Tuesday, Feb. 21, 2012

Recliner Reviews for February 23, 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. We’ve been throwing in some Oscar-nominated films here and there for the last couple of weeks but now we’re going full-force. The next few weeks, we’re throwing handful after handful of nominees at you to see if they’re great or artsy pieces of dung.

“Midnight in Paris”

So, let the red carpet roll and let’s see what’s hot and what’s a flop. “Midnight in Paris” is Woody Allen’s most financially successful film – pulling down more than $100 million worldwide. And it’s Allen’s most accessible film in a long time. Mostly due to the fact that it stars Owen Wilson and Rachel McAdams – Owens is engaging as a present-day writer who goes on vacation in Paris with his bitchy wife and spends his nights traveling back in time to the 1920s. He meets up with the expatriates and talks about art, writing, music and discovers who he really is and what he really wants. Allen shows he can display his craft without wasting tons of cash. It’s nominated for four Oscars – Best Picture, Best Director, Best Original Screenplay and Best Art Direction – it’s worth at least one and a watch.

“Puss in Boots”

To think that this prequel about the beloved feline-in-foot-apparel from the “Shrek” franchise was almost a straight-to-DVD release. It did take it’s time to pick up at theaters, too. But once the word-of-mouth got around, people flocked to see it. It’s like the gato version of Zorro. It’s stylish with Spanish/Western flair but still within the world of “Shrek” – where Grimm and Mother Goose tales collide. The director knows the material, he also directed “Shrek the Third.” Antonio Banderas loves this character and it comes through in his vocal performance. Salma Hayek joins Banderas for their fifth film together. Zach Galifianakis hops on to throw in some quirk and ta-dah – a nomination for “Best Animated Featured Film.” Puss doesn’t stand much of a chance trying to bring home a new, gold scratching post. He’s going against a couple of artsy animation films, a kickass Panda and my pick, “Rango.” But it’s definitely worth a watch.

“If a Tree Falls: A Story of the Earth Liberation Front”

When you think about what terrorists look like, the image of a bunch of hippies hugging trees probably doesn’t come to mind. But the Earth Liberation Front is no joke and its members take their tree-hugging seriously, to the point of arson. This documentary goes behind the hoodie-clad gangs and examines what they are doing and why their opinion is important. They are environmentalists. They burn empty buildings in protest. And they are considered terrorists by the United States Justice Department. But anybody this passionate about their views deserves a chance to be heard. This is a balanced look at a few of these individuals. It’s a good film but it’s not bringing home the gold – that’ll probably end up in the hands of The West Memphis Three with “Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory.” But it’s still worth a watch.