their work is relatively easy as for an unknown reason harmful spells and curses do not work well against them.

The Mayor of Augsburg recruits them to rid the town and nearby forests of an evil sorceress (Janssen) who is planning to sacrifice many local children at the witches’ gathering during the upcoming ‘Blood Moon’ night in two days time. To make things worse, the duo also has to deal with the brutal Sheriff Berringer (Stormare) who has taken power in Augsburg and conducts a very indiscriminate witch-hunt of his own.

Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters hits theaters January 11, 2013.

Source: HeyUGuys

Geekscape Movie Reviews: The Bourne Legacy

by Scott Alminiana

The Bourne Legacy opens in theatres this weekend and it’s a movie I really wanted to like but I just couldn’t. Don’t get me wrong, it’s not a bad movie. Not by any means, it’s just not a very good movie.

The movie is the sequel to the Matt Damon’s Bourne movies just without Matt Damon… and Jason Bourne. It is supposed to be Universal’s continuation of the franchise, taking place in the world of Jason Bourne but featuring a new character. This time around we get Jeremy Renner as Aaron Cross, an operative not unlike Bourne, who’s caught up in the fall-out of the events from the previous movies. Renner is good in the role and does his best to work with what he’s got, which sadly isn’t much due to a script from director/co-writer Tony Gilroy. Gilroy, who co-wrote the previous movies, was promoted to the director’s chair this time out and does his best to prove that the Bourne franchise still has legs.

Unfortunately, the script has some major problems, one of the most glaring being it’s pacing issues. The movie clocks in at 125 minutes but feels at least 20 minutes longer. That’s not good. The first act of the movie takes waaaay to long to get the ball rolling and set up the pieces (that don’t move very quickly once their set). The movie is compounded by a needlessly complicated plot. The over-all plot of the movie is actually pretty simple and can be summed up without spoilers: While Jason Bourne runs loose during the events of the 2nd and 3rd Bourne movies, Aaron Cross and the rest of the agents are wanted dead. The project is ordered shut down (an order given by a crisis controlling Ed Norton who never seems to leave the same room the entire film) which is simple enough to do since the agents need some magical pills from the government to keep going. Dr. Marta Shearing (Rachel Weisz) can help cure Aaron of this need but obviously it’s going to take some running and close-quarters fighting to do it. Cut to a few decent action scenes and end the movie with Moby’s Extreme Ways so that the audience knows it really is a Bourne movie (without any Bourne). Sounds simple enough, right? But the movie tells that plot in the most complicated way it possibly can, as if a straightforward narrative wasn’t good enough to continue a film series built on straightforward narratives. I’m still stunned as to how that happened.

The cast is quite impressive. Along with Stacy Keach, Albert Finney, Scott Glenn, David Strathairn and Joan Allen make what can best be best described as brief cameos, probably just to remind us that this takes place in the Bourne universe. Edward Norton is practically wasted in his role as CIA “badguy” Eric Byer. They stuck him in that room for the entirety of the movie and told him to be the evil spook (I actually think that may have been the direction given to him). Rachel Weisz isn’t bad but is given an under-written damsel in distress role, so there’s really only so much an actress can do with that. And Joan Allen gets solid billing even though she’s in the movie 4 more minutes than I am (and I’m not in the movie…).

The movie has a few good action sequences that could have been better but suffer from some poor cinematography and editing. Director of photography Robert Elswit has worked on some great movies such as The Town, There Will Be Blood, and Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol, so I’ve got to place the blame on Gilroy. This is only his third movie, with Michael Clayton and Duplicity being his previous movies (and neither of them carrying this much action). Excessively covered, hand held and quickly cut action scenes don’t always result in action.

If it sounds like I’m being harsh on this movie, I’m trying not to be. Like I said at the beginning, I really wanted to like this movie. I loved all of the ingredients of it but sadly The Bourne Legacy just feels overstuffed and undercooked. Maybe they will get the recipe right on the next try though. As a fan of the franchise, I know I’d still watch it.

Awesome Alternative Posters For ‘The Bourne Legacy’!

by Shawn Madden

The Bourne Legacy hits theaters this Friday and in celebration a group of artists were commissioned to make some awesome alternative posters for the film. Check them out and let us know which one is YOUR favorite!

Source: Shortlist

Paramount Testing Two Different Versions Of ‘Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters’

by Shawn Madden

Originally set to be released earlier this year, Hansel And Gretel: Witch Hunters starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterson, got pushed back to January 11th, 2013. In an interview last December, Arterton said the flick was “as much Pulp Fiction as fairy tale.”  It appears that the studio has been test-screening the picture, but it is like they’re not quite sure what to do with it. According to some recent reports from IMDb users, the studio is testing out two different versions of the film. An R-Rated and a PG-13 version are both being tested and the R-rated cut is definitely getting the positive feedback out of the two.

One IMDB user wrote:

I can’t say a lot because of agreements with the company, Overall I will say that I really enjoyed this one. It was different, violent, pretty funny- Sort of like Drive Angry 3D or Scott Pilgrim humor, and I thought everyone did well. It kind of felt like they nailed the ancient humor the way ‘Your Highness’ was supposed too but didn’t. I went to the R-Rated version, I haven’t seen an PG-13 version and I didn’t even think they were cutting it up to be that, I hope they go back to the R Version because that was one hell of a fun movie. A PG-13 version would just ruin everything.

And another user:

The first one was definitely the Rated R version. Good humor, good action, great fight scenes, awesome dynamic between Renner and Arterton. I loved it so much the first time, I made a group of friends go to the second screening the next week. But the next week, they had heavily edited it and turned it into a PG-13 film. If they keep it R, it’s gonna be great. Silly, but actiony and fun. If it’s PG13, it won’t be worth it. Let’s hope it’s an R rating. It was graphic and gory, I had to look away a couple of times because it was just gross.

Well, this actually sounds hopeful here. Maybe this movie will be what Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter should have been. The only thing is that I could definitely movies poor performance having an affect on ticket sales for this one sadly. With a release in January hopefully Paramount will make a decision and we will get a trailer soon to check it out for ourselves.

Source: Collider

A ‘Directors Cut’ Of ‘The Avengers’ Being Released Into Theaters This Summer?

by Shawn Madden

Rumor warning! This is not confirmed.

SuperHeroAuthority is reporting that we may just see the 35 minute longer ‘Directors Cut’ being released into theaters this summer in an attempt to knock ‘Titanic’ and ‘Avatar’ off the top of the hill.

“The Avengers is sitting comfortably at No. 3 overall on both the domestic and International ticket sale charts but it seems both Marvel and Disney desire the No. 1 overall spot and a current rumor says they could be contemplating releasing The Avengers: Director’s Cut in theaters at the end of this summer.”

Please remember this is from a ComicBook.com post and another Hollywood source who has heard this rumor and told SuperHero Authority this is a possibility but nothing has been confirmed to actually happen. Marvel and Disney have not said anything regarding this new rumor as well.”

So, while this is a major rumor…I would definitely not rule it out as a possibility. Especially because of the fact that most of us have seen this movie at least 2-3 times already. Would we most likely assemble again with that additional 35 minutes of footage? Definitely.

And what comic fan wouldn’t love to see ‘The Avengers’ hit number one?

‘The Avengers’ Becomes Third Highest Grossing Film Of All-time

by Shawn Madden

Let’s be honest. We knew it was going to do good. But this good? As of today Marvels ‘The Avengers’ has become the third highest gross film domestically (knocking down ‘The Dark Knight’) and worldwide with a massive $1.331 billion taking the third place spot from ‘Harry Potter And The Deathly Hollows Part 2’.

The film has been smashing records ever since its massive release and doesn’t look like its done yet. Many people are wondering if it has what it takes to knock ‘Titanic’ off that second place spot. With a theatrical run that doesn’t look to be ending anytime soon and one more country to still be released in (‘The Avengers’ opens in Japan in August) it very well could. I know I plan on assembling again at least once.

Source: Box Office Mojo

Check Out The New Full-length Trailer For ‘The Bourne Legacy’

by Shawn Madden

A new full-length trailer for ‘The Bourne Legacy’ has hit the web. If that teaser didn’t get you excited enough…this for sure will.

“The writer/director expands the Bourne universe created by Robert Ludlum with an original story that introduces us to a new hero (Jeremy Renner) whose life-or-death stakes have been triggered by the events of the first three films”

The Bourne Legacy’ hits theatres August 3rd, 2012.

Source: movieclipsTRAILERS