Fast Five

*** stars

No movie called Fast Five deserves to be this entertaining. Coming off the stench that was 2009's Fast and Furious, I was shocked to find that this latest installment is actually a really fun action movie. It never takes itself too seriously, the plot actually has an end game to it, and there's a fresh sense of direction from Justin Lin, who holds nothing back and realizes that the more ridiculous it gets the better off it is.

Vin Diesel and Paul Walker probably owe everything to this franchise. It's the only real consistent commercial success they've experienced throughout their whole careers. For a while, they tried avoiding being typecast. Today, it seems they're embracing it. With huge paychecks. Fast Five just opened to $83 million, a monstrous figure. Now knowing that it is a very entertaining movie will up its chances of being one of the highest grossing movies of the year.

I was never a big fan of this series. There was always something non-sexy about fast cars continuously racing for no reason (except to show off the cars) and close-ups of female asses that indicate clear signs of a studio's desperation to lure young male viewers to their movie. That's what The Fast and the Furious franchise has been all about. However, what's clever about Fast Five is that it understands this and makes fun of itself before we have the chance to.

The movie roars off to a fast start. After receiving a life sentence in prison without the possibility of parole, Dom Toretto (Diesel) is a free man after his best friend/former cop Brian O'Conner (Walker) and his sister/Brian's girlfriend Mia (Jordana Brewster) help him escape. The escape plan? Crash a car into the prisoner bus that is carrying him and hope that he survives it so they can snatch him up before anyone else can. After that, the three go on the run and find themselves in Rio de Janeiro hoping to find a way to freedom. That means ONE LAST JOB TO END THEM ALL.

This turns Fast Five into a formulaic piece of pop culture entertainment with an actual purpose. They want to take down a corrupt businessman named Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida), one in which they steal a very valuable car from, by using a computer chip from the stolen car that contains high valued information about illicit business activities including $100 million in laundered money. We don't want to see Dom and Brian stealing from just anyone. We root for our heroes because they are stealing from the corrupt even though in the end they are villains themselves.

Especially through the eyes of DSS agent Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson), whose philosophy on the law is catching any suspect whose file lands on his desk. This translates into him basically wanting Dom's head on a plate. However, as Hobbs learns more about what is actually going on, he starts to question who the good and bad guys actually are.

Oh, and by the way, as this is all going on, we get plenty of ludicrous car chases. The climax chase scene in-particular is an astonishing action trip into the ridiculous.

With these type of films, I like to be proven wrong. I am glad that the creative team behind Fast Five was able to prove to me that this franchise has yet burn out. I'm sure I'm not the only one who feels this way. Let's see if they can do the same with F6.

BOX-OFFICE PREDICTIONS: SUMMER 2011

This has to be one of my favorite columns to write all year. Combining two big subjects in Hollywood that drive my passion (box-office analysis and blockbuster movies), I will now predict the highest grossing films of the summer. You'll be surprised that there aren't any real surprises on this list. In the predictions stage this far out, it's easy to assume what films will make money and what ones won't. However, it's all about how much each film will make. So, let's do it to it...

10.) Captain America: The First Avenger
($210 million)

The tenth spot here is always an educated guess. Hell, this whole list is. But the tenth spot is for the movie that will make about $10 million more than other potential hits, such as Kung Fu Panda 2, The Green Lantern, X-Men: First Class, and Rise of the Planet of the Apes. I'm giving this spot to Captain America simply because it is a chess piece in a larger game (The Avengers franchise). Anything that is apart of something bigger than itself has the upper hand in terms of making money.

9.) The Hangover 2
($250 million)

Regardless of how big this movie is for Warner Brothers and its summer movie line-up, it will take an enormous crowd to generate the same success the original film made in 2009. Making $277 million domestically and $467 worldwide off a $35 million budget is hard to come by. This sequel has a bigger budget and much bigger expectations. Because of that, look for it to come just short of the original. This may sound like a disappointment, but for any comedy to hit north of $200 million should count their blessings.

8.) Cowboys and Aliens ($260 million)

One of the few original films coming out this summer is Jon Favreau's first film after his enormous success with the Iron Man franchise. This will be a true test of his directorial skills as a big budget director (sometimes there's more pressure on the follow-up feature) and how bankable he really is outside of franchise that already has a built-in fanbase. If there's any indication from the buzz surrounding this film, it will certainly be a huge success. It won't be the biggest movie of the summer, but if it's this successful, look for the sequel to take control in the coming years.

7.) Thor ($275 million)

Thor has the same advantage Captain America does: it's apart of The Avengers. With a strong marketing campaign and being the first official movie of the summer (Fast Five is technically being released in April, so it's not necessarily the start of the season), look for Thor to take advantage of the first two weeks of its release. The only other movie that will be its competition (other than Fast Five) is Priest, which will not reach blockbuster heights anyways.

6.) The Twilight Saga - Breaking Dawn: Part I ($280 million)

(Sorry, no trailer has been released yet. This is all I could find.)

The Twilight franchise seems to be one of the only surefire moneymakers in the industry. Look for the first part of the last chapter in the series to continue that very trend.

5.) Super 8 ($300 million)

This is my wildcard pick. I am not just putting Super 8 at $300 million because it's my #1 most anticipated movie of the summer. I am putting Super 8 at $300 million because I think it will cross it. Why? Because it's an original film directed by J.J Abrams, produced by Steven Spielberg, and I think it has the potential to be the best movie of the summer. I also need to believe in a film that can prove to everyone that the better your movie, the more money it will make.

4.) Transformers: The Dark of the Moon ($300 million)

Michael Bay + Explosions x Product Placement = $$$. Although I think this will be the lowest grossing film out of the whole bunch. The second one may have made a lot of money, but its terrible sting still lingers inside many moviegoers.

3.) Cars 2 ($315 million)

Pixar may be making a mistake by releasing two sequels in a row, but I will certainly not be the one to doubt the company's extraordinary skill at making critically and commercially successful movies. Thus, I predict Cars 2 to outperform the original.

2.) Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides ($330 million)

I have mixed feelings about how this movie will perform. It's certainly capable of hitting $400 million, and if it's actually a good movie, it may even come close to $500 million. However, reboots are very unpredictable. Are people sick of Jack Sparrow? I don't think so, but I do believe that it will not be the highest grossing movie of the summer, because of....


1.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows ($400 million)

The end to the most successful franchise of all time in what could be the biggest movie not just of the summer, but of the year. Not only is its build-in fanbase enormous, but it's an action movie too, meaning it will attract all sorts of customers. Anyone who doubts this epic is about to have a serious wake-up call.

Scream 4

*** stars

Sometimes low expectations are a blessing, because I believe it actually allowed me to enjoy Scream 4, a nostalgic slasher flick (how often can you say that) that will remind fans of why they enjoyed the original so much in the first place.

On its own, this installment of the enormously successful franchise isn't much to goggle over. It's essentially a fun and loose remake of the 1996 original, only with a slightly different twist.

After coming out of the darkness with her new tell all book, Out of Darkness, Sydney Prescott (a welcome return for Neve Campbell) has returned to her old stomping ground (the town of Woodsboro) to prove to herself that the nightmares she's been living with for most of her life (also known as three successful films in a franchise) are behind her. That is until the masked-killer returns for some fresh teenage-blood.

Other returning characters include Gail Weathers, now Gail Weathers-Riley (Courtney Cox) and Dewey Riley (David Arquette), which ironic for them are a married couple going through a tough time in their relationship (Cox and Arquette reportedly split during the making of this movie). Gail is struggling with her life outside of the spotlight as the it-newswoman of the moment as she suffers from writer's block, while Dewey seems more interested in his cop partner Deputy Judy Hicks (Marley Shelton) than his own wife. The two both find themselves in familiar situations when they get involved with the investigations of the legendary killer. Through this, the two seem to reconnect. How twisted is it that this couple only finds happiness within each other when there is a serial murderer on the loose?

As the "story" steams on, we are introduced to new but overall non-memorable characters. Emma Roberts and Hayden Panettiere play best friends who become apart of the killer's game. We also get two film buffs explaining the new rules of a horror movie. The biggest rule? You don't need to have sex anymore to be the victim. Anyone can be a victim. Virgins are targets, too. This is after all how the original began. Sydney wouldn't give it up to her boyfriend, so she was safe. Then she did give it up, so she wasn't anymore. In the ideologies of the new rules, recklessness seems to be the driving force behind Scream 4's fear.

It's odd to say this because the film is nowhere near his best, but this is actually Wes Craven's best film in quite some time. Maybe even since the original Scream. This shows that the franchise only works with Craven at the helm. Although the film is disappointing at the box-office, at least Craven and company can sleep peacefully knowing that he has satisfied the fans that are worth satisfying.

Your Highness

** stars

When Danny McBride was plugging his epic medieval stoner comedy Your Highness on Conan, he said the original idea for the movie came when him and director David Gordon Green were in film school together. They used to play a game where one would come up with a ridiculous original title and the other must take the title and give it a ridiculous original premise. Thus we have in 2011, Your Highness.

The premise is quite unique. An epic story of two brothers named Prince Fabious (James Franco) and Thadeous (McBride) who embark on a quest to save Belladonna (Zooey Deschanel), the bride of Fabious, from the evil Leezar. The twist? The movie is one long penis joke. While it sounds weirdly funny, it actually fails to produce anything above a forced chuckle.

You should never expect too much from a stoner comedy, because nothing good will come out of that. However, because of low expectations, a stoner comedy does not need much to entertain. Perhaps just a few laughs here-and-there in some unorthodox situations. Yet Your Highness can hardly do that, and instead of using the talents at hand (including Natalie Portman as the beautiful warrior Isabel) too take things to the next level, it almost feels as if the cast is holding back.

In the beginning of the movie, Thadeous is about to be hung by midgets and he survives because his feet hit the ground before the noose can grab hold of his neck. This is a very funny introduction to a character, however the reasons for his hanging are hardly touched upon and it is never brought into light for the rest of the film. Why not try and have a hilarious chase scene where Thadeous defends off midgets with a ridiculous weapon? Instead of using the time period to create uproarious randomness, Your Highness tries to parody the medieval concept itself and thus it is a missed opportunity.

The Ten Most Anticipated Films of the Summer

The Season of Blockbusters

This summer is chalked full of comic-book adaptations, remakes, sequels, threequels, fourquels, and a movie that at one time was called 5nal Destination. So clearly this top ten will have sympathy votes. While there is certainly plenty to scorn about, there are a few exceptions that I am extremely excited for. Here are my top ten most anticipated movies of this summer...

10.) The Debt

This film has been delayed by eight months. While that is never a good sign, I am looking forward to Sam Worthington's first attempt at a non-blockbuster roll since his breakout year in 2009. This is a political thriller about the capture and death of a Nazi war criminal carried about by three young Israeli Mossad agents in 1965. Thirty years later, the Nazi still appears to be alive, so one of the former agents must go back under cover to discover what really happened. Worthington plays one of the agents from 1965. I hope that this will showcase what kind of actor he will become. After all, he is the star of the highest grossing movie of all time.

9.) Larry Crowne

I'll admit, the trailer is flirting heavily with the lame side, but Tom Hanks directed, co-wrote, and stars in this relevant story about a middle-aged man who heads back to college after losing his job. The premise may come off as contrived, and perhaps it is, but Hanks is still and always will be one of the most beloved stars in Hollywood. Ten years ago, his movies were always one of the big headliners of the summer. While his box-office drawing power has softened over time, Larry Crowne also co-stars Julia Roberts, so expect this rom-com to be full of 90's nostalgia and a possible sleeper hit.

8.) One Day

(Sorry, this is no trailer released yet for this film)

Don't worry, I'll get to the big blockbusters in a minute. This could be one of the big surprises of the summer. Anne Hathaway and Jim Sturgess star in director Lone Scherfig's follow-up to An Education about re-visiting one day of young love on the night of their college graduation. They revisit each other on the same day every year for twenty years to catch up and rehash their incredible night together. Again, the premise may scare off the masculine, but with a solid director and a lovable cast, perhaps this could be the ultimate love story of the summer.

7.) Cowboys and Aliens

On to the big films. Jon Favreau passes the reign in the Iron Man franchise and moves on to an entirely different concept: cowboys vs. aliens. In 1873, aliens invade earth to take over the planet and it's up to a few cowboys to stop them. I'm a little turned off that the movie's title is the same exact thing as its concept, but Favreau is still a talented director (despite losing himself a little bit in the disappointing Iron Man 2) and with an all star cast including Daniel Craig, Harrison Ford, Sam Rockwell, Paul Dano, and Olivia Wilde, this could be the start of another very successful franchise.

6.) The Hangover Part II

Why tamper with something that already works? Part II of the hilarious 2009 comedy The Hangover finds Phil (Bradley Cooper), Stu (Ed Helms), and Allen (Zach Galifianakis) in Bangkok for Stu's wedding, only to wake up once again after another night of torpedo-like destruction. Joining them is a mysterious monkey and some old friendly faces from the original. While I don't expect the sequel to match the comedic heights of the original, it may be the only real comedy I am looking forward to all summer. Once again, another summer fails to bring the necessary comedic balance. Hopefully, director Todd Phillips will bring enough of it in his film to give the fix moviegoers are yearning for.

5.) Cars 2

I was shocked to find that Pixar's follow-up to a threequel would be a sequel, and that sequel would be to the one film many believe to be Pixar's weakest entry. Then again, a weak Pixar entry will still be an entertaining and money-making machine. The premise follows now racing-legend Lightning McQueen (Owen Wilson) and his sidekick Mater (Larry the Cable Guy) traveling overseas to compete against the world's fastest cars. It's a little concerning that Pixar is pushing sequels, but it's still Pixar, the only studio in Hollywood to be perfect both critically and commercially. So until the movie opens, no one should doubt a track record like this.

4.) X-Men: First Class

This is the only comic-book adaptation I am truly looking forward to, and of course, it's the one getting the least amount of press. However, I do feel that this will be one of the strongest blockbusters of the summer. This prequel to the extremely successful franchise highlights Charles Xavier (James McAvoy) starting up a school in 1963 (expect a huge part of the story to chronicle around the Cuban Missile Crisis), which ultimately leads to the infamous team of heroes. This film will chronicle the path of how the Professor and his once-upon-a-time best friend Eric Lehnsherr becomes his arch-rival Magneto.

3.) Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part II

I'll be the first to admit that I've never been an ultimate Harry Potter fan. I almost feel ashamed having only read the first two books. Still, I am thoroughly impressed with this film franchise. Even though it has a leg-up on many others (considering the numerous amounts of source material it's been able to live off of, along with the sure talent of J.K Rowling) I do believe that moviegoers are in for one hell-of-a spectacle come this July. The most successful franchise of all time comes to a conclusion. That within itself is an epic event almost impossible to miss.

2.) The Tree of Life

In what seems to be a 30+ year project in the making, Terrence Malick's first feature film in six years (and only his fifth ever) is finally going to be released. Now, obviously he wasn't literally working on this for 30+ years, but right after his 1978 film Days of Heaven, Malick began brainstorming the idea for this film. The project was originally titled "Q," and while I'm sure it's not the same film it would have been had it been released back then, it should be as close to that vision as Malick can possibly make it. This could very well be the next 2001: A Space Odyssey, only this time specifically focusing on man instead of machine. If this movie is as good as I think it will be, watch out for the first surefire Oscar contender of 2011.

1.) Super 8

I put this film above all else because it seems to be the only blockbuster taking summer entertainment seriously. In what could be the greatest modern director/producer combo ever, director J.J Abrams (Star Trek, Mission Impossible III, Lost) and producer Steven Spielberg team up to create a new kind of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Taking place in 1979, a gargantuan train crash is caught on camera by a group friends making a super 8 movie. With this footage, they start to realize that this was no accident. As the mystery starts to unravel, the town is thrown into chaos. Starring Kyle Chandler (Friday Night Lights), the man who deserves to be the next great movie star, I am overwhelmed with joy that Abrams and Spielberg are teaming up to give us what I think will be the best time at the movies all summer. What I find more fascinating about Abrams movies are their marketing campaigns. They are so brilliantly executed, that for me, they are events within itself. Catch my article on this topic coming in the next few weeks, along with the box-office predictions for all of these movies, and more.

Source Code

**** stars

In 2009, director Duncan Jones crafted the highly underrated independent film Moon, one of the best science fiction entries in modern cinema. Crossing over to the mainstream with Source Code, Jones is proving to be one of the most refreshing filmmakers of his genre. Breathing new life into a Groundhog Day-esque concept, (how fascinating that the mythology of a 1993 Bill Murray comedy about a groundhog is still a brilliant base for science-fiction movies) this highly entertaining thriller is a blast of exciting relevancy mixed with a component that I have yet to discover this year in movies: fun. Because it has this as one of its chief elements, Source Code stands out as the first true gem of the year.

Captain Colter Stevens (Jake Gyllenhaal, in his best performance since Zodiac) wakes up in confusion on a morning commuter train heading into Chicago. Why? Because the last thing he remembers is flying a helicopter in Iraq. While the beginning of the train sequence certainly didn't do this on purpose, the opening of M. Night Shyamalan's Unbreakable certainly comes to mind. Confusion on a train seems to be a very exciting way to begin a movie. Maybe it's the fast-paced atmosphere combined with the thrill of the vehicle's physical speed.

The twist here in Source Code is that not only does Colter have no idea how he got on this train, he seems to be an entirely different person. While I won't for a second spill any details on why he is who is he, I will say that in place of being a military captain, he is now a school teacher sitting across from what could be the most beautiful woman he has ever seen. Christina (Michelle Monaghan) seems very interested in him. Confused by all of this, he searches the train for clues. Everyone seems to be noticing him as if he is the biggest elephant a room has ever seen.

Eight minutes later, a bomb explodes killing everyone on board. Colter wakes up from this in a confined space, in what seems to be a training program. He notices a small television monitor with mission controller Carol Goodwin (Vera Farminga) asking him several questions about his memory. To Colter's surprise, he remembers the answers.

So what is Source Code? Basically (and this is not a spoiler, but a foundation of the story) it's a specific technology that allows the military to use a soldier like Colter to re-create a real-life scenario for eight minutes that will allow him to stop something terrible from happening in the near future. In this case, it's a second terrorist attack. The bombing of the train was just the first strike. Chicago is in danger, and it's up to one confused and lonely soldier to save the day. Without his permission, Colter is thrown back onto the train several times over, trying to find the man who could destroy an entire city.

Maybe I was a sucker before I even stepped in the theater to see Source Code, as Groundhog Day is one of my favorite movies and 24 is one of my favorite TV shows. I just couldn't get over how brilliantly directed this movie was. Duncan Jones allows time for the human side of this story to kick-in, which many recent science fiction films have failed to do.

For example, a huge complaint of mine in last month's Battle: Los Angeles was how mechanic the storytelling was. All the characters were simply pawns in an action chess game with no real side of humanistic emotions. If Battle: Los Angeles was trying to be a salute to the troops, it failed. Source Code honors troops in a very different and more personal way. It focuses on one soldier who is thrown into chaos without knowing how he got there in the first place while still finding it in his heart to save all those around him before saving himself. I was moved by Gyllenhaal's charismatic performance, as he discovers strong emotions in scenes that many other actors would fail to find.

Combining electric action with taut storytelling, Source Code is some kind of small, short-term miracle, giving me the strength to find a reason to tell people to head back to the movies. While I am saddened that it only opened to $15 million (although with only a $32 million budget, it will be considered a success) I hope that the strong word-of-mouth will allow this movie to find the audience it deserves.