F22: The Bourne Legacy-Directed by Tony Gilroy

"Reds, greens and blues! Where are you keeping them?"

 Treadstone. Blackbriar. Viral genetic behavior modification supplements. Linking code that activates structural consistencies in a subjects physical makeup. Yawn. What a letdown this movie was. Being a huge fan of the Bourne franchise, I feel this latest and hopefully last installment is not worth your money. The film is too concerned with plot development and strays from the equation that made the previous films so stellar. With all due respect to the Philippines, gone are the sexy locations that we have come to expect from our beloved secret-agent-but-who-am-I-really series. The new main character, Aaron Cross, spends too much time playing tiddlywinks out in the remote wilderness instead of delivering lethal karate chops to the throats of his aggressors.  The director waited too long to launch him into action and lost me after the first 30 minutes.  You will be confused and just when you think you really have no clue what is happening, your befuddlement is untangled with some ridiculous turn of events. And don't even get me started on the ultra bad guy who is brought in from a similar sister training program to hunt Cross at the end of the film. He was laughable, as were the white pants he sported while jumping from roof top to roof top in hot pursuit. I will save everyone some time on this review and cut to the chase. This movie is flat out boring. Those fans of Jason Bourne will be disappointed and I strongly recommend waiting for DVD, at least then you can have instant access to snacks and alcohol. Boooooo.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=paVLyvA5S1g

F21: The Dark Knight Rises-Directed by Christopher Nolan

Dear Christopher Nolan,

Just wanted to thank you for all your hard work the past decade and for bringing something very dear to my childhood to to life. Batman has always been my favorite comic book character and I have relentlessly hoofed it down to see every attempt at bringing him to life on the big screen. Michael Keaton was a classic, George Clooney a clown and Val Kilmer something in between. Casting Christain Bale was an amazing choice, especially considering the direction you were going to be the whole project. He is gritty, savvy and shines brightest when harboring the broken down spirit of a man with nothing to lose.

This last installment was not my favorite of the trilogy, but it wow was it good. I understand that it takes time to wrap up a series of films and the way you connected to dots and had the entire plot come full circle was brilliant. Your penchant for story telling is top shelf and I admire your ability to develop characters like no other. Your latest villain, Bane did not really show up too much in my comics, but I sure do wish he had. Mr. Nolan, he was bad ass. Not just surface bad ass, but throughout the core of his character, which you so expertly flushed out, he was incredible. He was no Joker, but I loved what you did with him, as well as how you introduced the Catwoman to the story. Anne Hathaway was another stellar casting choice and I really enjoyed her take on the iconic enigma. Hello, leather jumpsuit!

What can I say about your action sequences? I am pretty sure you did not really blow up that football field with Heinz Ward running back a kickoff, but yesterday you had me hook, line and sinker. Your vision for creating stunts and scenes that have not been seen before is implausible and this last installment was truly a magnificent achievement in film making. Your Batcave was dark and sinister and quite a change from Adam West's version with all the super computer boxes hogging the floor. I don't know how you do it Mr. Nolan, but everything about your film is visually ridiculous.

Again, thank you so much for all that you have poured into this trilogy. I have come a long way since running around the house in my Batman Underoos, and it was great to see how you evolved my beloved Batman into something that I could appreciate and love while being in my 30's. I will be looking forward to sitting down someday to uncork this masterpiece with my children and relive the prodigious story that you have told us about a man named Bruce Wayne and his involvement with the League of Shadows. Till then, I will be waiting for your next project to come out. I am sure it will be wicked.


Godspeed,
BF


Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASQqjK47c04

F20: Savages-Directed by Oliver Stone

"There is just something wrong with your love story baby."

I was really looking forward to this film, but must say that it was really disappointing. Who wouldn't want a little stickem up-drug runnin-rpg blasting-love triangle kinda film on a Friday afternoon? I thought it sounded like a good idea, but this movie simply falls flat. While some may call Oliver Stone a visionary, he takes this simple plotted film and attempts to stretch into something epic. Epic it is not. I appreciate his attempt and while the man sure as hell can direct a bad ass action scene, this movie crawls and inches its way on. And on. And on. And on. And on. And on. And alright already boys, get moving and rescue the girl. She has and we have for that matter, suffered long enough. It did barely enough to keep me in my seat till the end, which was 2 hours and 45 minutes away from the opening spot.

Meet Ben and John. Ben and John grow cannabis. Lot's of it. They run their indy drug business in Laguna Beach, Ca and both date a girl named Ophelia, played by Blake Lively. Soon their operation attracts the attention of competing Mexican drug cartels and they are forced to accept an absorption or suffer the predictable consequences. Their plan to flee to Indonesia is foiled when Ophelia is kidnapped and held hostage, forcing them into upholding the proposed business arrangement. They conform, but hatch a rescue plan after about an hour of screen time and chaos ensues. Salma Hayek is cast as an unconvincing jefe running the Mexican operation from Tijuana. Other than the action scenes, the only other aspect worth mentioning is Benicio Del Toro's character which he plays to a T. One of my favorite actors, in this film his character is utterly despicable. Playing El Jefe's mullet rocking, bull whip cracking leading henchman, Lotto is abhorrently cruel with his methods. Bencio's talent is obvious and was one of the reasons why I did end up staying. When the ending finally did come, I can say that I enjoyed the mini twist Mr. Stone tossed in there, but more so the fact that it was finally over. Skip this one friends, or at the very least wait till released on DVD so you can take breaks. Trust me, you will need them.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KC2zbOwbeEs

F19: Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter-Directed by Timur Bekmambetov

"Judge us not equally, Abraham. We may all deserve hell, but some of us deserve it sooner than others."

History, violence and vampires. What a concept. This movie adaptation of the popular book hit movie houses this week and was quite interesting. It is not for everybody, but for a hybrid genre of historical fantasy, it reeks of awesomeness. Honest Abe wielding a custom silver crusted axe, battling the forces of darkness? Yes please! The title pretty much sums up the entirety of what this film covers and while it lacks depth, the special effects are stellar. Director Timur Bekmambetov had a real challenge on his hands turning this film into something worthwhile, as it could have just as easily become a rotten egg of an experience. The casting was terrific, the backdrop of a U.S. Capital in its infancy and the civil war scenes all were extremely well done. This movie is really a testament to what special effect companies are able to achieve these days and the fight scene that took place in the middle of a stampede was downright ridiculous. Muting the color palate also gives this movie the gothic edge it needed and I really enjoyed how historical events were taken and injected with a little twist of dred. If you are looking for a little escape from the real world and are in need of an action fix, check out of Abe Lincoln Vampire Hunter. It is worth seeing.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=34x6m-ahGIo

F18: Moonrise Kingdom-Directed by Wes Anderson

"I am missing a Khaki Scout. I am letting you know only as it is required by protocol."

Wes Anderson is not a director, but rather a mad scientist of his craft. I love his organic approach to storytelling and his sarcastically glum and drab style. Watching one of his movies is like sitting in a funky, hidden coffee shop that’s walls have been strangely muraled by some unknown visionary. You are not sure what to say about the art, but you just know that it is brilliant. He is really unlike any other director out there, and this latest movie of his is exceptional.  His movies are best remembered for their charming yet dark characters and the two leads in Moonrise Kingdom, Suzy and Sam surely belong in the pantheon with such legends as Steve Zissou and Chas Tennebaum. 

Sam is a Khaki Scout. Or ex-Khaki Scout I should say. He is roughly 11 years old.  And unpopular. Quite an accomplished water colorer, Sam has coke bottle glasses and builds a mean campfire. 

Suzy is also roughly 11 years old. She is left-handed. Suzy has three annoying brothers, loves science fiction novels, listening to music and blue eye shadow. Where ever she goes, her trusty binoculars go with, along with her pet kitten.

These two share an unlikely encounter during the school play and hatch a plan to go and live together out in the wilderness. Their disappearance does not go unnoticed and soon a savory cast of characters is on the warpath trying to find them and put an end to their budding romance. Edward Norton plays the Khaki Scout leader and is priceless tromping around the forest in short shorts and knee high socks. Bruce Willis crushes the role of pathetic downtrodden police officer, while Harvey Keitel will have you smirking with his depiction of the commanding founder of the Khaki Scouts. This movie has everything you will not be expecting a summertime flick to have and is a must see. It is fresh, enchanting and awkward, like all great Wes Anderson movies are. Skip the blockbusters and see this, stat. Thank you Mr. Anderson, you are a genius.

Trailer: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MemkzzlQJ6Y

B12: Ghost in the Wires by Kevin Mitnick

"sdkgnkiju n kdsmiwejfj23j232 3t49t94j9ejfjskvsd vsdvsgjsro ogorsgoj43j994j3j5809."

While this much talked about autobio may not be the most eloquently written book, the subject matter makes it worth reading. Kevin Mitnick is a legend. Just about everybody in the computer world knows and fears his name. Best known for his circumventing talents and auspicious ability to manipulate, Mitnick is an hacker extraordinaire. Using a primitive ham radio to intercept police information and to hijack the local McDonald's drive through frequency, Kevin began hacking in his early teens. His journey has been an entertaining one and still to this day he is able to seduce cyber security barriers, while making a comfortable living doing it.

When most people think of the term hacker, more times than not they associate identify theft, fraud and embezzlement with the subject in question. What I found to be piquing with Kevin Mitnick was how his passion for computer hacking was never for financial reasons. He was able to gain access to just about any blip of data he so choose, only to store and stash the intel on some unsuspecting out of state server. Even more interesting are the methods used to manipulate workers with in the targeted company and how Kevin was able master the art of "social engineering". Having done some research on a particular individual, he would contact them on site and pretend to be out in the field with some sort of emergency that required the download/upload of source code he wished to acquire. Often times speaking in a hurried tone that emulated a potential crisis, he was granted access for simply sounding believable. What follows is a true cat and mouse game of life on the run, stuffed with blank birth certificates, cloned cell phones and late night rendezvouses. Rendezvouses. That doesn't quite sound right, but I'm rolling with it. Sorry, I digress. Yes this book is a bit geeky, but I would certainly say that it is an adventure worth digesting. At the very least it will give you something to think about when setting your online passwords. Check it out.

B11: The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami (608 pages)

"You should have no sense of guilt about having had relations with me. You see, Mr. Okada, I am a prostitute. I used to be a prostitute of the flesh, but now I am a prostitute of the mind. Things pass through me."

Haruki Murakami is a wizard. Reading his work is like using a kaleidoscope to peek into the dream of  a lost poet. The words seemingly drip off the pages, float down and burrow themselves into your skin. You will remember this book. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and would highly recommend it to anyone in search of something different. For it revolving around such a simple plot, the story is imprinted with depth that is often lacking in many books clinging to "Best Seller"  lists churned out by major cosmopolitan cities. The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle is really a collection of savory characters that all come into contact with our unorthodoxly ordinary hero, Toru Okada.

After Toru and his wife Kumiko's cat goes missing, Toru sets out on a mission of self discovery that ultimately will dump his life upside down. A prostitute, a brooding teenage girl and an old Manchurian War general enter into Toru's world and each provides a piece of a key that will be needed to unlock Toru's potential. He soon becomes a product of these encounters and now needs their perspectives to help him locate his wife who has gone missing without a trace. This book is a heroic attempt at using history, sex, politics and human interaction to tease out life's true purpose and to give meaning to the meaningless. So much in our life revolves around the people we meet along our own journeys and this book will definitely cause you to reflect on some of the more interesting characters you may have come across in your own time here on Earth. It is beautifully written and while it has an austere backbone that creeps throughout, this book will be a fantastic addition to any library. Read it.