Just when you thought Battlestar Galactica was over, it starts all over again with Battlestar Galactica: The Plan, which looks back at the nuclear assault on Caprica and the months that followed from the Cylons’ point of view. The return to the beloved series, however, is not as incredible as you’d expect. (more…)

Ellie, Diego, John Leguizamo, Manny and the rest are back in Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs, but hold the celebration: the movie is the weakest of the franchise, and that’s saying something when the franchise has never been very good to begin with.

I’ve never understood why the Ice Age movies have been so popular; the three films made so far have made nearly two billion dollars worldwide, not counting DVD and merchandise sales. The first one was boring and the second, while better, was still lackluster. The third film, unfortunately, is the weakest of the three. (more…)

It’s already the end of October, which means that the studio films aiming for Oscar glory are beginning to trickle into theaters. The first major film of the season to have much promise is Amelia, about the short-lived life of famous female pilot Amelia Earhart. The tragic tale seemed destined for greatness, if only for the fact that the movie stars Hilary Swank and is directed by Mira Nair. Unfortunately, Amelia is nothing more than a standard biopic, an unimaginative and uninteresting story that is less an examination of the woman and more a snapshot of some historic events. (more…)

Movie critics the world over are rejoicing this weekend as audiences rejected the sixth Saw film, which, as many agree, are six films too many. With weekend box office tallies in, Saw VI earned less than $15 million in theaters, half of what Saw V opened to and even less than the original Saw’s entry. (more…)

As always, there has been a fair amount of movie news over the last week. Here’s the good stuff:

1. Paranormal Activity beat out Saw VI at Friday’s box office. Saw’s box office reign may be over, as it is likely to take in under $20 million this weekend (compared to last year’s $30+ million opening).
2. Mad Max 4: Fury Road is finding traction, but without Mel Gibson. Rumors have the George Miller sequel starring Charlize Theron and Sam Worthington. I want Worthington’s agent.
3. Daniel Craig says Bond 23 will start filming near the end of 2010. In that time, one hopes they figure out how to make it more like Casino Royale and less like Quantum of Solace. (more…)

Battlestar Galactica may be done, but is it really? Battlestar Galactica: The Plan debuts on Blu-Ray and DVD on October 27 (we’re giving away a copy here), Caprica arrives early next year, and BSG hotties Tricia Helfer and Grace Park are on the cover of Maxim, looking hotter than ever. Here are some pics from the November issue:

A lot of things happen in a week, most of them boring. Here are ten things that aren’t:

1. Sam Raimi acknowledges and agrees with criticism toward Spider-Man 3. Says he’s “to get back to the basics” with Spider-Man 4 (set to be released in 2011)
2. Che, which was originally released in December 2008, is finally coming to DVD – but not until January 19, 2010. It will be released as one movie versus its two theatrical parts.
3. The rumor mill is circling Beverly Hills Cop 4; one source says the studio is looking to hire a new writer to start over from scratch, and another says they’re looking to adapt an unrelated spec script. Yet another says that Judge Reinhold and John Ashton will reprise their roles, but conflicting reports say no casting has been decided.
4. The president of the National Association of Theatre Owners said his members were “ballistic” over Paramount’s decision to release such films as G.I. Joe: Rise of Cobra to DVD only 88 days after its theatrical release. Most people are ballistic that the movie is coming to DVD at all.
6. The documentary Michael Jackson: This Is It is selling out on Fandango, even though its release is two weeks away. And yet, concert promoter AEG’s claim that the film will make $250 million in five days seems a bit steep.
7. Jon Favreau said he won’t be directing The Avengers, but he will be a producer.
8. Chris Pine (Captain Kirk in Star Trek) more than likely will be the next Jack Ryan, following in the footsteps of Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford and yes, Ben Affleck.
9. Roland Emmerich is considering doing Independence Day 2, though it hinges on Will Smith’s involvement.
10. Bryan Singer says he’s open to directing X-Men 4. Fans everywhere hope that he can wipe away the memory of the third film – and Wolverine.
11. The screenwriter of Saving Private Ryan has been tasked with writing a Warcraft movie.

In American Violet, Nicole Beharie makes a strong debut as Dee Roberts, an African-American single mother of four who finds her life turned upside down when she is falsely arrested for selling crack cocaine. After the chief D.A. offers her a plea deal in exchange for no jail time – versus a long, expensive court battle in which she could face years in prison away from her children, she becomes aware of a plot that involves racism and manipulation of the U.S. legal system.

Based on a true story, American Violet is essentially a direct-to-DVD release, having earned just over half a million dollars during its theatrical run earlier in 2009. Most movies go straight to DVD for a reason, but every once in a while one slips through the cracks. American Violet is one of those films. Why Samuel Goldwyn chose to sit on this one is anyone’s guess.

Beharie is excellent in the lead, delivering an emotional, heartfelt performance. She’s supported by a very good and more experienced supporting cast that includes Will Patton, Alfre Woodard, Michael O’Keefe and Tim Blake Nelson. O’Keefe does a particularly good job playing the film’s villain.

The movie works on account of its story, which tackles the issue of racism in the legal system. The plot drives the film more so than anything else, and this works both for and against it. American Violet is succinct and to-the-point; it moves along at a fast clip, presenting the plot points, turns and developments in an engaging and entertaining way. And yet, when you compare it to the great legal films of the last several decades, it feels small and insignificant, not because of what it’s about but because of what it’s missing. The characters are good but not particularly developed; what drives them and keeps them up at night is never explored. How Dee is affected by her circumstances are shown but never felt. American Violet is an engaging film, but not a gripping one. It lacks the emotional drama necessary to take it to the next level.

Nonetheless, the movie’s still worth seeing; it just isn’t award caliber. American Violet is remarkable for the story it presents and the actress it introduces – Nicole Beharie. Recommended.

View this American Violet movie review at its original location – FilmJabber!

Rising and fading stars converge in The Proposal, a pretty typical romantic comedy from the director of 27 Dresses and Step Up. And yet, just like Anne Fletcher’s other films, there’s something that just works about the movie.

Ryan Reynolds, who after years of circling mainstream exposure finally burst onto the scene with such 2009 hits as X-Men: Wolverine and this film (and has subsequently been given his own Deadpool and Green Lantern movies), stars as Andrew Paxton, a young, ambitious man who’s worked as an assistant to a bitch of a boss, Margaret Tate (Sandra Bullock). Margaret has ruled his life with an iron fist, but when she learns that she is to be deported to Canada, she finds herself as Andrew’s mercy. Though the government suspects their deception, the two head off for a weekend with Andrew’s family in preparation for the big day: their sudden wedding.

The Proposal is your standard romantic comedy: the two leads hate each other and due to a goofy premise, they slowly warm to one another. Some conflict arises, the two go their separate ways, and then the man has to chase the woman down to confess his true feelings. Yep, pretty standard. Still, as mentioned earlier, The Proposal clicks more often than not. Writer Pete Chiarelli has devised a decent screenplay with enough funny lines and moments to string audiences along. Bullock, an unlikely candidate to play a cold boss-witch, is actually quite good, and Reynolds is as enjoyable as always, bringing his ability to deliver sarcastic one-liners with him. The Proposal benefits from the odd chemistry the two have.

Nevertheless, The Proposal suffers from a stereotypical third act that doesn’t live up to what’s presented earlier. This is one of those rare romantic comedies that could have actually worked had the two leads not gotten together at the end. In fact, it would have felt much more natural. While Bullock and Reynolds have good comedic chemistry together, their romantic chemistry isn’t nearly so strong; they’re funny, but it’s hard to see them as anything more than that. The transition from enemies to lovers is pretty questionable, and The Proposal would have been much more satisfying had Chairelli and Fletcher taken things in a more believable direction.

Beyond the sketchy romance that evolves in the final act, The Proposal also becomes dull as it nears the end. Its cleverness fades as it becomes more and more routine. There aren’t many funny moments in the final moments, and the romantic reunion isn’t anything to scream home about.

And still, The Proposal is a generally entertaining romantic comedy with enough laughs to keep both guys and girls engaged. Bullock still looks in form, and Reynolds shows that he can headline a major release. Betty White is also a show stealer in many of her scenes. Recommended.

The Blu-Ray includes outtakes, as well as an alternative ending and some deleted scenes, all with optional commentary. The only item exclusive to the Blu-Ray is an additional deleted scene – wow. Strangely, when I started the film, it defaulted to subtitles of the director’s commentary, which, in fact, made the movie all that more amusing.

View this Proposal, The movie review at its original location – FilmJabber!

Steven Soderbergh is one of those directors that just doesn’t seem to care how marketable his films are. Here’s a man who put himself on the map in the early 2000’s with such popular films as Erin Brockovich, Traffic and Ocean’s Eleven, but who then followed those up with Solaris, Eros, The Good German and Che. His movies fluctuate between pitch perfect mainstream films and niche art, which is quite rare this day and age; even the most independent of directors, once they hit the big time, seem to sell out. But that’s not Soderbergh.

In his first of two 2009 films (the other being The Informant, which I saw last night), he hires gorgeous porn star Sasha Grey to play Chelsea, a high-end Manhattan call girl who’s attempting to balance her boyfriend, clients and career. Seeking “reviews” to take her prominence to the next level, she finds herself at odds with her boyfriend, a rare man who’s willing to look the other way – most of the time – while she goes out and pleasures other men. When she meets a client who could be something more, however, she puts everything in jeopardy.

The Girlfriend Experience follows Chelsea as she navigates these dilemmas, presenting them as fragmented snapshots out of chronological order. Surprisingly, the movie’s narrative is strong and easy to follow and is not nearly as confusing as expected. The movie, shot on a budget of less than $2 million, is simple, and yet Soderbergh makes it look like it could have cost ten times as much. The direction is superb.

Grey, of course, is an unlikely choice to headline a drama by an Oscar-winning director. The 21-year old actress has 180 movies to her credit, but almost all of them are pornos. That’s a lot of porn to do in just three years. Despite the odd choice, Grey turns out to be a good choice for Soderbergh; she’s gorgeous and has a surprisingly classy look. Furthermore, while she isn’t asked to have a lot of emotional range in the picture, she portrays a very likable and yet emotionally tragic figure with ease.

Thanks to Grey’s performance, Soderbergh’s direction and a pretty good screenplay, The Girlfriend Experience is an easy-to-watch drama that examines a career line that is rarely represented in such a humanistic way. The movie isn’t spellbinding or overpowering, but it works as an effective character study.

The Girlfriend Experience, for obvious reasons, is not for everyone, but if you’ve liked Soderbergh’s other indie films, this is another quality entry on his résumé.

View this Girlfriend Experience, The movie review at its original location – FilmJabber!