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Movie Review: Van Helsing

Starring:
Hugh Jackman - Gabriel Van Helsing
Kate Beckinsale - Anna

Ladies and gentleman, I give you the perfect movie night flick. It has action. It has interesting characters. It also has the coolest guy in a fedora since Indiana Jones. With characters based in literary beginnings, Van Helsing is excellent for one main reason. It doesn't take itself too seriously. Because of that, it allows a viewer to have a fantastic trip through a monster rich landscape made more vivid thanks to CGI.

The story begins in black and white in the lab of Dr. Viktor Frankenstein. As the story goes, he is the creator of the monster made of the pieces of seven men. But the movie allows more to it. Interjected into the scene is Dracula, played with moustache twirling perfection by Richard Roxburgh. Something is clearly up in this mountainous lab, but it's not quite clear what. However, this dark introduction neatly sets up a whirlwind adventure which resumes a year later. It is then that we meet Gabriel Van Helsing. He is a man called to hunt evil, but his past is a mystery. He simply is compelled to fight that which might plague mankind.

The movie doesn't waste much time on the deep questions though. We're plunged headlong into a story that calls up werewolves, vampires and some of the finest special effects of recent memory. This is a movie rich in visuals. A foggy forest, the snarl of a werewolf. Details are given care in this film, and you honestly might find yourself wondering if that bump outside the window might be more serious than just a stray cat.

Jackman and Beckinsale turn in fine performances. This isn't an acting heavy movie, but it does require a certain amount of charm to be brought to the roles and it's done with easy grace. Both are natural action stars, and their personality will have you cheering them along.

The language in the movie is brief, and fairly mild. There's also a non-explicit scene of a sexual encounter along with a bit of drinking. The reason for the PG-13 rating is simple. Nonstop action. However, the action is done in a way that you're never overwhelmed with gore. You're simply aware of the ferocity of these monsters and it's left at that. I'd recommend this movie for anyone looking for a popcorn munching adventure with enough heart to really make it worth the time.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
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Movie Review: The Princess Diaries 2:
A Royal Engagement

-Directed by: Gary Marshall

Starring:
Mia: Anne Hathaway
Clarisse: Julie Andrews



After the stellar success of the original Princess Diaries, you could see the sequel coming a mile off. It's just what happens with movies anymore. With Gary Marshall at the helm though, there's something different. There's an outstanding chance the sequel will actually be good. Marshall is a master at comedy, Disney knows it, and audiences have come to expect it. And that, essentially, is one of the main problems with this well meaning sequel. You expect the jokes, and that's kind of sad.

We rejoin Mia as she's graduating from college, with the incredibly fitting major of international relations, and we're caught up on the goings on of some of the last movie's key players as the young princess returns to her home of Genovia for her 21st birthday. It's there that she reunites with her grandmother Clarisse and her chief of security Joe (Julie Andrews and Hector Elizondo respectively). Right off the bat, you're brought back into the warmth the first movie did so well, and a good deal of the credit for that can go to Andrews. She is a graceful presence on-screen and adds a bit of class to the movie as she's able to crack some jokes of her own. Elizondo is a perfect foil for her, being the straight man in just the right way to make you really see how much he cares not only about his job, but the women he protects.

But now the plot thickens as the parliment of Genovia enforces a long ignored law about how an unmarried woman cannot take the throne. Thanks to the manipulations of Viscount Mabrey (John Rhys-Davies), there's also an alternative if Mia cannot find a suitable husband. His nephew Nicholas is ready and able. (Did I mention he's pretty cute?) Newcomer Chris Pine made more than a few hearts flutter in the screening I attended. Luckily though, there's more to it. He's fantastic as he goes from being a King-hopeful to someone who realizes that what he's doing is just wrong. You see the transition and take it with him until you're hoping he really does become the one to win not the crown...but the girl wearing it.

Now for the sad part. The movie tries awfully hard to be funny. When a movie does that it often fails, and does so miserably. It's to the credit of Marshall and his cast that it doesn't fail. Anne Hathaway is a gifted actress who has proven she can carry physical comedy. She is what saves some obvious jokes from just being lame. When she's on screen there is a sweetness that comes with her that's hard not to like, and harder still to dismiss. Add to that the incomparable Andrews and newcomer Chris Pine, you have a movie that is what makes summer movie watching fun. It's light hearted, good spirited, and perfect for princesses of all ages. (Even grown up ones.)

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
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Movie Review: I, Robot

-Based on the book by Issac Asimov
-Directed by: Alex Proyas

Del Spooner: Will Smith
Susan Calvin: Bridget Moynahan
Sonny: Alan Tudyk


It's probably no secret to regular readers of my reviews and articles on various actors and films that I am a movie junkie. However, what you might not know about me is that I read like a fiend. That being said, when I found out that this classic work of Science Fiction literature was on its way to the big screen I thought that I was getting presents without it being Christmas or my birthday. Like the Lord of the Rings books, works by Asimov are resonant things. However, I incorrectly assumed that the sweeping vision put down in words could never be translated well to film. Alex Proyas has done it, with a little help from Will Smith.

In a movie that will add to Smith's long history of summer blockbusters I, Robot can be summed up in exactly one word: Breathtaking. Set in 2035 America, you meet Detective Del Spooner who is a throwback to a simpler time. Ironically, that year is 2004. The first scene of the movie shows how much simpler Spooner chooses to live with his remote control CD player and Converse shoes. He's a stranger in this new world, and it's clear that no one knows it more than Spooner himself. It's also in this first scene that I have a problem with the filming. There is a fairly pointless bit of nudity which just made me scratch my head and wonder what exactly the director was thinking. It sticks out and it is, in the first few moments of this complex film, something that I feel could have been reshot. But Smith brings the story back to its proper place and you're soon immersed in this brave new world.

Robots are a daily part of average life in this futuristic Chicago. They walk dogs, care for children, and walk the streets shoulder to shoulder with their human masters. The special effects in creating these helpers is fantastic. They seem tangible and believable in their mingling with humanity which is a fact that seems far more ominous as the movie progresses. Alan Tudyk leads the robot cast as the sensitive Sonny in a performance that matches that of Andy Serkis as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. It's impressive what a talented actor and a special effects department the size of Rhode Island can do.

My only substantial complaint with this movie is in its language. There's a lot of it that's questionable. And it, like the nudity issue, just made me want to scratch my head. When a movie earns a rating for language, there's an assumption there will be something heard that's a bit adult. I, Robot pushes the boundary of it in a couple of scenes. So if you're wanting to take some younger viewers please keep it in mind. Despite that though, it is an excellent movie. Will Smith is an entertaining man to watch, and when you give him material like that of Asimov's book, the possibilities are endless.

-Jenn Untch
Liberty, Missouri
indigojenn@earthlink.net
Is there a movie you'd like me to review? Let me know!

Click Here for Production Photos from Yahoo! Movies

CleanFilms.com is awesome! They've edited all the movies so we can watch them without the bad stuff. Now I'm ready for a movie night.

> GET A FREE MOVIE RENTAL! <