"Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol"
Richard's Review: 4 stars
Like a cat, Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise), the indestructible secret agent star of "Mission: Impossible -- Ghost Protocol," has nine lives. Maybe more. He packs more death-defying heroics into one afternoon than any comic book superhero, scaling buildings and crashing cars. He's always on the go.
There's the usual assortment of exotic locations, international intrigue, beautiful assassins, clocks ticking down to zero, subtitles in various languages in this film. Despite all that, MI4 makes way more sense than its predecessors.
Clarity of story has never been a strong suit of the MI series, but "Ghost Protocol" trims down the convoluted plots of the first three movies.
The IMF -- that's Impossible Missions Force for the uninitiated -- is disavowed after Hunt and his team, Jane (Paula Patton) and Benji (Simon Pegg), are accused of bombing the Kremlin. Under the rules of Ghost Protocol they are left on their own with no support and must go rogue to clear their name.
"Ghost Protocol" is by no means a comedy. But there are more light moments -- usually courtesy of Simon Pegg -- than in all the previous movies combined. There's even a short joke at Cruise's expense.
The jokes are place holders for the wall-to-wall action. If nothing else "Ghost Protocol" will make you chew your popcorn a little faster. Spectacular set pieces, like Cruise repelling down the outside of the tallest building in the world, and a car chase in a dust storm, should satisfy any action fan.
The various subplots may not, however.
Too much time is spent on Jeremy Renner's back story, a long-winded tale of combat fatigue that reveals a connection to Hunt.
The movie is best when it is running and jumping and while the story doesn't slow the overall momentum.
In the end, "Ghost Protocol" has everything you expect from a MI movie. There's action galore, a cool gadget for every occasion, the patented Tom Cruise Run -- hands extended, determined look on face, hair blowing from the sheer velocity of his stride -- and sneering bad guys.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chipwrecked"
Richard's Review: 1/2 star
I could have been a lawyer. Or a doctor. Or a truck driver, aerobics instructor or even a pastry chef. Instead, I ticked off the film critic box on career day and began a journey that brought me to a screening of "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked," a movie that chipped away at my will to live.
Once again Jason Lee returns as Dave, the owner, manager and father figure to Alvin, Theodore and Simon, chipmunk singing superstars and their sister group, the Chipettes. On cruise before heading off to the International Music Awards the critters raise havoc before becoming castaways on a remote island inhabited by a stranded UPS worker who has been searching for the island's hidden treasure for 10 years. It plays like a rodent "Gilligan's Island," with bits of "Survivor" and "Treasure Island" thrown in for good measure.
"Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked" isn't a movie. It's marketing and an excuse to sell plush toys and soundtracks filled with chirpy -- chippy? -- versions of pop hits like "Vacation" and "Bad Romance." (Parents be warned! Buy the soundtrack and spend the holiday season listening to Lady Gaga songs cutified to the point where they make Miley Cyrus sound like Megadeth.)
For all the film's family-friendly messages and the occasional adult joke -- "I can see Russia from here!" -- I can't help but see these Chipmunk movies as more of an excuse to sell products than entertain young minds. Not all kid's flicks have to have a redeeming social message or an educational angle. But I do think they should aspire to something more than consumer culture.
The film's two main human stars -- Lee and David Cross -- both started their careers doing much more alternative kinds of work. Lee as a skateboarder and Kevin Smith protégé, Cross as the evil genius behind TV's "Mr. Show with Bob." It must come as a surprise to them to see how much time they now spend acting opposite furry co-stars whose idea of a great joke is initiating a dance-off with a group of "Jersey Shore" castoffs.
Cross, at least, seems to be in on the joke. He's taking the paycheck and every now and again gets a good line like, "Hate, anger and resentment aren't just the names of a girl group I once signed." But what was Lee thinking?
He's a usually charming, edgy and funny performer. He fits this part well enough, although, frankly it could be anyone playing the role. But every minute spent working opposite wisecracking chipmunks makes it harder to remember when Lee made cool movies like "Chasing Amy."
As commercials for kids toys go, "Alvin and the Chipmunks: Chip-Wrecked" is state-of-the-art. As a movie, it's ninety minutes of product placement.
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows"
Richard's Review: 2 1/2 stars
When we last saw Sherlock Holmes (Robert Downey Jr.) and Dr. Watson (Jude Law) they had just solved a case involving deadly cult leader Lord Blackwood (Mark Strong). This time around they are against an even more diabolical foe, James Moriarty (Jared Harris), a university professor and world class purveyor of world chaos.
The new puzzle begins with the death of the Crown Prince of Austria. Written off as a suicide, Holmes deduces there is more to the story. Enter Watson, who should be on his honeymoon, a beautiful fortune-teller (Noomi Rapace, the original girl with the dragon tattoo), the unspeakably evil Moriarty and more intrigue than you can shake a deerstalker hat at.
Guy Ritchie's first "Sherlock Holmes" movie was an empty but elegant looking thriller that owed as much to the "DaVinci Code" as it did to the detective's creator, Arthur Conan Doyle. This time around the glass is half full. Or half empty, depending on your point of view.
There is no question that RDJ and Law bring a certain joie de vivre to the usually staid portrayal of the great detective and his loyal sidekick. They look like they're having a ball… probably more fun than the audience, in fact.
It's enjoyable to watch these two riff off one another to a point. But soon it becomes clear the whole movie is a contrivance for their banter.
Every witty line of 19th century English that spills casually out of Downey's mouth and all the action scenes are trailer-ready. Each are easily consumed in the moment, but soon the film becomes a showcase for the charm of its stars and not a story.
The quips and extravagantly edited sequences are fun in the moment but don't add up to much of a movie. Confused and confusing, the plot zips along at a rapid pace. You'll barely know it doesn't make much sense because Ritchie fills the screen with atmospheric, wildly edited scenes anchored by Downey's flamboyant performance.
As Moriarty, Harris has one seminal psycho moment -- is there anything crazier than belting out an aria while torturing your nemesis? Noomi Repace is eye catching as Sim, but isn't given enough to do to be truly memorable.
"Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows" is handsome, big-budget filmmaking with charming stars and loads of eye candy. The only thing missing is a compelling story. Maybe next time out (and for sure there will be a next time for Holmes and Watson) the detective can uncover a good story.
"Young Adult"
Richard's Review: 4 stars
Every now and again Charlize Theron has to remind us that there is more to her than flashy perfume ads. In "Monster" she showed off her dramatic chops. In her new film, "Young Adult," she goes one better, displaying her rarely seen facility for dramedy, a pitch perfect blend of drama and comedy.
Written by "Juno" scribe Diablo Cody, "Young Adult" centers on Mavis Grey (Theron), a ghostwriter of novels for teens. She's a small-town girl who made it big in the city, Minneapolis -- or "Mini Apple" as the locals call it -- but she hasn't matured much beyond the teen queens she writes about. She was the mean, pretty girl in high school who was used to getting everything she wanted. Trouble is, she's 38 now and things don't come as easily anymore. When an invite to a baby shower from her ex-boyfriend arrives, she decides her route to happiness leads back to her hometown and the arms of her ex.
Like Jason Reitman's other films -- "Juno," "Thank You for Smoking" and "Up in the Air" -- "Young Adult" is character driven and as much about the drama as it is the laughs.
Theron isn't known for her lighter roles, but reinvents herself as Mavis. She's equal parts "psychotic prom queen bitch" and woman on the edge, teetering between narcissism and alcoholism. Theron nails the part to the wall. It's rare to find a part that balances her beauty against a tragic-comic premise. She has most of the movie's best lines, wears too much makeup, likes to "get loaded" and casually sniffs glue. The casting may have seemed counter intuitive, but now I can't imagine anyone else playing the part. Hopefully this expansion of Theron's range means she will never again say yes to movies like "Aeon Flux."
Her love interest is played by Patrick Wilson, but the more interesting supporting performance by far is Patton Oswald as a guy Mavis used to ignore in high school. He's funny, bittersweet and brings a great deal of warmth to the movie.
"Young Adult" can't rightly be called a comedy. It's not "Bridesmaids," but will amuse and move in equal doses.
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Richard's Review: 3 1/2 stars
Now that the "Harry Potter" franchise has come to an end the British acting community has been forced to look for alternate employment. Luckily for them "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" was casting, putting together an ensemble cast comprised of several Potter cast-a-ways and an Oscar winner. The acting is top notch, but a serious casting flaw costs the movie much of its suspense.
Based on the John le Carré bestseller, the movie begins with a bungled secret mission in Budapest before bringing the action back to the highest levels of British secret service. Veteran spymaster George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is brought back from the Old Spy's Home to uncover a Soviet mole from within the top echelons of MI6.
It's a world of secret files, Cold War paranoiac intrigue, suspicious glances, loyalty and intelligence gathering. No James Bond stuff here, just pieces of a puzzle being put together from the edges inward. It's an occasionally complicated story -- the BBC made this into a six-hour miniseries in 1979 -- about facts, figures and flashbacks, which is all well and good, except for one fatal casting mistake.
Spoiler alert! The key to the story is suspense, which it has in spades. But it tips its hand by casting an Academy Award winner in a seemingly minor role. From the first appearance of this
actor (I'm trying hard not to completely give anything away here) it becomes clear that he is peripheral to the story -- or is he? As the intrigue comes to a close, it's apparent the high-profile actor has more to do with the outcome of the story – and more than director Tomas "Let the Right One In" Alfredson would like you to know. In a world where all is not as it seems, he might as well be wearing a big sign that says, "I'm the guy you're looking for!" around his neck.
Another spoiler alert! One bit of inspired casting is Gary Oldman as the tight-lipped but relentless spy who is ironically named George Smiley. Years spent in the Potterverse as Sirius Black haven't dulled hiss edge. He's a quietly coiled snake, patiently waiting to pounce. Smiley is a character who in lesser hands might have appeared too disconnected and to removed. But Oldman displays a fierce intelligence behind his over-sized bifocals that brings the character to life.
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is a cerebral thriller. Not much happens -- a trio of bullets is about it for the action and it has one of the most melodramatic tears in recent cinema history. But the prolonged suspense will make your palms sweat.
