Colombiana

In the action film Colombiana, Zoe Saldana plays Cataleya, a young woman who has grown up to be an assassin after witnessing the murder of her parents as a child. Turning herself into a professional killer and working for her uncle, she remains focused on her ultimate goal: to hunt down and get revenge on the mobster responsible for her parents’ deaths.

Opens Friday, August 26th.

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Review – The Losers

The Losers got off to a shaky start, literally, with the current action movie hand held camera action sequence craze, where it is literally challenging to figure out what is going on. Read more

The Losers

An explosive action tale of betrayal and revenge, “The Losers” centers around the members of an elite Special Forces unit sent to the Bolivian jungle on a search and destroy mission. But the team—Clay, Jensen, Roque, Pooch and Cougar—soon find that they have become the target of a deadly double cross, instigated from the inside by a powerful enemy known only as Max.

Making good use of the fact that they are now presumed dead, the group goes deeply undercover in a dangerous plot to clear their names and even the score with Max. They are joined by the mysterious Aisha, a beautiful operative with her own agenda, who is more than capable of scoring a few points of her own. Working together, when they’re not arguing amongst themselves, they have to stay one step ahead of the globetrotting Max—a ruthless man bent on embroiling the world in a new high-tech global war for his own benefit. If they can take down Max and save the world at the same time, it’ll be a win win for the team now known as The Losers.

“The Losers” stars Jeffery Dean Morgan (“Watchmen”) as Clay; Zoe Saldana (“Avatar,” “Star Trek”) as Aisha; Chris Evans (the “Fantastic Four” films) as Jensen; Idris Elba (“Obsessed”) as Roque; Columbus Short (“Quarantine”) as Pooch; Oscar Jaeneda (“Che: Part Two”) as Cougar; and Jason Patric (My Sister’s

Opens nationwide on April 23, 2010

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Death at a Funeral (2010)

Directed by Neil LaBute, Death at a Funeral is a hilarious day in the life of an American family come together to put a beloved husband and father to rest. As mourners gather at the family home, shocking revelations, festering resentments, ugly threats, blackmail and a misdirected corpse unleash lethal and riotous mayhem.

Opens April 16th.

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Review – Avatar

I sometimes wondered what my childhood fantasy world would look like if it ever came to life. Avatar has brought it out in full spectrum, from a jungle filled with giant fluorescent plant life to colorful flying dragonesque creatures. What would be the elfin fairytale beings are the giant, catlike, blue Na’vi, an indigenous race in this world called Pandora.

Jake Sully (Sam Worthington, Terminator: Salvation) plays a wheelchair bound vet brought on to take over his twin brother’s mission: to persuade the Na’vi to evacuate an area rich in a highly profitable mineral. He is initiated into driving his avatar, an alien-human hybrid, through virtual mind and body control. He clumsily stumbles into his virtual form and soon masters it to become one of the Na’vi tribe with the help of Neytiri (Zoe Saldana, Star Trek), daughter of the head honcho.

The stunning visual scenes during Jake’s metamorphosis into this new life is well worth the 3D experience, although it might be more of an impact if seen in an IMAX theater. As beautiful as it is, with the vibrant colors and fantasy environment, complete with six-legged horse and dog like creatures, it could’ve been written with better dialogue and drama. The 3D experience seemed to clash with 2-dimensional characters such as the over-the-top aggressive Colonel Quaritch (Stephen Lang) and corporate head puppet Selfridge (Giovanni Ribisi). As an avatar driver herself, Dr. Augustine (Sigourney Weaver) heads the scientific team, and you’re not sure whether or not to sympathize with her cause until the team goes rogue.

The action sequences are epic, its storyline okay, yet Avatar’s overall message is earth-friendly or, in this case, Pandora-friendly. Save the plants, animals, and most of all, the trees – specifically, the largest one on the planet. The Na’vi are drawn to it for spiritual guidance and for its metaphysical properties. When the military finally exercises its power, Pandora’s box is opened and nature unleashes its subdued fury. It gets perplexing at this point since, with all that power, there isn’t an apocalyptic event but more of an organized skirmish.

In any case, this film is a visual feast for the eyes (with 3D glasses), and I will likely see it again. I imagine that awards are forthcoming for this film’s artistic cinematic achievements. Romance in a fantasy jungle as a slick blue cat, with Jake as the warrior who saves the day – even a bad script doesn’t overwhelm that completely. In fact, you may have an urge to grow your hair into a long braid and find a flying dragon to bond with afterwards – unless, of course, you’re sane.

Avatar

From the official site: AVATAR takes us to a spectacular world beyond imagination, where a reluctant hero embarks on an epic adventure, ultimately fighting to save the alien world he has learned to call home. James Cameron, the Oscar-winning director of Titanic, first conceived the film 15 years ago, when the means to realize his vision did not exist. Now, after 4 years of production, AVATAR, a live action film with a new generation of special effects, delivers a fully immersive cinematic experience of a new kind, where the revolutionary technology invented to make the film, disappears into the emotion of the characters and the sweep of the story.

We enter the alien world through the eyes of Jake Sully (Sam Worthington), a former Marine confined to a wheelchair. But despite his broken body, Jake is still a warrior at heart. He is recruited to travel light years to the human outpost on Pandora, where corporations are mining a rare mineral that is the key to the Earth’s energy problems. Because the atmosphere on Pandora is toxic, they have created the Avatar Program, in which human “drivers” have their consciousness linked to an avatar, a remotely controlled biological body that can survive in the lethal air.  These avatars are genetically engineered hybrids of human DNA mixed with DNA from the natives of Pandora- the Na’vi.

Reborn in his avatar form, Jake can walk again. He is given a mission to infiltrate the Na’vi, who have become a major obstacle to mining the precious ore. But a beautiful Na’vi female, Neytiri (Zoe Saldana), saves Jake’s life, and this changes everything. Jake is taken in by her clan, and learns to become one of them, which involves many tests and adventures. As Jake’s relationship with his reluctant teacher Neytiri deepens, he learns to respect the Na’vi way and finally takes his place among them. Soon he will face the ultimate test as he leads them in an epic battle that decide nothing less than the fate of an entire world.

Opens December 18th

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Star Trek

I had forgotten how much I loved Star Trek.  This movie brought it all back and it’s back with heart, soul and gusto!  I had forgotten an old friend, but now we have connected once again.

Far from a true Trekkie, I nonetheless would watch the show religiously and saw every movie.  I loved the humor, the action, the mind bending dilemmas and the camaraderie among the characters.  For the last two hours, that love was rekindled.

Not only did the actors embrace the personalities of those who created the characters, they honored the spirit of the entire series.  You couldn’t help but smile as all the little details we remembered came back with new faces on old characters.  Something very new, but comfortably the same.

Never once did you feel insulted about the way they carried on the tradition of  the series we grew up on and loved.  Certainly not like that horrendous Land of the Lost farce that previewed before the film — I’m just heartbroken about what they have done to that, but that’s a story for another day.

Chris Pine (Kirk), Zachary Quinto(Spock), John Cho (Sulu), Simon Pegg(Scotty), Anton Yelchin (Chekov), Zoe Saldana (Uhura) and my absolute favorite Karl Urban (Bones) brought to life, and heart,  a fun, exciting ride along memory lane with the promise of new adventures as we get to know the characters all over again.  Throw in some Eric Bana being all bad, Leonard Nimoy connecting to days of old and I couldn’t have asked for a better night out with the hubby (not that I even noticed him sitting next to me).

Yes, I am in love with Star Trek again. I left the theater with a tear in my eye and a smile on my face.

I want more and I want it now!

Alas, for now, I will just have to be first in line for the DVD and maybe find some old epiodes on cable.  Live long and prosper and GO SEE THIS MOVIE!