Race to Witch Mountain

--PG-- Watching movies that star Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson bring me back to my younger years when I would see a movie that starred Hulk Hogan. Not because the movies they make are similar, but because those two people followed similar career paths. The big difference between the two is that Dwayne is a former wrestler and actually makes decent movies. Hogan still wrestles and made movies that would make most people run away and hide.

I for one am glad Dwayne Johnson has dropped his wrestling moniker and has taken his charisma and good looks to such family friendly films as The Game Plan and now Race to Witch Mountain. For those of you that never saw the original which was made back in the early 80's, both movies revolve around two alien kids with supernatural abilities trying to locate their spaceship so they can return home. Both movies also feature an enemy that wants to capture the kids and either dissect them, or control them.

Now that the basic plot line is layed out Race to Witch Mountain is a fun light-hearted comedy that should entertain anyone that is in the mood to smile. It isn't particularly funny or witty, the acting isn't superb and the pacing of the movie isn't perfect. But even with those unspectacular facts you still will smile at Jack Bruno (Johnson) muddling through something that is clearly over his head. You can't help but smile at Gary Marshall's (Soapdish) cameo as a wacked out alien conspiracy theorist. Better yet is Carla Gugino (Spy Kids) playing this straight laced scientist that is trying desparetly to be taken seriously by both the scientific world and the sci-fi alien nut-jobs.

No, Race to Witch Mountain is perfect, it isn't a laugh a minute comedy, but it is a light-hearted family film that will entertain you and have you believing that aliens might just be real.



cah

The Last House on the Left

--R-- In a day and age when horror movies are a dime a dozen, filled with Saw XV's and Hostel V's it is rare to find a true horror film. To be clear I think a true horror film is one that terrifies you for its real life possibilities. Most horror movies made today are either supernatural and ridiculous or movies like Saw that celebrate depravity regardless of what could or would really happen.

The Last House on the Left is a truly terrifying film. The movie consists of a prisoner transport escape (plausible), teenagers making stupid decisions (plausible), rape of one of the teenagers by an escaped convict (plausible), surviving a gun shot wound to the back (plausible), power outage in a rural setting during a storm (plausible). All the key points to this film were plausible. Nothing was supernatural, the bad guys weren't heartless...just criminals trying to survive in a situation that calls for extreme measures.

Now all that being said, The Last House on the Left isn't the best horror movie ever made, but it is one that is based in reality and is entertaining enough to overlook its negatives. I will say that the rape scene is probably the most terrifying part of the movie, one in which averting your eyes would be beneficial. There is no need to watch a 17 year old girl get brutalized by a sociopath, however the scene was pivotal to the movie and a catalyst which allowed for survivors of this horrifying experience.

If you are a bit timid and tend to shy away from horror movies, don't go see this one. If you like movies like Saw you will probably not be disappointed however don't expect there to be complete depravity celebrating violence for violence sake. If you want to be scared and maybe teach your teenage daughter a lesson or two you will most likely enjoy this movie in all its horrifying splendor.



cah

Doubt

--PG-13-- With protest and only by request I am writing this review...I'll leave it at that.

The most controversial thing that has sprung up about this movie isn't about whether it was good or not. That fact was decided by earlier reviews and Oscar night. No, the real controversy is about whether Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman) committed the unthinkable act of molestation. With all evidence being circumstantial, Sister Aloysius (Meryl Streep) is certain that the Father committed the crime and therefore must be ousted from the Parish.

The movie focuses on a sister in a patriarchal society, in a patriarchal religion standing up against her "superiors" and by any means necessary accomplishing that which she feels she must. This is the topic in which I would like to discuss. It doesn't matter whether I think he did it, or if you think he did it. What matters is if Sister Aloysius was correct with her flagrant disregard of church protocol and potentially ruining someones life without any real proof. We live in a society where everyone is supposed to be innocent until proven guilty. But in a religion where reputation is perhaps more important than innocence the fact that she even hinted at accusing him of it, would scare even the most innocent of men in his position, away.

Sister Aloysius acted in a way that portrayed a "by any means necessary" attitude. This kind of attitude is dangerous; they will lie, cheat, steal and in some circumstances kill to accomplish their end goal. What makes her attitude even worse is the fact that she had no concrete evidence, she was acting on instinct and experience. Two things that can lead to doubts. For instance, in the closing moments, Sister Aloysius with all her talk about certainty and doing what is necessary confesses to Sister James (Amy Adams), "I have doubts, so many doubts!" This startling confession proves that she acted in a manner that goes against reason and against all we as a democracy believe. Without certainty, without absolute proof, Sister Aloysius did all she could, to remove a priest that she simply did not like.

Do the "ends justify the means?"



cah

Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li

--PG-13-- I am torn...I don't know if this movie should be in the popcorn category, or the trash heap. My reasoning is if I throw trash cans up there I will have to admit I am ashamed I saw the movie, but the problem is why should I be ashamed? This is based on a video game franchise that has sold millions of copies for nearly two decades, additionally Jean-Claude Van Damme made an earlier film in this franchise back in the early '90's. So I just can't admit that I should be ashamed I saw this movie.

That just leaves popcorn, my problem here is I don't think it was even a popcorn worthy film. I saw this for another Monday morning early bird special with ten other people. Of those ten, six left during the movie, there was even a moment in which I wanted to leave...okay there were three or four.

Unlike the Van Damme version that was futuristic, cheesy and full of 1 : 1 fighting scenes, this Street Fighter incarnation was filled with story, and voice overs to explain "The Legend of Chun-Li." Which of course is the subtitle to the title Street Fighter. Ugh, the movie was filled with bad acting by Chris Klein (American Pie Trilogy), decent acting by Neil Mcdonough (Band of Brothers) and interspersed with mediocre acting by Michael-Clarke Duncan (Green Mile) and Kristin Kreuk (Smallville).

Oh Kristin! This brings me to perhaps my biggest hang-up...Kristin is not Asian, she isn't even half Asian. Since her character has a caucasian mother this could be explained away if they didn't cast younger versions of her character as Asian girls. Those girls at various stages of development looked absolutely nothing like the adult Chun-Li. Ugh!!! Huge casting mistakes, stupid directing, bad acting and limited action sequences mean I have to throw this movie onto the trash heap.





cah