2012 Summer Movie Season Preview

2012 Summer Movie Season Preview

Well everyone, it’s that time of year again, my favorite time of year, Summer Movie Season!  2012 is looking surprisingly strong, and here is a small preview of what we have to look forward to and my prediction for top movie of the summer.  Granted, this breakdown doesn’t include every film of the summer, but I’m largely judging on pre-season exposure, perceived quality, and box-office potential.

May:

The Powerhouse Sequels

The Avengers (May 4^th)

Men in Black III (May 25^th)

: Opening this Friday, The Avengers is going to hit the summer box office like a lightning bolt, finally culminating the shared cinematic universe that was first established at the end of 2008’s Iron Man.  With dozens of promotional partners and an aggressive digital strategy, Disney and Marvel have worked to ensure a far wider audience beyond the expectant comic book geeks (the group of which I am a proud member).  Men in Black III, however, is a bit of a question mark, due to decade-long absence of the franchise and the shockingly-low quality of the last entry.  Josh Brolin’s inclusion and the time-travel angle are interesting, but the trailers still look a bit corny…time will tell.

The Standalone Potential Blockbusters

Dark Shadows (May 11^th)

The Dictator (May 13^th)

What to Expect When You’re Expecting (May 18^th)

Chernobyl Diaries (May 25^th)

: The vampire focus, Tim Burton touch…not to mention the star-power of Johnny Depp, all give Dark Shadows a fighting chance, but I fear that potential audiences still remain unaware that this film is both based on a television series from the 1960’s, and includes other impressive cast members, such as Michelle Pfeiffer and Helena Bonham Carter.  Sacha Baron Cohen can certainly deliver laughs, but for The Dictator to be a success, the comedy has to channel Borat and get as far away as possible from Brüno.  What gives What to Expect When You’re Expecting an edge is the ensemble cast and female demographic appeal, while the Chernobyl Diaries can certainly benefit from the creative input of Paranormal Activity’s Oren Peli and the always-strong horror-genre audience.  Any of these films has the potential to be a runaway hit.

The Risky Long-Shots

The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (May 4^th- Limited)

Battleship (May 18^th)

Moonrise Kingdom (May 25^th- Limited)

:  Both of the limited releases highlighted above are absolutely stacked in terms of veteran acting talent, with Judi Dench and Maggie Smith tackling India in Exotic Marigold, while Bruce Willis, Edward Norton, and Bill Murray search for a pair of escaped cub scouts in Moonrise; but do either of these films really have the type of mass appeal that usually defines the Summer Movie Season?  Perhaps the biggest gamble of the summer lies in Battleship, a $200 million adaptation of a classic board game that many view as a cheap knock-off of Transformers, one that happens to have Liam Neeson and Rihanna as members of the Navy.  Whether or not there is hidden genius within Battleship, analysts have to be weary that the lead of this sci-fi popcorn flick happens to be Taylor Kitsch, who hasn’t exactly proven his ability to carry a big-budget film or to draw an audience (I’m sure he is still having nightmares over John Carter).  

June:

The Powerhouse Sequels

G.I. Joe: Retaliation (June 29^th)

: Say what you will about its loyalty to the original television show, I actually enjoyed G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra, but it looks like Paramount has chosen to listen to mass opinion and make significant changes to this sequel/reboot.  Retaliation clearly seems to focus on more realistic and less-cartoony action sequences, while also virtually wiping the slate clean in terms of cast, the exceptions being Duke (Channing Tatum) and Snake Eyes (Ray Park).  Needless to say, Bruce Willis and Dwayne Johnson should be able to draw a slightly larger audience, especially given the energetic and stylish trailer (one of my favorites of the summer); whether or not these “improvements” actually translate into a less-maligned film, I’m sold.

The Animated and Family-Friendlies:

Madagascar 3: Europe’s Most Wanted (June 8^th)

Brave (June 22^nd)

:  Madagascar remains one of my absolutely favorite animated franchises, so I am absolutely thrilled to Alex (Ben Stiller), Marty (Chris Rock), Gloria (Jada Pinkett Smith), and Melman (David Schwimmer) return and have high expectations for both clever humor and gorgeous animation.  However, I think nearly everyone is stoked for Brave, regardless of its How to Train Your Dragon tonal comparison, as Disney-Pixar’s newest project seems primed to return the company to animated dominance and repair the damage to the brand’s integrity that was done last summer thanks to the decidedly lackluster Cars 2.  Both of these kid-friendly entries promise to be just as entertaining for adults as for the intended audience, so sit back, embrace your lost-childhood, and enjoy.

The Standalone Potential Blockbusters

Snow White and the Huntsman (June 1^st)

Prometheus (June 8^th)

Rock of Ages (June 15^th)

: With Charlize Theron, Chris Hemsworth, and a decidedly darker tone than has ever been applied to the classic fairytale, Snow White and the Huntsman is sure to leave a far bigger impression than that other Snow White adaptation that fell flat in March (sorry Julia Roberts); though, for me, casting Kristen Stewart as the title character represents a significant weakness, as the Twilight series hasn’t exactly showcased strong acting talent.  As a spinoff of Alien, sci-fi and Ridley Scott fans (not necessarily mutually-exclusive), have been salivating over the mysterious and terrifying teasers for Prometheus, and with an ensemble cast that includes Noomi Rapace and Michael Fassbender, hopes are definitely high.  And, let’s face it, with an impressive cast and a focus on American Rock anthems, Rock of Ages is one musical that offers appeal to both gender demographics; we all know Tom Cruise is a capable superspy, and I’m sure many are curious to see whether he can pull-off a believable rock god.

The Risky Long-Shots

Piranha 3DD (June 1^st)

That’s My Boy (June 15^th)

Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter (June 22^nd)

Seeking a Friend for the End of the World (June 22^nd)

Magic Mike (June 29^th- Limited)

People Like Us (June 29^th)

:  On, there is a LOT that can go wrong in June, as I don’t see many males between the ages of 18 and 25 putting out money to see Magic Mike’s exposé on the world of male stripping; while both End of the World and People Like Us represent slower-paced character studies that are the direct antithesis to the types of film offerings that usually permeate this time of year   The trailers for Piranha 3DD and That’s My Boy are both cringe-inducing…the former is the sequel-that-no-one-asked-for to B-level trashy cinema that was fun at first but is definitely pushing its luck, while the latter only further reinforces my resolve that Adam Sandler is not only no longer funny, but has also devolved into an ego-maniac that no longer feels the need to put any effort into his movies.  As for Lincoln, many are unaware that this offbeat premise is actually based on a popular horror mashup novel (this kind of missed literary association certainly hurt John Carter); I may have read the book and be looking forward to the movie, but I don’t see marketing efforts achieving mass appeal or legitimacy, especially due to one of the worst tag-lines I’ve ever seen.  Not many people are going to take a movie seriously that offers the following question: “Are you a patriot or a vampire?”

July:

The Powerhouse Sequels

The Dark Knight Rises (July 20^th)

Step Up Revolution (July 27^th)

:  As soon as you finish rolling your eyes over the revelation that they are making yet another Step Up film, consider the fact that there is still a very strong audience surrounding the dance genre, so no harm, no foul.  Everyone knows that the true sequel of the summer is The Dark Knight Rises, which may not achieve quite the same level of success as its predecessor, but still has plenty of draw as the last entry of Christopher Nolan’s Batman series that brings together several Inception alumni (Tom Hardy, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, and Marion Cotillard) and offers a new interpretation of the classic villain, Catwoman (Anne Hathaway).  With nearly an hour filmed in the IMAX format, I am fully expecting eye-popping and impressive action within this newest superhero film to wow the senses, not to mention a realistic tone and remarkably deep storytelling to add further legitimacy to the genre.

The Animated and Family-Friendlies:

Ice Age: Continental Drift (July 13^th)

:  Much like Madagascar 3, this newest Ice Age brings back the original voice cast while also introducing new voices like Wanda Sykes, Jennifer Lopez, and Aziz Ansari, a move that will thrill both younger audience members and their adult counterparts.  Unlike its animated sequel rival, Continental Drift has been building buzz for months, as Continental Crack-up, the animated short featuring Scrat, everyone’s favorite saber-toothed squirrel, has accompanied several other children’s films as a form of theatrical cross-promotion.  Either way, it looks great and I cannot wait.

The Standalone Potential Blockbusters

The Amazing Spider-Man (July 3^rd)

Savages (July 6^th)

Ted (July 13^th)

: Oliver Stone tackles drug cartels in the star-studded Savages, while Ted offers what is essentially Seth MacFarlane’s attempt at a feature-length live-action Family Guy episode featuring a talking teddy bear that sounds like Peter Griffin, so each has a strong appeal to a defined audience.  The bigger story of the July standalones is The Amazing Spider-Man, a reboot of the Sam Raimi/Tobey Maguire series that many questioned until the realistic tone of the trailer and the role fits of Andrew Garfield and Emma Stone hinted at an actual improvement over the original web-slinging adventures.  Against both The Avengers and Batman, Spidey is the comic book character that has the most to prove this summer, but it looks like filmmakers were more than up to the challenge.

The Risky Long-Shots

Neighborhood Watch (July 27^th)

:  On paper and in the short teaser trailer, the grouping of Ben Stiller, Jonah Hill, and Vince Vaughn comes across as infallible, but deeper consideration of a few other factors significantly increases the chances of failure.  First off, many do not realize that one of the central plot devices of Neighborhood Watch is an alien invasion, a fact that has been downplayed/ignored in promotions thus far, and the radical shift in expectations upon that revelation might…forgive me for this… “alienate” potential audiences.  Second, the public opinion of neighborhood watches has taken a nosedive due to the Trayvon Marten case, so this may not be the best time to poke fun at vigilante justice…stay tuned.

August:

The Powerhouse Sequels

The Bourne Legacy (August 3^rd)

The Expendables 2 (August 17^th)

: Alright, before you have a fit over the fact that the newest Bourne film does not have Matt Damon, take a breath and realize that Jeremy Renner is NOT playing Jason Bourne, but rather another super-assassin trained by the same program featured in the past films.  Continuing/off-shooting the story of the Bourne series without focusing on the title character, Legacy’s trailer delivers the expected espionage and violence, as well as a few high-profile names like Edward Norton and Rachel Weisz, so I fully believe that audience response will end up being overwhelmingly positive.  And, just in case you haven’t suffered explosion overload by August, Expendables 2 will offer even more testosterone than the original, expanding the roles of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Bruce Willis, not to mention finding places for Chuck Norris and Jean-Claude Van Damme…talk about winding down the summer on a decidedly manly note.  

The Animated and Family-Friendlies:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Dog Days (August 3^rd)

The Odd Life of Timothy Green (August 15^th)

ParaNorman (August 17^th)

:  20^th Century Fox’s Dog Days and Disney’s Timothy Green will offer heartfelt, live-action reprieves from animation and keep kids interested as the Summer Movie Season begins to wind down, while ParaNorman might end up actually scaring its intended audience.  Featuring a misunderstood boy who can speak with the dead, ParaNorman pitches a creative premise and a decidedly unique animation style, but the darker tone could risk upsetting both younger viewers and parents who didn’t quite understand the film before they decided to take their kids.  Still, there is the chance that this offbeat children’s film could achieve both critical and financial success, going down as a classic along the same lines as The Nightmare Before Christmas.

The Standalone Potential Blockbusters

Total Recall (August 3^rd)

The Campaign (August 10^th)

Sparkle (August 10^th)

Premium Rush (August 24^th)

Lawless (August 31^st)

: Just because August represents the end of the Summer Movie Season doesn’t mean that viewers are doomed to low-quality standalones, as Depression-Era gang violence, feuding politicians, and revamped sci-fi mind tricks will help keep cinematic energy high.  Total Recall represents Colin Farrell’s attempt to update a Schwarzenegger classic alongside Jessica Biel and Kate Beckinsale (please and thank you), while The Campaign promises some cutting political satire with Will Ferrell and Zach Galifianakis tangling as feuding politicians.  Joseph Gordon Levitt’s Premium Rush and Tom Hardy’s Lawless have suffered several release date shifts which could serve as warning signs, but that isn’t going to be enough to stop me from seeing these two talented actors back in action.  And, While the Dreamgirls similarities of Sparkle could draw an audience, the biggest selling point comes from the fact that this emotional story features the last onscreen performance of Whitney Houston, a fact that will certainly appeal to her fans.

The Risky Long-Shots

The Apparition (August 24^th)

Hit and Run (August 24^th)

7500 (August 31^st)

The Possession (August 31^st)

:  Now, chances are that none of you have heard of any of the titles that I have listed as the August long-shots, there is good reason for that fact, as most of these projects, though they house familiar names, have been sitting on the shelf for months and are probably only being dusted-off as last-minute revenue grabs.  And let’s face it, by late August, most of the summer audience has returned to school and a significant amount of cinematic fatigue has set it.  Hit and Run looks like a formulaic Witness Protection adventure, while The Apparition, 7500, and The Possession are all members of the horror genre that so far don’t seem to offer anything truly memorable, especially 7500, which could easily be re-titled “Ghosts on a Plane…instead of Snakes.”  Either way, none of these titles seem like the way to end the 2012 Summer Movie Season on a high note.

The Summer 2012 Winner

The Avengers (May 4^th)

Runner-Up: The Dark Knight Rises (July 20^th)

: Well, for the past two summers, my box office predictions have been dead-on, and even though I am a life-long Batman fan and do feel guilty about betting against the billionaire playboy’s last hurrah, a number of factors have led me to favor The Avengers, even if victory could come down to a very narrow margin.  When you consider these two superhero films side-to-side, the reality is that The Avengers is simply more marketable, with a more humorous tone to draw non-comic book fans, an unprecedented gathering of characters that can draw from the fan-bases of multiple franchises, and a downright shocking level of promotional partners, thereby increasing awareness among anyone who has ever drank a Dr. Pepper or enjoyed a Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.  From a release schedule standpoint, The Avengers also hits first with very little direct competition while The Dark Knight Rises has to wait until late July, where, as I mentioned before, audience attendance starts to wane and will be split once Bourne Legacy and Expendables 2 hit.  I more than anyone would love to see the success of The Dark Knight repeated, but that is a bit of a pipe dream, as it featured far more popular characters (Joker and Two-Face as opposed to Catwoman and Bane), and did draw sales due to the untimely death of Heath Ledger (whose performance was already being considered Oscar-worthy)…therefore, revenue will be strong, but The Avengers is going to be one hell of a juggernaut to take down even with the boosted revenue of Batman IMAX showings.  I’ve said a million times that box office receipts are anything but a perfect science, so I could be wrong, but given my knowledge and experience, I feel like I’ve made a very safe and educated prediction.

So, that’s it, the 2012 Summer Movie Season broken down with my early reactions and box-office predictions.  This list is far more exhaustive than my preview from last summer and I will do my best to see and review as many as I can.  Given my work schedule, there might be a gap in my reviews, but keep checking back and please keep reading!  Your continued support means a lot, and enjoy all the theater has to offer!

The Five-Year Engagement: Short and Sweet

Last summer, an R-rated raunchy comedy centered on wedding events hit the box office like a lightning bolt, so one can definitely see the logic in trying to apply a similar formula in order to appeal to audiences.  While there is a high-level of star-power surrounding Jason Segel and Emily Blunt, the biggest names attached to The Five-Year Engagement actually resided behind the camera.  Director Nicholas Stoller (Forgetting Sarah Marshall and Get Him to the Greek) has proven an aptitude for guiding a strong comedy, while producer Judd Apatow (Anchorman, Superbad, Step Brothers) has been synonymous with cinematic humor for the past decade …there was no doubt a HUGE fan-base that would be able to drive ticket sales.  The box office has been gaining momentum leading up to the first weekend in May (case-in-point being Think Like A Man), and while it was unlikely that this newest Apatow comedy would achieve Bridesmaids-levels of success, hopes were high.  As a fan of every name associated with this project (not to mention my huge crush on Emily Blunt), I knew that I had to see The Five-Year Engagement, and it looked like strong laughs were virtually guaranteed.

Though it does offer plenty of laughs, the truth is that The Five-Year Engagement isn’t going to make any headlines as a ground-breaking comedy; rather, the main appeal of this film is the chemistry that connects the cast, adding not only humor, but also considerable heart.  Together, Jason Segel and Emily Blunt are remarkably compatible, so much so that you not only enjoy their characters trading quips with each other, but you also genuinely want them to stay together.  Another strong aspect, which probably should have been leveraged more in advertising, is the supporting cast, which overflows with comedic talent and several familiar faces, like Kevin Hart, Mindy Kaling, and Chris Parnell.  However, despite the accolades, the story is a little too convenient and corny, one too many jokes fall completely flat, and the running time is just too long.  So, if you are a fan of the names attached to The Five-Year Engagement, you will undoubtedly enjoy the film, but be warned that it isn’t the kind of romantic comedy that will have you rolling in the aisles or one that you will feel absolutely compelled to see again.

Overall Recommendation: Medium

The Five-Year Engagement: Full Review

The Five-Year Engagement - (April 27^th, 2012): R

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Opening Weekend Box Office: $11,157,000

Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $11,157,000

Gross Revenue: $11,157,000

Production Budget: $30 million

Director: Nick Stoller

When I reviewed The Muppets back in November, I elaborated on Jason Segel’s growing popularity, thanks largely to his mass-market appeal work on How I Met Your Mother, but I am sure that a number of his fans were glad to see him return to his roots with Judd Apatow, whom he partnered with on Freaks and Geeks, Knocked Up, and Forgetting Sarah Marshall.  While this reunion was perhaps the biggest selling-point for The Five-Year Engagement, the inclusion of the always-gorgeous Emily Blunt was sure to generate interest out of sheer curiosity…she may have worked with Segel in Gulliver’s Travels and appeared in The Muppets, but she certainly wasn’t top-of-mind in terms of comedic actresses.  Still, leading up to its release, promotions featuring these two frustrated future newlyweds were absolutely everywhere, from bus posters to billboards, while trailers featured the offbeat premise that seemed primed to deliver big laughs.  One fact that could either function as a positive or negative for The Five-Year Engagement’s performance was the obvious and justified comparison to Bridesmaids (in regards to both subject matter and release schedule)…the association would probably sell tickets, but it could also skew quality expectations a little too strongly, thereby opening up the possibility of Bridesmaids’ purists unfairly dampening word of mouth if the same level of pleasant surprise from last summer wasn’t achieved again.  I was already pretty-much set to see the film, but once I heard supporting actress Alison Brie talk about the film with Kevin & Bean on KROQ and preview a few sound bites, I was absolutely sold; and though it doesn’t technically count as a summer film, I was fully-expecting the comedy to help set the pace for the ridiculously-stacked Summer Movie Season.

The Five-Year Engagement opens in San Francisco with high-profile sous chef Tom Solomon (Jason Segel) proposing to his girlfriend, psychology doctoral student Violet Barnes (Emily Blunt), who happily accepts.  Though they begin planning their nuptials almost immediately, Tom and Violet’s plans are sidetracked when Tom’s friend and co-worker, Alex (Chris Pratt), gets Violet’s sister, Suzie (Alison Brie), pregnant at the engagement party; and the two polar opposites decide to get married before Tom and Violet.  Things get further complicated when Violet is accepted into a post-doctoral program at The University of Michigan, which requires the couple to relocate and delay the wedding for at least two years.  While Violet is thriving in her new job under the direction of noted psychology professor Winton Childs (Rhys Ifans), Tom is clearly unhappy, having been forced into accepting an unsuitable job at a college-town deli and finding no way to fill the leisure hours, aside from hunting.  When Violet’s program is extended, Tom becomes increasingly disillusioned and the once-perfect relationship begins to suffer, begging the question as to whether the two betrothed will ever find the desired conditions and circumstances for their desired wedding.

As I mentioned in the “Short and Sweet” review, easily the best part of The Five-Year Engagement is the remarkable chemistry between the cast, which not only adds to the humor levels, but also imbues the narrative with considerable emotion and intelligence.  While there are dozens of films that I can point out where the pairing between the romantic leads is clearly forced, such is not the case in this romantic comedy, as Jason Segel and Emily Blunt present a very natural and believable couple who are as funny as they are sweet, so much so that you find yourself hoping that the romance between these two continues off-screen.  And then there is the supporting cast, which actually represents a far stronger comedic ensemble than any of the trailers would have led you to believe; Chris Pratt and Alison Brie are enjoyable are the future Best Man and Maid of Honor, but the real treats are found in Kevin Hart and Mindy Kaling as members of Violet’s research team, or in Brian Posehn and Chris Parnell as Tom’s decidedly off-beat co-workers.  Now, having all of these familiar faces together doesn’t mean a thing if none of the jokes work, but rest-assured, there are plenty of hysterical scenarios and clever lines to keep a smile on your face throughout the running time…the Sesame Street conversation between Emily Blunt and Alison Brie is one of funniest/most creative dialogues I have heard in quite some time.  Unfortunately, for as enjoyable as I found The Five-Year Engagement, I do have to acknowledge that there are some pretty gaping shortcomings once you look beyond the inherent likability of the cast.

Don’t get me wrong, The Five-Year Engagement will definitely get audiences laughing and does achieve a respectable balance between humor and pathos, but unfortunately, it takes the film a little too much time and effort to achieve these accolades.  For those with short attention spans, be warned that the laughs are far from instantaneous, and there a number of jokes that the cast tries far too hard to get off the ground, making groan-inducing and corny what was intended to be side-splitting and impactful…I’m sure the cast had fun filming those scenes, but I doubt that the audience will have as much fun watching those same scenes.  In terms of the story itself, the conflicts that prevent the couple from tying the knot just don’t seem to justify delays, giving the overall message very little emotional impact by the time the ending credits roll; after about the fifth rescheduling, I found myself asking: “Why again haven’t they got married?”  And, speaking of the build-up to the end-credits, the film is noticeably too long; The Five-Year Engagement is not a bad film that drags on, it is just that the novelty of the concept wears off rather quickly and offers no true surprises or pay-offs for the investment required of the audience.  So, while these shortcomings don’t exactly sink the film, they do prevent this newest Judd Apatow project from reaching the same level of quality that has come to be expected, given his previous work.

Judging on the pre-release trailers, I fully expected The Five-Year Engagement to take the top spot in its opening weekend, even if it was facing last weekend’s strong performer, Think Like a Man; however, as I sat and actually watched the film, I noticed a marketing misstep that I thought could end up becoming a costly mistake.  When you consider that the romantic comedy opened at a decidedly disappointing fifth place with just over $11 million against a $30 million production budget, something clearly went wrong.  To me, the biggest mistake was that the promotional material underestimated the star-power of the supporting cast, a majority of whom I had no idea would actually appear…you may be aiming for a surprised reaction out of your audience, but you have just sacrificed the celebrity familiarity that could have been used to build that audience in the first place.  It is certainly ironic that Kevin Hart, the runaway star of the now-two-week box office champion (Screen Gem’s Think Like a Man), actually has a role in The Five-Year Engagement, but his presence in the film wasn’t leveraged in anyway whatsoever to obtain some share of Screen Gem’s audience; if Universal wants to give its romantic comedy legs facing the juggernauts of the Summer Movie Season, that association and the identification of the other names in the film need to take place immediately in post-release trailers.  Bottom line, marketing may have underplayed some of the appeal of The Five-Year Engagement, but that shouldn’t stop you from seeing this enjoyable, if slightly flawed, romantic comedy.

                              

Overall Recommendation: Medium

Lockout: Short and Sweet

On paper, the idea of a mass-breakout within a prison space station makes Lockout seem like a perfect science fiction action film, one that may not be entirely original, but one that could prove ridiculously entertaining if executed correctly. Now, Guy Pearce may not be the first name that comes to mind when one thinks “action hero,” and Maggie Grace isn’t exactly a household name, but in all honesty, I was sold on Lockout the second I saw Luc Besson’s name attached to the project. As a writer and producer, Luc Besson is responsible for some truly kick-ass action films, the best-known and most successful being the Transporter series that made Jason Statham a star, as well as 2008’s surprise Liam Neeson juggernaut, Taken. With an intriguing premise and the backing of Besson’s impressive reputation, Lockout certainly generated significant interest when the trailer first hit, but FilmDistrict inexplicably chose a remarkably subdued marketing campaign that caused awareness to plummet. So, while it was unlikely to break any box office records, there was a chance that this under-the-radar action film could surpass expectations and build considerable momentum thanks to positive word of mouth.

Wow, I have seen and reviewed over 130 films since I started this blog, and never before have I ever come across a lazier, stereotypical, contrived piece of cinematic garbage, one that is horrible in nearly every way imaginable and that is insulting to the intelligence of its intended audience. Whether it is in its characters, dialogue, narrative progression, or action sequences, Lockout is shockingly illogical, a shortcoming that is only further emphasized with bad direction, jumpy editing, and downright cartoonish CGI. For the life of me, I cannot imagine how three different writers and two directors could look at Lockout and be satisfied with the finished work…you will find yourself laughing at the sheer nonsense that is ultimately presented as “original” and is yet ridiculously predictable. To be fair, Guy Pearce and Maggie Grace do seem to try with the material they are given, but if you have ever seen an action film, then you have seen these characters before; simply put, both actors deserved better. Lacking any redeeming quality whatsoever and generating far too many unanswered questions, I cannot emphasize enough how much you need to avoid the ridiculously bad Lockout, which took an intriguing concept and seemed to go out of its way to destroy any chance at genuine entertainment value.

Overall Recommendation: Very Low

Lockout: Full Review

Lockout - (April 13th, 2012): PG-13

Distributor: FilmDistrict

Opening Weekend Box Office: #9 with $6,231,836

Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $6,231,836

Gross Revenue: $6,231,836

Production Budget: $20 million

Directors: James Mather and Stephen St. Leger

As I mentioned in the “Short and Sweet” review, Guy Pearce isn’t exactly at the top of the list of cinematic action heroes, so in all likelihood the first thing that most members of Lockout’s intended male audience noticed in the trailer was Maggie Grace. If she at all looks familiar as a damsel-in-distress facing a seemingly hopeless situation, that is because one of the young actress’ best-known roles is as Liam Neeson’s daughter in Taken, so that association was sure to draw some audience interest. And speaking of 2008’s well-received and ridiculously successful French action film, some of that blockbuster’s style and quality was sure to carry-over to Lockout, as writer-producer Luc Besson also had significant involvement in this newest sci-fi entry. Based on premise alone, I’ll admit that my interest was piqued…prison breaks are absolutely nothing new, but transition the setting to outer space and place an undeniable badass against ruthless murderers, and you could be virtually guaranteed great and memorable action sequences and special effects, as well as a story that would surely borrow associations from the Die Hard formula. Regardless of a near non-existent marketing campaign that showed mass audiences a preview and then didn’t seem concerned with building awareness as the release-date approached, I did catch wind of some positive feedback (drawing Blade Runner comparisons) and found myself looking forward to some hardcore action.

Set in the year 2079, Lockout begins with an ex-CIA agent, known only as “Snow,” being interrogated for his role in an espionage assignment that went wrong and claimed the life of a senior government official; charged with treason, Snow (Guy Pearce) is sentenced to incarceration at MS One, a maximum security prison facility orbiting Earth. Just as Snow is being prepped for transport to MS One, First Daughter Emilie Warnock (Maggie Grace) is engaging in a Goodwill mission aboard the space station concerning the ethics of keeping the prisoners in suspended animation. This noble intention which quickly devolves as one of the thoroughly psychotic prisoners Emilie chose to thaw out and interview, Hydell (Joseph Gilgun), disarms and kills one of Emilie’s Secret Service guards. Quickly releasing over five hundred violent offenders from cryostasis, Hydell reunites with his older brother Alex (Vincent Regan), and together, the two take control of the prison revolt, completely unaware of the fact that they hold the daughter of the President of the United States as a bargaining chip. Backed into a corner, the head of the Secret Service, Chief Scott Langral (Peter Stormare), approaches Snow and offers him a pardon and immediate release if can locate and rescue Emilie aboard MS One before the prisoners realize her true identity. Armed with a few high-tech weapons and years of government training, Snow accepts the offer , and together with Emilie, the two must survive and outwit seemingly insurmountable odds.

With as many movies as I have seen, you would think that I would be able to identify and shield myself from post-release cinematic propaganda that is presented to potential audiences as “praise,” but unfortunately, I admit to being completely suckered by the out-of-context accolades that described Lockout as “ridiculously entertaining”; the harsh reality is that nothing could be farther from the truth. This sci-fi action film misfires on almost every level, and the red flags appear almost instantaneously, whether that involves the cheap special effects used to bring the cinematic world to life (case-in-point being one of the fakest, most pointless motorcycle chases every produced), or the painfully stereotypic characters that inhabit this world. If you have ever seen an action film before, then I guarantee that you have run across the characters of Lockout before: Guy Pearce is the haunted protagonist who doesn’t play by anyone’s rules and yet isn’t above the occasional quip, while Maggie Grace is the self-righteous, ungrateful love interest who is eventually worn down and develops a romantic interest in the hero. The biggest question mark involves the villains, as the audience is never given any background or motivation to the surprisingly inept psychopaths, which may be a tall order considering that Vincent Regan and Joseph Gilgun speak with such strong Irish accents that they are near-impossible to understand; don’t give me wrong, these type of characters have definitely worked in the past and certainly would have potential in a different project, but without any depth or development, they serve as nothing more than recycled plot points. Now, as hard as it may be to believe, the aforementioned shortcomings are actually mild compared to gaps in logic and lack of coherent storytelling that plague Lockout.

Now, most sci-fi films do require a certain suspension of disbelief, and as a huge fan of the comic book genre, I have no problem with shutting my brain off from time to time, but the illogical narrative of Lockout produces so many questions without any effort at coherent answers that I have to cry foul. It doesn’t count as nitpicking if virtually nothing within Lockout makes sense and none of the several plot points that are introduced are ever fully explored; Snow’s treason is never explained, nor is Emilie’s apparent animosity towards her father or the fraternal dynamic between the film’s villains. Normally, the crowning achievement of scientific inaccuracies portrayed in outer space would go to Armageddon, but say what you will about Michael Bay, at least he tried to explain why there would be gravity in space or how a team of astronauts could land on a moving asteroid. Lockout may take place in the future, but that doesn’t grant a free-pass to make no attempt to explain how a space station could fall out of the sky for no reason, how frozen prisoners can reanimate and overtake guards almost instantly, how not one of the hundreds of male prisoners can identify Emilie as a female once her hair is cut and dyed with motor oil, or how Snow seems to carry every weapon and piece of medical equipment imaginable on his person. Add-in dull dialogue, no truly memorable or exciting action sequences, jumpy editing and direction, and a near two-hour running time, and it is a miracle that Open Road Films and FilmDistrict didn’t simply decide to cut their losses and make Lockout a straight-to-DVD release.

Well, when you consider the great disappearing act that was the marketing campaign for Lockout, is it really any surprise that the film debuted in ninth place with a paltry $6.2 million? With a $20 million budget, it is a little easier to understand how a film set in outer space could have sub-par special effects, but what I don’t understand is that it almost seems like everyone, from the filmmakers, to the marketers, to the distributors, went out of their way to ensure that Lockout lost money against a relatively small production cost. Luc Besson is well-known in the European markets, and yet, so far there is no indication that this action film will receive any kind of international presence outside of Canada, and so, when you combine that fact with the undeniably negative impact of harsh critical reaction and venomous word of mouth, financial loss is a virtual certainty. If I were to take one positive note from this cinematic train-wreck, it would be that neither Guy Pearce nor Maggie Grace has irreversibly damaged their reputations, as they did the best with what they were given…though their managers and agents do owe somebody an apology. Bottom line, nothing about Lockout is worth seeing, for your own pride and sanity, DO NOT waste your time or money.

Overall Recommendation: Very Low

American Reunion: Short and Sweet

Over the years I have lamented the fact that Hollywood seems to have lost the ability to produce quality, mass-audience humor without an R-rating, and while some may attribute this pop culture shift to Superbad or The Hangover, there is really only one series that can be identified as having legitimately served as the lightning rod for the raunchy comedy. Back in 1999, screenwriter Adam Herz introduced hormone-riddled and sex-obsessed teenagers in a far edgier and awkward manner than had ever been seen before, and thanks largely to one infamous scene in particular, American Pie became a legend and spawned a franchise. Two sequels and four direct-to-DVD spin-offs (which I would prefer not to acknowledge) later, NBCUniversal decided it was time to go back-to-basics and release another theatrical entry focusing on the original characters. Granted, nine years have passed since we last saw Jim and the gang in 2003’s American Wedding, but marketing tactics were clearly geared to remind fans of a cinematic legacy that should not only be remembered, but also revered. As a fan of the original series, I was thrilled when American Reunion was first announced, and regardless of the story that might accompany a third sequel, I knew I could expect some strong laughs generated by very familiar faces.

Within the first ten minutes, it is clear that the biggest appeal of American Reunion is sheer nostalgia; unfortunately, over-reliance on this selling-point comes at the significant cost of story, character development, and humor. Though it is impressive how many members of the original cast returned for this sequel, most of the subplots supporting their appearances either fall flat or amount to little more than glorified cameos. To be fair, none of the narratives of the original American Pie films have been exceptionally strong, but this time around there is no central “event” to drive urgency or audience investment in the characters. Now, in terms of the humor, there are a handful of scenes that demonstrate the series’ trademarked, awkwardly hilarious situations, but in its entirety, it still feels like the film tries too hard to generate continuous laughs. So, if you are a fan of the series, you will undoubtedly enjoy American Reunion, but for the rest of the potential movie-going public, there is little impetus to see a sequel that was made more out of obligation as opposed to genuine inspiration for the continuance of a story.

Overall Recommendation: Medium

American Reunion: Full Review

American Reunion - (April 6th, 2012): R

Distributor: Universal Pictures

Opening Weekend Box Office: #2 with $21,514,080

Domestic Box Office Gross to-date: $39,900,000

Gross Revenue: $80,700,000

Production Budget: $50 million

Directors: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg

No matter how popular a franchise may be, there is always the risk of losing your original audience when a significant gap exists between entries, not to mention the added challenge of attracting new members of the demographic that your core material is meant to attract. If you think about it, the gap in time facing American Reunion presents a significant challenge on two levels: first, because it had been thirteen years since the original American Pie and nine years since the last entry of that particular storyline (American Wedding) your original fan-base has likely matured beyond the point of gross-out humor, while the current desired 18-25 demographic is far too young to originally see (and thus fondly remember today) the material that serves as the main selling point for this film. Second, in that infamous nine-year-gap since the last film in the series, four critically-reviled and commercially-forgotten straight-to-DVD spin-offs distracted from the core story and severely diluted the integrity of the brand. Seriously, would college-aged moviegoers really care about the thirteen-year reunion of the Class of ’99 when the freshest American Pie memories they hold involve Band Camp, The Naked Mile, Beta House, and The Book of Love; none of which focused on the original storyline? To their credit, Universal did position its trailers to remind audiences of the legacy established by the 1999 raunchy comedy, but maybe more could have been done to raise awareness of the original series, like re-releasing the films digitally at a discount in an iTunes promotion, or using the USA Network (a division of NBCUniversal) to replay the movies on the weeks surrounding release and to highlight Steve Stifler as a “Character to Watch.” I’m not saying that I expected American Reunion to be a bomb, but whereas I was looking forward to the film, I simply didn’t think that marketing activities were strong enough to repair the franchise’s damaged integrity, thereby failing to make this newest release the kind of cinematic event that the historical core material ultimately deserves.

As the title heavily implies, American Reunion focuses on a high school reunion, in this case the thirteen year reunion of East Great Falls’ “Class of 1999,” all of whom who now struggle with different adult responsibilities. Jim Levenstein (Jason Biggs) and his wife Michelle (Alyson Hannigan) are struggling to keep the passion alive in their relationship; Chris “Oz” Ostreicher (Chris Klein) is an NFL sportscaster disillusioned with his supermodel girlfriend, Mia (Katrina Bowden); Kevin Meyers (Thomas Ian Nicholas) is married and fighting boredom as a home-based architect; Paul Finch (Eddie Kaye Thomas) is a globetrotting adventurer; and Steve Stifler (Seann William Scott) is demeaned as a low-level temp at an investment firm. Seeking to reclaim the glory of the old days, the high school friends are ecstatic to reunite, but several complications arise upon the return home, particularly for Jim: not only is he struggling to cheer up his now-widowed father, Noah (Eugene Levy), but he is also tempted by the repeated advances of his next-door neighbor, the soon-to-be eighteen Kara (Ali Cobrin), whom Jim used to babysit. Oz and Kevin are both rattled by the appearance of their former girlfriends, Heather (Mena Suvari) and Vicky (Tara Reid) respectively, while Stifler reels at the drastic changes to the high school party atmosphere, and Finch pursues a former ugly-duckling classmate, Selena (Dania Ramirez). With such a blatant reminder of how much things have changed, the five friends must reevaluate their priorities in life and realize the inevitable implications of growth and maturity, albeit with a little help from some familiar faces.

No matter what age you are, nostalgia is a surprisingly positive factor that can be used to attract audiences, and American Reunion exploits this component is as strong a way as possible, throwing familiar faces together for the trademarked brand of humor that really can’t be replicated and that fans have missed for years. You have to admit that it would be pretty anticlimactic if a film with “reunion” in its title only featured a few cast members from the original, but the filmmakers were impressively able to bring back every iconic character, both main and minor, whether that included sex-symbol Nadia (Shannon Elizabeth); perpetual-liar Chuck Sherman, “The Sherminator” (Chris Owen); MILF Guy John (John Cho), or the wild seductress, Stifler’s Mom (Jennifer Coolidge). If you had to describe American Pie humor in a few words, two of those words would invariably be “crude” and “awkward,” and in this sequel, it is monumentally entertaining to watch Jason Biggs and the crew reengage in the outrageously crude and awkward situations that made them famous in the first place. The joy with which Stifler enacts revenge on high school students or the conflict/temptation that plagues Jim as the ridiculously gorgeous Kara makes advances paves the way for some brilliant comedy that will have you rolling in the theater. However, once the laughter subsides, some pretty blatant shortcomings come to light which prove that the film offers little to those who are not fans of the franchise.

In every basic narrative, some kind of conflict has to be introduced and resolved, and even though there is some leeway with the level of conflict that is needed to bind a comedy, there should still be enough to invest the audience in the welfare of the characters; sadly, the absence of this basic tenet is painfully obvious in American Reunion. In American Pie, the four main friends make a pact to lose their virginity by prom; in American Pie 2, Jim struggles to arrange the perfect night with the crush that he previously humiliated himself with the year prior, and in American Wedding, Jim and Michelle prepare for the beginning of the rest of their lives together. These three previous conflicts/events were enough to drive a movie, especially when they were faced by high school students/young adults, but this time around, it is a little hard to care about adults who are simply returning to their high school without any true plot device obstruction. In spite of this simple premise with little weight, the script is still convoluted with implausible subplots that were designed with little effort solely to justify the presence of old characters; for instance, Shannon Elizabeth’s Nadia, easily the most popular character from the original American Pie, shows up and disappears almost instantaneously, with little explanation and almost no impact…what a waste. Add these two primary factors together with the infrequent humor, and it is clear that the prime inspiration for this sequel was to simply throw together largely forgotten characters without a strong script and hope that lightning would strike a second time nearly a decade after a past success.

From a box office perspective, American Reunion proved unable to move completely past the challenges that I identified earlier in the review, as this newest entry in the historic franchise opened in second place behind The Hunger Games with just over $20 million. No one can deny that The Hunger Games presented one hell of a challenge to overcome in terms of box office receipts, but the record-breaking blockbuster was in its third weekend, and a fresh challenger with an established fan-base and significant star power should at least have been able to present a little more of a threat. Now, some analysts might be tempted to blame sub-par performance on an R-rating, but if that were the case, there is no way that 21 Jump Street would have been able to generate its impressive numbers; at the very least, Universal can rest easy that the modest $50 million budget has already been recovered. Surprisingly, this newest comedy has actually earned more overseas, which is probably thanks to an aggressive international distribution strategy and the generally high foreign interest in American pop culture...and like it or not, the American Pie series will always represent a pop culture phenomenon. In the end, the novelty of revisiting the familiar will please fans, but beyond that, this largely uninspired narrative proves that the story surrounding the ground-breaking and raunchy teenagers has completely run its course, and therefore should not be revisited.

Overall Recommendation: Medium