Thursday, Jan. 12, 2012

Recliner Reviews for January 12, 2012

Sometimes it’s a dilemma: what DVD should you rent or what movie should you stream or order-on-demand? Do you want a date flick, an action caper, or a goofy comedy? Weekly Surge is here to help with our reviews of recent at-home movie releases, which we've watched from the comfort of that favorite recliner.

“Colombiana”

Action movies are like music. One great film comes out, using new techniques or encompasses plot twists and boom…the history of action flicks is altered and everyone races to replicate the formula and stack shelves with copycats. This film is an anomaly, centering on a female hitman that kicks ass. Yes, females that kick ass are as hot as the newest Gaga track but here’s the rub. The guy who wrote this one kind of started the rotation with “Le Femme Nikita” and he’s added to the female badass set list with an extraterrestrial in “The Fifth Element,” a kid in “Leon: The Professional” and even a historical female badass in “The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc.” Recently he wrote the hit “Taken” and this film is like a hybrid of girl power and the fast-cut action he’s been known to create. Zoe Saldana adds her exotic hotness to the asskickery, playing essentially the same role she played in the “The Losers.” And that is the problem – it alls feels warmed over and done before. The action scenes are cool but the plot and the characters have almost become cliché. There has to be a story out there concerning badass babes that hasn’t been sung. The remix has its moments but it’s still the same old song – barely worth a watch.

“The Help”

I’m an Emma Stone fan and I was still apprehensive about her playing an enlightened socialite in segregated Mississippi circa 1960s. Adapting the hugely popular novel by the same name would be daunting enough but doing it with the debutante of hip romantic comedies worried me. I was concerned that she would fall flat and my image of her would forever be broken. But no fear, she holds her own. And she does it shoulder-to-shoulder with Viola Davis – Davis rocks whatever role she accepts whether it’s a five minute part, a TV episode or in this case, carrying a feature. “The Help” is an absorbing period piece, a drama worthy of Oscar nominations. Stone’s image is secure and Davis upholds her reputation – worth a watch.

“Kung Fu Panda 2”

The Furious Five are back, led by the chubby panda, Po. The first film was an ode to the classic Kung Fu movies of the past 50 years – transferring all the virtue and vice of a cultural movie movement to a kid-friendly package. Part two continues the trend but also adds a conservationist theme to the mix. The original voice-over cast all return and add Gary Oldman, Danny McBride and Jean-Claude Van Damme – not bad. The story is creditable sequel material and the action is so ex-cit-ing, especially if you’re a Kung Fu film fan. Plus, as most good sequels do, it installed elements for a third film. What credible animated film is not built for franchise mode? Yes, the third installment usually sucks, but it’s the journey that counts. And this bridge has a hell of a view – worth a watch.