Starring Alex Pettyfer, Timothy Olyphant, Dianna Agron, Callan MacAuliffe, and Teresa Palmer
rklenseth's Star Rating:
John (Alex Pettyfer) is an alien teenager on the run and hiding on Earth from an enemy that invaded and destroyed his home planet of Lorien. He is the fourth of nine aliens that the enemy called Mogadorians are hunting and this alien nemesis must destroy the fugitive aliens in a certain order. Three of the alien teens have been killed and John is the fourth thus the simple title I Am Number Four. One of the reasons the nine aliens are being hunted are that when they become adults they will have extraordinary powers that can be used to fight the Mogadorians. For the time being, the teenager has an alien warrior guardian who poses as his father named Henri (Timothy Olyphant) that watches over and protects him from danger.
After an incident in public where they live in Florida, John and Henri are forced to move from their current home to a small town in Ohio where they hope to live quietly in peace. However, a group of bullies at John's new school begin to torment him for befriending a local loser named Sam (Callan MacAuliffe) and one of the bullies former girlfriend named Sarah (Dianna Argon). Pushed to the limits by the bullies, John begins realize the superpowers he has and just in time as the villainous Mogadorians are hot on his trail as is a mysterious young woman (Teresa Palmer).
The story is okay but I did have a few problems with it. The first problem is that there was never any explanation as to why the alien teens had to be killed in a certain order. The story just says this is the way it is and deal with it but it really is just sloppy story telling. Another problem I have that they never explain is why these aliens came to Earth. Was it because they looked like us and could blend in? The film could have used a bit of an introduction at the top explaining some of these things to the audience. About the only thing the audience get is a film-noir type voice over that tries to explain things as the events occur but much is left completely unexplained.
Another problem this film has over the story is that its lead actor Alex Pettyfer looks like he is in his twenties (the actor is actually 21) but we are suppose to believe he is 17 years old. I really wish they had used someone a bit younger or at least looked to be around that age. Pettyfer also doesn't have much acting range as he appears throughout the film with the same scowl as if he is trying to read something that is too far away. Timothy Olyphant is okay as Henri but he is only in about 1/3rd of the film. Dianna Argon was fairly good as Sarah and Teresa Palmer is also acceptable as Number 6 but she has very little screen time.
I Am Number Four is average sci-fi fare. The acting from the lead leaves something to be desired but with a good supporting cast and fair special effects this is a tolerable film.
Starring Linda Fiorentino, Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, Chris Rock, Jason Lee, Alan Rickman, Salma Hayek, Jason Mewes, and Kevin Smith
rklenseth's Star Rating:
Dogma is a satirical take on God's dogma and the inconsistencies of organized religion. When two fallen angels in Wisconsin, Loki (Matt Damon) and Bartleby (Ben Affleck) receive a news article about a Catholic diocese in New Jersey that will be instituting a practice that forgives a soul for its sins when it passes under an archway of a church that is celebrating its jubilee they find it as a loophole to get back into heaven and begin a race across the country to get there on time. At the same time, God sends a Metatron (Alan Rickman), or voice of God, to call upon a woman who works at an abortion clinic named Bethany (Linda Fiorentino), a 13th Apostle named Rufus (Chris Rock) and two prophets named Jay (Jason Mewes) and Silent Bob (Kevin Smith) after the angels to stop them for if they succeed then all creation will cease to exist. Furthermore, a demon named Azrael (Jason Lee) is trying with all possible means to make sure the angels do succeed.
This is a hilarious comedy from director/actor Kevin Smith and it is also a very ambitious look at organized religion. This film is very negative toward organized religion so if you are easily offended by such things I would skip seeing this film. Needless to say I loved the story and how epic it got by the end. The ending revelation or twist had me smiling at the irony of it all.
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck are very funny and have great chemistry together as the two fallen angels. The most riotous moments come from Jason Mewes, Kevin Smith and Chris Rock during their scenes together. The rest of the cast is good but some the dialogue and acting was a bit silly which I believe it was meant to be.
All in all, I thought this was an amusing and thought provoking flick with a very good cast that was splendid.
Starring Dan Aykroyd, Kim Basinger, Jon Lovitz, and Alyson Hannigan
rklenseth's Star Rating:
My Stepmother Is an Alien is about a lonely and widowed scientist Steven Mills (Dan Aykroyd) who is trying to make contact with alien life in another galaxy via experiments with satellite dishes and lightning. On one stormy night and with his bumbling brother Ron (Jon Lovitz) in tow, Steven is able to send a transmission at the speed of light to another galaxy but the experiment ultimately fries everything including any evidence that he succeeded and he is fired by his employer moments after.
Down on his luck, Steven goes to a party his brother is hosting with his daughter Jessie (Alyson Hannigan) and while at that party he meets the beautiful but kooky Celeste Martin (Kim Basinger) who is actually an alien from the world that Steven's transmission was sent to. Unbeknownst to Steven, the transmission he sent out is dangerously impacting the alien world in another galaxy and that these aliens believe Earth has declared war on them and so they send an agent in the guise of Celeste to charm and find out how they did it and then destroy Earth. But through some misunderstanding between Earth and the alien culture, Steven and Celeste end up getting married instead and actually fall in love with each other. Not long after, though, Steven's daughter Jessie becomes suspicious of her new stepmother.
Now this movie has its comical moments that left me chuckling but most of this film didn't seem very funny and I think the problem was that the audience was in on the joke while the characters in the story bumbled around trying to figure out what was happening. Sometimes this works however here it seems it gave away too much too early. On the other hand, I'm not sure there would have been any other way to tell this story without the audience knowing what was happening.
Dan Aykroyd is all right as the scientist and widowed father and Alyson Hannigan is cute in her film debut but Kim Basinger appeared to be out of her element as the clueless and sexy alien. Basinger does sexy well but the rest of her role seemed awkward and uncomfortable. I would have to say she was too sexy for the role and I think someone like Geena Davis from that era of film would have been a better fit.
All in all, My Stepmother Is an Alien delivers some laughs and the story is mildly amusing and watchable.
Starring Paul Bettany, Maggie Q, Cam Gigandet, Lily Collins, and Karl Urban
rklenseth's Star Rating:
Priest takes place in an alternate reality where humans and vampires have been at war for centuries. This war has all but leveled the Earth to a barren landscape and, from a brief animated feature at the top of the film, the audience learns that the humans have finally won the war with the vampires by means of humans with extraordinary powers whom have been termed Priests. With the end of the war, the humans have retreated to walled off cities, the vampires that survived are put on reservations (aka high security prisons) and the human government, a fanatical Christian theocracy, has disbanded the Priests on fear that they may turn their powers against them.
In the beginning of the film, a group of Priests led by a man named Priest (Paul Bettany) have infiltrated a vampire hive and not long after realized that they have fallen into a trap. Upon retreating from the hive, a priest (Karl Urban) trips up and the vampires end up grabbing him. Priest tries to save his comrade but is unable to do so and the man is pulled into the hive where presumably he is killed. Now fast forward a few years later and the humans believe that the vampire threat is over but when Priest is contacted by a local sheriff named Hicks (Cam Gigandet) from a town in the wasteland that his niece (Lily Collins) has been kidnapped by vampires, Priest's instincts warn him that something is afoul. Going against the theocratic government that wishes that he not get involved, Priest then embarks on a journey to find and save his niece as well as deal with whatever vampire threat may exist. Along that journey, Hicks and eventually another priest called the Priestess (Maggie Q) joins him on his crusade to rid the world of the vampires that nobody considers a menace.
This film is a very interesting take on the vampire genre. Other than the sucking blood part and suffering from really bad and fatal sun burns, the vampires of this film do not resemble any that I have seen before. They are humanoid, sightless, disgusting looking creatures that prefer to walk and run on all fours and act with a bee colony mentality. These blood suckers live in what are called hives and resemble the inside of a bee hive. Humans can also suffer a form of vampirism after being bitten by a vampire but they are known as familiars and they do not need to suck blood nor are they affected by the sun. The film hints that eventually a familiar will go to full vampire and will no longer resemble human but during their familiar stage they are simply used as slaves by the vampires for mundane tasks or guard duty during the day.
Also, the world that these humans inhabit is absorbing both visually and content wise. From the Christian theocratic government to the dark and visually stunning city, there is a lot to look and ponder at. You can tell this world has a history and it scars itself onto the landscape. The most interesting story of the humans and furthermore the central story is that of the Priests. They are humans that have extraordinary powers and by that I don't mean superpowers but just quicker reflexes and better instincts than regular humans that allow them to fight the vampires more effectively. These humans are tattooed on the forehead with a cross that immediately identifies them as a Priest and, although having been the key instrument in winning the war, they are shunned by human society and feared by the human theocratic government they once served.
Alas, now that I may have actually gotten you interested in this film, I must let you down as this is a poorly executed attempt. The dialogue at times is laughable and sometimes the expressions on the actors' faces seem to simulate that look of complete disbelief at what they are saying. Additionally, the fight scenes seem to completely defy the law of physics and I know the Priests are suppose to be better than human but not super human and that really bothered me.
The story is pretty straightforward from what I have written above and I really didn't mind it so much but a lot of the ideas have been done better in other films. Now the one thing I did not like concerning the story is that not all the story elements are wrapped up by the end of the film and leaves it completely open for a sequel. Now while I'm okay with sequels and all, I'm not okay with introducing key story elements and leaving them incomplete especially when it is the first film and sequels aren't guaranteed. It makes me feel as if I've paid for an incomplete film of which I may never see the rest of the story.
Paul Bettany is befitting in the lead role and he is much like the character he played in Legion (2009). He is definitely good at the brooding and dangerous character type. Maggie Q graces the screen and is visually stunning during her action scenes. Cam Gigandet is tolerable in his role and Lily Collins is probably the most annoying of all in the film. I can't tell whether it was her character or her acting that annoyed me. And lastly, Karl Urban is pleasing in the role of the villain.
Overall, Priest is an average film with a few defects and flaws but the world and premise are interesting enough and the story is decent and watchable.
Starring Joseph Fiennes, Neve McIntosh, Kelly Harrison, Clare Higgins, and Maria Pakulnis
rklenseth's Star Rating:
This film is a about a Jewish family on the run and hiding in Poland after the Nazis have invaded in the spring of 1941. After escaping the ghetto that they were imprisoned in, Artur (Joseph Fiennes) and Clara Planck (Neve McIntosh) and their eldest daughter take refuge in the attic of a farmhouse of a young woman named Emilia (Kelly Harrison) of whom they bought produce from in the past. The story also interweave with the story of a much older Clara (Clare Higgins) in 1971 as she returns to Poland for the first time after World War II and the spring of 1941 is told in flashbacks as Clara remembers what happened to her and her family.
In 1941, as his family hides in the attic of the farmhouse, Artur takes on the identity of Emilia's missing and most likely deceased husband who was a soldier in the Polish army and, at first, mainly to help around the farm but it quickly becomes apparent that Emilia has an ulterior motive. With Clara and the daughter hidden away in the attic and out of sight, Emilia begins to show her affection and attraction to Artur and at first Artur resists but it isn't long until she has charmed him into her bed.
While in 1971, Clara visits her family's former home and happens to glimpse a sighting of an older woman on a horse drawn wagon that appears to be Emilia (Maria Pakulnis). She follows the old lady back to the farmhouse where Clara tries to confront the older Emilia and learn what happened those days of the spring in 1941. What she learns from Emilia brings closure to Clara's past.
Now the acting in this film is fine with much of the story featuring Joseph Fiennes and Kelly Harrison and their character's love affair. Fiennes is good and the little known Harrison is decent in the role of the younger Emilia. Clare Higgins is good as the older Clara in the 1971 storyline.
The story is somewhat disjointed with the back and forth between 1971 and 1941. The story also lacks the emotional punch that I would expect and what happens to the characters is foreseen in the beginning of the film. It was pretty much just waiting for the events you knew were going to happen to happen in the story. By the end of the film and as the older Clara learns of what happened, there aren't any big surprises and, in that respect, the film is a bit of a let down. I was kind of hoping that what I thought was going to happen would be different.
Overall, this film is an okay movie with good acting but there are much better Holocaust stories out there on film that are worth watching over this.
Starring Ray Liotta, Don Cheadle, Joe Mantegna, Angus Macfadyen, and William Petersen
rklenseth's Star Rating:
This is an HBO made for TV film featuring the story of the Rat Pack and mainly focusing on their involvement in John F. Kennedy's (played by William Petersen) 1960 Presidential campaign. The film centers most of its focal point on Frank Sinatra (Ray Liotta) as the leader of the gang and points all the fingers at him for getting the crew together to help Kennedy in his election bid against Richard Nixon.
I don't know a great detail of the history of the Rat Pack and whether or not the film is accurate to history but it seems to follow Sinatra through a jumble of scenes beginning with him as an aging star getting prepared for a performance on the backstage. While left alone just moments before going on stage, Sinatra mutters to himself that he wished the guys were with him and, just as the performance begins, the film smoothly transitions to the 1960's era as a middle aged Sinatra takes the stage. Now while that was a very smooth transition between the eras one problem with the film is that it jumps around and sometimes one can only tell what era you are watching by whether or not Sammy Davis Jr. (Don Cheadle) is wearing an eye patch and the Star of David necklace after his infamous accident. But mainly the film does focus on the Rat Pack's involvement with the Kennedy clan and the 1960 Presidential Race.
The casting is decent with Ray Liotta as Frank Sintra, Don Cheadle as Sammy Davis Jr., Joe Mantegna as Dean Martin, Angus Macfadyen as Peter Lawford, and William Petersen as John F. Kennedy. Liotta is entertaining to watch but I felt as if I have seen this type of performance from him before. Cheadle shines in the role of Davis and his character is probably the most featured in the film after Sinatra and that is good as Cheadle's performance is first-rate. The one thing about the cast that irked me a bit was Petersen as Kennedy as the actor doesn't even come close to looking like Kennedy although Petersen has Kennedy's voice and accent nailed.
Overall, this an admirable and interesting film about the Rat Pack and that time period in general. The performances are fun to watch and the film never really seemed to be boring although the story can get a little confusing as the film slips between different time periods but if you keep an attentive eye you'll notice what time period you are in by the dialogue or, again, by whether or not Sammy Davis Jr. is wearing an eyepatch or the Star of David necklace.
Rabbit Hole is a well acted but depressing drama starring Nicole Kidman and Aaron Eckhart as a couple who have recently lost their young son. Each of the two main characters is trying to cope with the loss of their child in their own way. Becca (Kidman) is obviously depressed and wanting to forget about the child that she has lost while her husband Howie (Eckhart) doesn't want to forget.
In one key scene, Howie confronts his wife about a video of their son that has been deleted from his cell phone that he was keeping and Becca nonchalantly admits to mistakenly deleting the video but in a way that gives the audience the belief that she may have done it on purpose. At the same time, Howie also wishes to move on and continue his family with a new child but Becca does not as she is stuck in a depressive mood. This is the conflict that one witnesses throughout the film between the husband and wife.
Kidman is excellent as the dismal Becca. She is able to express the full range of emotions that are required for this type of role and she does it expertly. Eckhart is also just as good as Howie but his character didn't have the opportunity to express the type of raw emotion that Kidman had to for her character. The rest of the cast in a supporting role is good with Dianne Wiest standing out as Becca's mother.
And when I said before that this film is depressing I'm not saying that is a bad thing but be prepared for this moody drama that deals with the death of a young child and his parent's mourning.
In conclusion, this film is a satisfactory dark drama with strong acting and a story that may be too depressing for some.
For more movie reviews from me, check out and follow me at http://www.moovee.me/ where my screen name on that site is 'rklenseth'.
